Content of A-Level Maths and Physics

[D365]

Mod Note: discussion split from http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=103488

By the way, they teach you about crashes as part of forces and momentum in GCSE and A Level Physics.

Some of us do better at those modules than others

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

By the way, they teach you about crashes as part of forces and momentum in GCSE and A Level Physics.

True, but in both GCSE and A Level collisions are assumed to be either perfectly elastic or perfectly inelastic... I'm not sure your A Level knowledge would get you terribly far in designing a crash-worthy train.

 

[northwichcat]

True, but in both GCSE and A Level collisions are assumed to be either perfectly elastic or perfectly inelastic... I'm not sure your A Level knowledge would get you terribly far in designing a crash-worthy train.

If A Level Physics comprehensively covered designing crashworthy trains I must have either missed that day or forgotten about it. I can remember studying things which would be of absolutely no use for designing crashworthy trains like antiquarks and working out the Schwarzschild radius.

 

[WatcherZero]

I did A level physics and im sure we did coefficient of restitution in the mechanics module.

 

[The47Wanderer]

I did A level physics and im sure we did coefficient of restitution in the mechanics module.

You would be right. One of the best topics in M2!

 

[Philip C]

I did A level physics and im sure we did coefficient of restitution in the mechanics module.

When I did my A Level Physics, in the late 1960s (or was it in the O Level in those days?) the coefficient of restitution was similarly in the syllabus. One of our textbooks made a reference to this as the "coefficient of bobbulation" which I rather liked and still remember nearly fifty years later! I've always thought this as an author's little joke that somehow got past the editor. This is my opportunity to ask if anyone is aware of bobbulation as 'proper terminology'.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

When I did my A Level Physics, in the late 1960s (or was it in the O Level in those days?)

At that period, you sat your GCE "O" levels (Ordinary level), then progressed some time later onto GCE "A" levels (Advanced level).

I sat my GCE in the late 1950's/start of the 1960's period when alphabetical grades as known these days were not given. What we were given were Distinction, Credit and Pass as the grade obtained.

 

[northwichcat]

If anyone's interested I've found the current AQA* syllabus for A Level Physics online: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/physics/specifications/AQA-7407-7408-SP-2015-V1-1.PDF Coefficient of restitution is not mentioned under the Mechanics module.

I can see an immediate difference which is current students no longer have to do an assessed piece of coursework (and they do less exams in total - lazy buggers .) I remember doing a piece of coursework relating to Viscosity for A-Level Physics. The coursework would be have one area the teachers had the option of teaching something which wasn't a prerequisite.

* AQA was formed by the merger of the NEAB and SEG for people who remember those names.

 

[Domh245]

If anyone's interested I've found the current AQA* syllabus for A Level Physics online: http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/physics/specifications/AQA-7407-7408-SP-2015-V1-1.PDF Coefficient of restitution is not mentioned under the Mechanics module.

I can see an immediate difference which is current students no longer have to do an assessed piece of coursework (and they do less exams in total - lazy buggers .) I remember doing a piece of coursework relating to Viscosity for A-Level Physics. The coursework would be have one area the teachers had the option of teaching something which wasn't a prerequisite.

* AQA was formed by the merger of the NEAB and SEG for people who remember those names.

For those of us unfortunate enough to be subjected to the OCR B physics syllabus, we had 4 courseworks (1 Report/presentation type and 1 assessed practical and report for AS and same again for A2) and then 4 exams (all sat in one exam season at my ex-school).

We didn't cover anything about the coefficient of restitution mind!

EDIT to add: The 2 Courseworks at each level combine to give 1 unit, so despite 4 coursework tasks, there are only 2 coursework units in the final awards.

 

[Philip C]

At that period, you sat your GCE "O" levels (Ordinary level), then progressed some time later onto GCE "A" levels (Advanced level).

I sat my GCE in the late 1950's/start of the 1960's period when alphabetical grades as known these days were not given. What we were given were Distinction, Credit and Pass as the grade obtained.

Thank you, and regards, Paul. That wasn't that of which I was unsure. I was unsure whether the coefficient of restitution formed part of the "O" level or "A" level syllabus. As we are both well aware, the modern generation are awarded degrees for that which we learnt at Primary School!

 

[The47Wanderer]

For the record, (and, hopefully not to go TOO off topic)

Coefficient of Restitution is covered in Mechanics on the maths side of things.

Maths at A level, you do your "standard" maths (triangles, graph curves, sequences...differentiation etc), and an "applied2 maths subject, either Statistics or Mechanics (or, in some cases and the cases of Fast Track maths, "Decision")). People taking physics at my school were very pushed to take mechanics, which covered things such as Speed/Distance/Time, Coefficient of restitution, Mass/Balance/Moments, Forces, Projectiles, etc etc etc

I just completed my A-levels and we were on the OCR (MEI) exam board.


And now, back to trains?

 

[route:oxford]

For the record, (and, hopefully not to go TOO off topic)

Coefficient of Restitution is covered in Mechanics on the maths side of things.

Maths at A level, you do your "standard" maths (triangles, graph curves, sequences...differentiation etc), and an "applied2 maths subject, either Statistics or Mechanics (or, in some cases and the cases of Fast Track maths, "Decision")). People taking physics at my school were very pushed to take mechanics, which covered things such as Speed/Distance/Time, Coefficient of restitution, Mass/Balance/Moments, Forces, Projectiles, etc etc etc

I just completed my A-levels and we were on the OCR (MEI) exam board.


And now, back to trains?

No idea about the bizarre stuff that is done in England.

We covered the "Co-efficient of Restitution" in O'Grade Engineering Science. It was also touched upon in Higher Maths and Higher Physics.

 

[northwichcat]

For the record, (and, hopefully not to go TOO off topic)

Coefficient of Restitution is covered in Mechanics on the maths side of things.

Maths at A level, you do your "standard" maths (triangles, graph curves, sequences...differentiation etc), and an "applied2 maths subject, either Statistics or Mechanics (or, in some cases and the cases of Fast Track maths, "Decision")). People taking physics at my school were very pushed to take mechanics, which covered things such as Speed/Distance/Time, Coefficient of restitution, Mass/Balance/Moments, Forces, Projectiles, etc etc etc

I just completed my A-levels and we were on the OCR (MEI) exam board.


And now, back to trains?

I did OCR Maths and at the time three Pure Maths modules were mandatory, one mechanics module was mandatory and one statistics module was mandatory. My Sixth Form chose to do a second statistics module as the 6th module and if you wanted to do further mechanics you had to do the Further Maths A Level.

More to the point - do all the Vivarail employees know about Coefficient of Restitution?

 

[edwin_m]

Never did Coefficeint of Restitution in either Scottish O grade maths and arithmetic (1981), A level Maths (Mechanics option), Physics or Further Maths (1983) nor a first degree in engineering - although it was a general engineering degree and I specialised in software...

Having later worked for BR Research I do know there were people there with plenty of theoretical and practical knowledge about designing crashworthy trains, though I'm still unconvinced that deformable structures are cost-effective.

 

[DaleCooper]

This is my opportunity to ask if anyone is aware of bobbulation as 'proper terminology'.

I don't know about bobbulation but there is such a thing as a wobbulator