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Course Report Physics, Oxford

This report gives you detailed information on the key features of the Physics course at Oxford, along with
a running commentary from a graduate who studied the course, Tom.





Im bouncing a marble, what is happening to the particles at the top of the marble?
(Past interview question for Physics)





Physics, Oxford
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Course Outline

Duration
Three or four years

Degree awarded
BA or MPhys

Colleges
Available at all colleges except for Pembroke. Also not available at any Permanent Private Halls.

Course Overview
Physics at Oxford is hard work, particularly in the first year when you are still trying to get to grips with
living away from home as well as the leap from A levels to degree, but it is also stimulating and rewarding
when you finally understand the question!

The tutorial system is one reason why choosing to do your physics degree at Oxford is so good. One-on-
one or two-on-one tutorials give you the chance to discuss any problems you may have with the subject,
and to get more individual help.

Average Intake
170

Applications shortlisted for interview: 55.9%
Successful applications: 22.5%

Entrance requirements
A level: A*AA
Advanced Highers: AA/AAB
IB: 3840 including core points
Or equivalent

Essential subjects
Candidates will be expected to have Physics and Maths to A level or equivalent, and within that a
mechanics module is highly recommended. Further Mathematics will also be helpful but is not necessary
for admission.

Admissions test
Candidates must sit the Physics Aptitude Test on 2
nd
November 2011.

Written work
Candidates do not need to submit written work.




Physics, Oxford
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Our Case Study Tom

Tom applied to Oxford in 2005. He began the Physics course in 2006 and graduated in 2009. Here he
describes his academic background and how he found studying the course.

Did you apply pre or post A level?
Pre A level. Hardly anyone ever gets accepted for Physics after a gap year so there wasnt much choice!

What were your GCSE results at the time of your application?
10 A*s, 3 As.

What were your AS subjects and grades at the time of your application?
Physics (A), Further Maths (A), German (A) and A2 Maths (A)

Was your offer conditional or unconditional?
Conditional: AAA

How did you find studying Physics at Oxford?
The course can be three or four years depending on your initial choice and whether you obtain 2:1 or
above at the end of your second year. The four-year Physics course is equivalent to a European five-year
Masters and so obviously has to compress in an awful lot of content. In that sense the course is actually
quite short and is pressured because of this.

In my experience contact time with tutors was usually spot-on, but in contrast to Humanities tutorials, it
was often the case that science tutors didnt especially help you to understand the content because of
the very nature of the subject. Physics isnt really discursive! Instead, you have to learn the content in
your private study and consolidate it through the tutorials.

















Physics, Oxford
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An Overview of the Course

Year One


Tom says: The first year was to allow students to catch up with everyone else. Essentially the first year
was a mathematical foundation course in preparation for the real Physics beginning in the second year.


The work you do in the first year is aimed at bringing everyone to the same level, and there are exams at
the end of the year called Prelims. The modules are labelled CP1 to CP4.

CP1 covers Mechanics and Special Relativity, including Newtons Laws of motion, 2-D particle
motion, collisions and simple harmonic motion.
CP2 focuses on electromagnetism and circuits.
CP3 covers mathematical methods. This includes vectors, partial differentials, series and
sequences.
CP4 is on differential equations, waves and optics, and covers topics such as physical
characteristics of waves, superposition of waves, ordinary differential equations, complex
analysis, elementary geometric optics, and introduces wave optics, where classical Physics breaks
down.

There is also a short option that every physicist must take with their exams at the end of the Trinity
(summer) term, which are all 1.5 hour exams. In your first year, you can choose from Astronomy,
Complex analysis, and Quantum ideas.


Tom says: I picked Introductory Quantum Physics as it seemed to be one of the more interesting options
and directly led to some second year material at the time I thought this option would prepare me
better for the second year course.

Science degrees at Oxford are quite intense in terms of working hours. I had up to 20 hours of lectures
per week in my first year, as well as two hours of tutorials, three to five of labs, and 20 further hours in
private study, finishing problem sheets for my tutorials.

Prelims were at the end of the summer term. They were mostly problems to solve, but marks were
included for the years lab work.
















Physics, Oxford
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Year Two


Tom says: The second year was designed to help us consolidate the material we began in the first year.
We also go to start learning some new areas of Physics which we hadnt covered before.


