We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College in September! 

We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying Physics at Andover College is like! Scroll down to have a go at the various home-based experiments and activities provided by your lecturer Paul! Make sure you also listen to the audio clip across as second year Physics students Paul and Chloe provide their invaluable experience!

We will be regularly posting content onto this page to get you ready to start in September - make sure to send us any work you complete to andoverapplicantwelcome@sparsholt.ac.uk with 'Physics' as the email heading! 

Check out the help and support we can provide through our experienced Careers and Health & Wellbeing teams.

About the Course! 

The Physics course at Andover College is for those who are curious, innovative and eager to learn more about the fundamental laws that guide the universe and our experience within!

At Andover College we take a practical approach to the course uncovering fundamental physical relationships through frequent practical investigations. In your first year some of the topics you will cover include, the basics of forces, motion, energy and particles along with exploring the quantum world of wave-particle duality. Following this, in your second year you will look more deeply at the fundamental forces of the universe, gravity, electromagnetism,  E = mc², and the nuclear atom along with the life cycle of the stars! 

What next? 

Students with a strong A Level performance in Physics are highly valued in both higher education settings, such as university, along with the world of work. After your time at Andover College, and subsequent education, you could progress into a huge variety of careers. These could include, aerospace and engineering, medical physics, theoretical physics and astrophysics. In addition, one third of Physics graduates go onto a career in business and finance aided by their strong communication and numeracy skills!

Trips!

Andover Physics students take regular trips to help further their learning experience. Current second year student Jess mentions the recent department trip to The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory as her particular favourite - take a look at the pictures below! In the images below students are standing on top of a proton synchrotron and the protons are whizzing in circles beneath their feet at 0.98c (98% of the speed of light). The massive amounts of white concrete you see under them are protecting them from high levels of deadly radiation!

Learn more here. 

Activity 1: Measuring the speed of light in your microwave!

Your Physics lecturer, Paul, has created a variety of activities for you to get started with in preparation for college in September! 

Firstly, have a go at this experiment measuring the speed of light using just your microwave and a chocolate bar - hopefully you have some Easter chocolate left!

Activity 2: Scale of the Universe!

Take a look at the Scale of the Universe web page to learn more about your place in the cosmos - once you have done this download the workbook below to take the online quiz and test your knowledge on scaling objects in the universe!

Scale of the Universe available: here. 

Activity 3: Using Hair to measure acceleration due to gravity!

Have a go at this hair-raising experiment that will allow you to measure the time period of a swinging pendulum alongside calculating a value for its acceleration.

Make sure you email us your results with 'Physics' as the email heading to andoverapplicantwelcome@sparsholt.ac.uk - we would love to see how you get on!  

New: Activity 4 Exploring the Solar System!

Your lecturer Paul has developed an interactive session exploring the solar system and orbits. Download the workbook below and take a look at the My Solar System info graphic here.

Transition Activities 

Moving from GCSE Science to A Level can be a daunting leap, take a look at this workbook to help prepare you for the start of College in September.

Additional Resources 

Interested in learning more about the various subjects you will study as a Physics student at Andover College? Take a look at the resources available below and make sure you let us know how you get on! 

Why study Physics? Here. 

The Buzzle web page has a variety of reading activities on a collection of topics - take a look and investigate more here.

The Map of Physics: Everything we know about physics - and a few things we don't - in a simple map. Here. 

Related: The Map of Mathematics: The entire field of mathematics summarised in a single map! This shows how pure mathematics and applied mathematics relate to each other and all of the sub-topics they are made from. Here. 

Why do I study Physics? Here. 

What is Physics? Here. 

Make sure you keep up-to-date with the developments with the International Space Station. You can see a live feed here! 

The Open University has a variety of free online courses available in an array of different subjects. Take a look at the catalogue here and explore the different course topics available. 

You could also investigate the courses offered at the EtonX web page; please note these are paid for programmes that your current school may have access to so please check with them and back here regularly for updates.