All students have the opportunity and encouragement to enjoy and succeed in physics, regardless of ability or gender. The study of physics takes everyday experience and common sense as its starting point, with all students in the College studying Physics topics up to GCSE level.

The aims of the Physics Department are:

• To stimulate curiosity, interest and enjoyment in Physics and its methods of enquiry
• To acquire a systematic body of scientific knowledge and to develop an understanding of Physics, including its power and its limitations
• To enable students to acquire sufficient understanding and knowledge to become confident citizens in a technological world, able to take or develop an informed interest in matters of scientific import
• To develop skills and abilities which are relevant to the study and practice of Physics, are useful in everyday life, and encourage safe practice and effective communication
• To develop an understanding of the nature of scientific ideas and activity and the basis for scientific claims
• To develop attitudes relevant to Physics, such as initiative, inventiveness, objectivity, integrity and a concern for accuracy and precision
• To promote an awareness of the technological and environmental applications of Physics and of their economic, ethical and social implications

STAFF

CURRICULUM

Pupils at all levels complete practical activities to support the topics.  At Key Stage 3 and GCSE there is formal assessment of specified practical work.  At AS and A2 level there are formal practical examinations. 

FACILITIES AND RESOURCES

Where possible, the College makes use of external opportunities to help bring the subject alive for the pupils. For example, pupils attended the annual IEE Faraday Lecture event at the Waterfront Hall in February. This year the theme was ‘Talking Robots’. Form 4 pupils attended 'Horizons in Physics' at QUB, a demonstration lecture that gave an insight into the ‘Exploration of the Universe’

Lab in a Lorry

Sentinus, in partnership with the Institute of Physics, provided the lorry as part of Einstein Year, which is being celebrated across the UK.  When the lorry visited Methody, all our Form 2 pupils had an opportunity to complete the experimental work on offer.     

EDUCATIONAL TRIPS AND EXCHANGES

Annual Junior Science Trip to England

This event ,organised by staff from the Physics Department, was first held in 1997. In recent years the itinerary has included visits to the Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope, Catalyst, the Aquarium of the Lakes at Windermere, the Manchester Science Museum and Alton Towers.

Senior Physics Trip to Paris and CERN

This was a new event for 2005. In January a group of senior pupils travelled to Paris, where their itinerary included a programme of Science Lectures organised by the Royal Society and a trip to the visit the world-famous particle accelerators located at CERN (European Centre for Nuclear Research), near Geneva.

The Queen's University Physics Department carries out research at CERN and the students attended a lecture at QUB before the trip.

Useful links relating to physics:

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

Physics Olympiad Competitions.

A small number of Upper Sixth students competes in both the UK and Irish Olympiad competitions each year.

In the Irish Olympiad the overall winners in 2002 and 2004 have been from Methodist College. Christopher Clarke was the winner in 2002, while Christophe McGlade held the title in 2004. In 2005 the current Head Boy, Andrew  Brown won a Silver Medal at the event.  

In the UK event Christopher Pointon, in 2003, and Michael Magee, in 2004, were both placed in the top 15 and were awarded Gold Medals at presentation ceremonies in England.

Physics Challenge Competition

A small number of Form 5 students competes in this annual event. The top 15 placed students in the UK are invited to the Royal Society in London where they are presented with Gold Medals. MCB students have achieved significant successes in this event in recent years, with six Gold Medal winners in the last ten years.   Jamie Hu, in 2005, was the most recent recipient of this award.

Bursaries

Julia Sun (Lower 6) has been awarded a Nuffield Science Bursary for July and August 2005.  She will be working at Bombardier Aerospace on a project assessing powerplant performance.