At the end of your second year, you sit your Part A exams. A1 covers Thermal Physics, including kinetic
theory and statistical mechanics. A2 is Electromagnetism and Optics, which extends your first year study,
and A3 is Quantum Physics, introducing Dirac Notation and the Schrodinger Equation for modelling
Hydrogen and Helium atoms. A4 is Mathematical Methods II which continues the mathematics studied in
the first year.

You will again sit a short option, this time with more choices, including Energy Studies, Financial Physics,
History of Electromagnetism, Classical Mechanics, Covariant Electromagnetism, Plasma Physics, Medical
and Environmental Physics, Numerical Methods, Introduction to Biophysics, and Chaos, Chance and
Predictability.

You will also need to complete 12 days of labs, but you can replace half of these by taking two short
options rather than just one. The labs are run two days at a time every other week. Some short options
can be taken in your second term, so if you decide you would rather do two options it is worth seeing
which papers you can take early to avoid a heavy exam timetable. Having said this, the workload of two
short options in the summer term is acceptable. You will need to write up a certain number of labs which
will be marked. This number will be less if you take two short options.

In your second year, you must also complete an Oral Skills session which is a 20-minute presentation you
give to the other physicists in your college and your tutors. This is enjoyable and not particularly scary,
and gives you the chance to research absolutely anything to do with physics that interests you.


Tom says: Not much by way of options this year either, but at least we were doing proper Physics. It was
hard work again, and I had a similar work load, albeit with more labs, and therefore more time spent
writing up lab reports. Submitted work once again tended to take the form of problem sheets, which
could be quite time-consuming.

We were examined in everything we studied this year, again at the end of the summer term, though in
this case they counted towards our Final marks. It was a bit of a slog. Marks from our lab reports also
contributed to the years score.




Physics, Oxford
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Year Three


Tom says: This time around, the goal was simple: complete the degree.


At the beginning of your third year you must confirm whether you are doing the three year BA course or
the four year MPhys course. Only students who obtained a 2:1 or higher in their Part A exams will be
eligible for the MPhys course.

In the third year students take Part B exams. According to the new 2010/11 course structure, the
following six options are offered:

Flows, Fluctuations and Complexity
Symmetry and Relativity
Quantum, Atomic and Molecular Physics
Subatomic Physics
General Relativity and Cosmology
Condensed Matter Physics

On top of this, you also take a short option and continue with relevant practical work. MPhys students
must take all six modules, whereas BA students choose only four, and complete a project in their final
term. This will be allocated after you have made a preference of eight projects or essays of a long list
available to you. The department will try their best to allocate you a topic you want, and it is possible to
switch at the early stages if you are unhappy with your topic and you make enough of a fuss! You will
have a supervisor for the project who will help you along. If you write an essay it must be no longer than
6,000 words. You will then finish your degree and graduate after the Part B exams. MPhys students do
not take on a project in their third year, but in their fourth and final year.


Tom says: The course structure has changed since I did it, so the options I picked have now changed. I
chose them because they were closest to my prior interests and aptitudes in Physics as determined
from previous results in Finals.

Workload was again pretty similar to the two previous years, though it picked up somewhat in the final
term when exam revision started to bite.

Part B of our Finals happened at the end of the summer term, on all the modules studied in the third
year.




Physics, Oxford
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My Experience

Tom looks back at his time studying Physics:

Why did you choose to apply for Physics?
I originally wanted to apply for German. This choice changed to German and Philosophy, then Physics and
Philosophy, then Physics. Physics was something I could do reasonably well and was enthusiastic about.

Why was your course a good choice for you?
Physics applies maths, logic and experience to help understand the Universe and all its machinations.
Why wouldn't you want to study that? Beyond its intrinsic value though, studying Physics is also a great
way of training your mind to formulate creative solutions to quantitative puzzles. Almost everything that
can be measured can also be modelled using insights from Physics.

What did you enjoy the most about your course?
The new and exciting parts of Physics (while not the norm in the course) were highly rewarding. The
difficulty and intensity of the course was in itself very satisfying I certainly never got the impression that
the course was for those without quite a bit of stamina.

What did you enjoy the least about your course?
The department often just threw material at its students without really thinking about whether or not the
workload was particularly realistic! Many Physicists I know spent almost all of their time in the library...
just to get their bog-standard work completed.

