Science & the Built Environment

Leaving Certificate Physics Courses: Prep for your Exam

Considering a Leaving Certificate Physics Course? 

Leaving certificate physics is the most mathematical of all the sciences, with many exam questions requiring you to solve a problem with previously learnt formulas. There is a ton of learning to be done in this subject and with all the new formulas, it can be a challenge. The course is well suited for those studying physics for their leaving certificate, who would like some extra help or need to improve. Practice truly makes perfect, which is exactly what you can expect from doing a leaving certificate physics course. The good news is there are tons of leaving certificate physics courses currently available. 

About Physics 

Physics is the science of matter and its motion. It is the science that deals with concepts such as energy, force, charge and mass. As an experimental science, its overall goal is to understand the natural world. In one form or another, physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines; though its modern subfield of astronomy, it may be the oldest of all. Occasionally synonymous with chemistry, philosophy and even certain branches of biology and mathematics during the last two millennia, physics emerged as a modern science in the 17th century and these disciplines are now generally distinct, although the boundaries remain challenging to define. Advances in physics generally translate to the technological sector and occasionally influence the other sciences, as well as philosophy and mathematics. 

Why Do a Leaving Certificate Physics Course? 

Leaving certificate physics courses will provide you with comprehensive notes on all of the topics covered in the exam. They also tend to offer continuous written assignments, which are corrected and graded, designed to help you see whether progress is being made or whether more help is needed. Through this, you will gain constructive feedback which will boost your determination to succeed. The courses also tend to do written examination practice to give you an example of what the day will be like and how your timing is. 

What Will I Learn? 

You can expect to explore all of the topics in the physics curriculum. Therefore, you will learn about optics and waves in terms of light and sound, mechanics in relation to time, space, distance, speed and acceleration and heat in terms of changes of state and energy conversions and mathematical problems. Students will explore electricity and magnetism in terms of gravity, simple circuits, electricity and magnetism and AC & DC currents and atomic physics in relation to cathode rays, x-rays, radioactive delay, nuclear fission and fusion and nuclear reactors. The course will explore particle physics, a detailed study of sub atomic particles and applied electricity, a detailed study of electricity and how motors work also. 

The Leaving Certificate Physics Exam 

100% of your mark will go for a one paper 3 hour examination, however, you are required to keep a record of your practical work over the two years of the course. In section A, you have to answer 3 out of 4 questions and you will get 40 marks per question. These questions will be based on experimental procedures. In section B, you will have to answer 5 out of 8 questions and there are 56 marks available per question. The questions in this section are more theory based and broad.  

Future Career Opportunities with Leaving Certificate Physics 

After completing your leaving certificate physics course successfully, you can do a wide variety of courses in areas such as finance, engineering, physics, statistics and computer science.  

If you’re serious about doing a leaving certificate physics course, check out courses near you in the Nightcourses.co.uk national course finder.