Answers to Questionnaire To Teachers of Form 6 Physics

I put out a Questionnaire at the recent Physicos Conference just for my personal curiosity to see
if we all have shifted much from the “Ooöld prescription”, because it is quite a few years since we
did that and NCEA will be bringing back a new spirit of shared experience.
Notice the careful wording there, Content is a banned word.

The sample was small:- only 16 randomly chosen schools. I’m sure there would be a Masters in
the research if properly carried out, but I’m in a rush to get organised for term three, so it won’t
be me. Thanks to those who filled in the forms, here is your feedback:-

Text book used at F6, and at F7… Mostly the ESA Revision Books with a smattering of Physics
Alive at F7 and others.

Proportion of your students having after school jobs…

Most said that a large proportion of their students have after school jobs which definitely
affected their homework output. One said that none had jobs as the school would not tolerate it, -
I like that in a school! What I tolerate gets scant attention!

The higher decile schools had much larger proportions of their students doing Physics – that was
not on the questionnaire but became obvious.

Evidently only 1600 students in the country do Physics Sch Cert so most students come into the
F6 course with F5 Science.

From here on I am going to put these fairly vague statements because the sample was small
Few = 10 to 20 %
Several 20 to 40 %
Half = 40 to 60%
Many = 60 to 90%
Most = over 90 %

The “prior learning” to Form 6 that was expected :-

Vel = Dist / Time Most

No prior learning Few
Knowing formulae for KE and PE Few
Waves… v = f λ Few
F = ma Most
Work = F x d Half
Simple Levers Few

Do you expect students to learn all F6 Formulae? No one

Do you always give formulae in tests? Most do
Topics we expect to cover in the Form 6 year.

Uncertainties in Measurement in practical experiments Half

Maths needed for Physics Many … Only 25% do not teach Sig Fig, Std Form etc.
Density = Mass / Vol Few

Most taught the next group

Hooke's Law, F = kx Kinematic Equations Vel / Dist / Time Graphs
Force Diagrams, and static forces at an angle. Newton's Laws.
Vector Diagrams
Components of vectors - Forces, velocities.
Energy changes. Kinetic, Potential energy formulae.
Hooke's Law and elastic Potential energy
Relative Motion including addition and subtraction of vectors
Projectile motion

Electricity Resistors, in series and parallel.

Voltage divider circuits
Ohm's Law Power.

Non Ohmic devices, LEDs, LDRs, and Thermistors. Half

Use of a transistor in a circuit. Few

Centre of Mass, Levers, Torque and moments. Most

Momentum and it's conservation, Most
Energy changes in elastic and inelastic collisions. Most
Impulse Many

Circular motion. d = rθ Some v = r w Few a = v2/r

2 2
Most F = m v /r Most Gravitation F = G m1m2/d Many

Most taught the next group

Electrostatics.
Coulombs Law. Electric Field. E = V/ x Force on a charge F = EQ
Magnetism Field round Bar Magnet Solenoid fields Earth’s Magnetism

Capacitance C = QV Several

Electromagnetism
Force on a current carrying conductor, F = BIL Most
Magnetic Field around current carrying conductors B = k I /d Many
Force acting between 2 wires carrying parallel currents, F = k IIL/d Many
How meters and motors work. Half Torque = BANI cos θ Many
Force on a charge moving in an Magnetic field. F = B q v Many
Most taught the next group of Waves and light
V = f λ , Reflection, and diffraction of water waves. Superposition of waves.
Light Refraction, Snell’s Law. Colour dispersion, Critical angle,
Mirrors, straight and curved, Convex and concave lenses. Si So = f 2 Magnification = Hi/HoRay
Ray diagrams, Lenses and for curved mirrors

Diffraction of light waves. n λ = d sin θ Many

Interference, Young’s Slits λ = d x /L Most
Electromagnetic Induction
Voltage induced in conductor moving in a magnetic field. V = BvL Many
Lenz’s Law Half Transformers Vp/Vs = Np/Ns Half

Most taught the next group

Models of the Atom. Nuclear fission & fusion Radioactive decay , Half Life.
Alpha and Beta particles. Gamma Rays. Photoelectric Effect Several