Would you like to have studied Physics at a different institution?
No, Oxford is a pretty amazing place, and through all the hard work, I certainly got a thorough education.

Having now experienced the course, would you like to have studied a different course?
I think I might have enjoyed Physics and Philosophy. Its a better combination of humanities and science,
while pure Physics is quite plodding theres an awful lot of material but rarely much opportunity to
reflect on it and its significance.

What would you have done differently during your time at Oxford?
I wish Id worked smarter. I spent a lot of time worrying about bits of work which werent so important,
and it cost me time that could have been spent on social life. I got better at prioritising eventually.

How would you advise students to get the most out of studying Physics?
Get into a strict regime of work, eight to five every day, and that should preserve your sanity!
















Physics, Oxford
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How to Prepare

Suggested Reading:

All of the below suggestions serve only as examples for the kinds of things you should be considering
reading. The key factor in determining what you read must be your own interest, as you find reading and
absorbing difficult otherwise.

A Briefer History of Time Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
This is much more digestible and goes into more detail on a few of the most interesting concepts
than the original.

The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives Leonard Mlodinow
He is a very good writer and this is interesting and witty.

Fermat's Last Theorem Simon Singh and David Rintoul
Good read and a look at the history of trying to solve one of the most famous theorems.

The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, The Character of a Physical Law and QED: The Strange Theory
of Light and Matter Richard Feynman

The End of Time Julian Barbour

Strange Beauty and Just Six Numbers George Johnson

E=mc
2
David Bodanis

Designing the Molecular World and H
2
O: A History of Water Philip Ball

In Search of Schrodingers Cat John Gribbin

Reading The New Scientist and Physics Review is also advised.

You should look to read beyond your A level course. This could therefore include books such as those by
Paul Davies, Stephen Hawking, or Roger Penrose; or one of the American University Physics textbooks a
good introduction to quantum mechanics, relativity etc, which is an easier read than Hawking. This is up
to your own interest in physics think about what you are interested in and try and learn more about it.

Also check out the following link for past Physics Aptitude Tests:
http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduates/physics-aptitude-test-pat/pat-past-papers

DONT FORGET:

Re-read your personal statement and consider questions that might be asked. In 2010, 64% of all
applicants were asked about their personal statement in their interview.

Re-read all the information on the course and your college of choice. Think about the obvious
questions that might be asked. These may include questions about the appeal of Oxford, Physics and
the college. You should also think about what you have to offer the college what would you
contribute to the community?



Physics, Oxford
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My Preparation

Tom answers our questions on how he prepared for his application:


Where did you go to school?
I went to an independent school. The numbers that it sent tended to fluctuate, but in my year there were
four successful offers but one student decided against Cambridge after being offered a place there.


What help did you receive from your school?
Some support: we got one mock interview, which was useful, as well as a bit of guidance on course and
college choices.


What help did you receive from your parents?
I got moral support, but seeing as neither of them had been to Oxbridge, they werent that well placed to
help me with my application.


How did you prepare?
I made sure to learn every possible proof and derivation that could have come up during the interview. I
then revised all the work Id already done thoroughly. An awful lot of work went into this I dont think
there are any valid shortcuts. I also prepared my personal statement very far in advance.


What advice would you give to an applicant preparing for interview?
Prepare thoroughly go through similar questions and practice them all carefully. Be sure to read around
the subject, and familiarise yourself with contemporary issues in Physics. The Large Hadron Collider
looms large these days, for instance.




Physics, Oxford
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My Interview

Tom answers questions about his interviews. The details he gives are specific to his experience but should
give you a general idea of what might happen at your interview. Remember, no two interviews are ever
the same.

How many interviews did you have in total?
Four interviews in total. I had two of these at a different college but then was offered a place at the
original college despite this.

What was the format of the interviews?
They were pretty simple: I had to answer Physics questions. I was given no material to pre-prepare, and
no one asked me anything about my personal statement or anything else: just Physics, Physics and more
Physics.

How did you go about answering the questions asked?
I sat back, considered each problem on its merits, and answered when I felt I was ready. Its okay to take
some time to answer the questions, because theyre long and complicated, and not designed as a quick-
fire round.

What was your overall experience of the interviews?
Terrifying! The first couple of interviews were highly stressful mostly because I wasnt prepared for a
panel-interview. One of the interviewers spoke rather broken English. The second set of interviews went
much better because by that point I thought I had nothing to lose and managed to relax quite a bit.

What do you think interviewers are looking for in a prospective student?
Above all, they want mathematical confidence and creativity. Interviews aim to stretch the candidate to
determine whether he or she can use existing knowledge in new and unfamiliar circumstances. Hence
two things are required: firstly, superb knowledge of the A level material, and secondly the ability to use
this in new ways without becoming flustered.






Physics, Oxford
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Past Interview Questions

The following questions have come up in Oxbridge interviews in recent years. We strongly recommend,
however, that you use these to help you to think laterally about your chosen subject rather than to learn
and rehearse answers to them.

Ability-based problems to solve differential equations and formulate physical problems in
mathematical terms.
How does sound come from a flute?
How do capacitors add in series?
Explain how we know a centripetal force exists and how can we prove the presence of this force?
Which reaches the bottom of a slope faster, a ball rolling down the slope, or a ball sliding down
the slope?
How would a square wave differ from a sinusoidal wave when applying both to a transformer?
What is the equation for the motion of a pendulum?
Draw the equation for the discharge of the capacitor.
If there are equal resistors on each side of a cube what is the total resistance from one corner to
an opposite corner?
Why is the sky blue?
How does the voltage on a capacitor vary if the dielectric gas is ionised?
Why is it not strictly true to say that one planet orbits another?
How is a rainbow formed?
How does depressing a piano key make a sound?
What happens if you throw a lead soldier or a ton of gold out of a boat, does the lake go up or
down?
How does a glass transmit light?
Why does metal expand when its heated?
Discussions about gravitational, electrical and magnetic force.
Converting Cartesian co-ordinates to polar co-ordinates.
I have a three-litre and a five-litre bottle. How can I get four litres?
Sketch the graph of a fourth order polynomial, then differentiate it.
How does heat travel through air and what kind of wave is it?
Explain Schrdingers cat.
Explain the phases of the moon.


Physics, Oxford
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Why does a satellite keep orbiting Earth? What forces are present?
A container with liquid nitrogen is left in a laboratory, and its temperature is being recorded over
a long period. The recorded temperature shows variations. Why?
How can you measure the speed of sound in air?
If you have an oscillating wave whose vertical displacement depends on time and horizontal
displacement, what is its velocity? Draw the graph of this function.
Solve y for x = arctan y
How can you measure the length and thickness of a tape when its inside the cassette?
Why does CuSO4 solution in water look blue when being lit with white monochromatic light?
Where does your love of science come from?
If I jump on a train travelling at constant speed, where do I land? If I jump up on a train and
whilst Im in the air it slows down, where would I land?
How far away is the horizon?
If you know the record for the 100m, can you predict the record for the pole-vault?
What is the force between two large objects, each of mass M?
Explain Newtons three laws of motion.
Explain why a space probe going to the outer reaches of the solar system is first sent to one of
the inner planets, and then back past earth.
It is a hot summer day, and I have a fridge on in the room, what is the best way to cool myself
down?
This is a spring, it exhibits SHM, correct? Please establish equations of motion for it.
Estimate the mass of the Earth.
Sketch the graph of y=(e^-x)(sinx) and find the first positive maximum.
Sketch the graph of x/(x-1).
Explain how a hot air balloon works.
Which integral is the largest between 1 and e: lnx, ln(x^2) or (lnx)^2?
Estimate the mass of a proton.
What is the photoelectric effect?
Explain boiling points at different atmospheric pressures.
How many NMR peaks would you get from this molecule?
Devise an equation to estimate the number of aeroplanes in the sky.
Derive small angle formulae.
How does a boat float?


Physics, Oxford
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How does the movement of a particle change as it is projected into the air at a certain speed?
How would one go about travelling through time?
Look at these functions and differentiate and integrate them just using the graphs.
What are cosmic rays?
How would the ratio of elements change in a radioactive substance over time?
Draw the graph of -xe^x2 and then draw the graph of the integral of that function using graphical
methods only.
How high can I go up a mountain having only eaten a Mars bar?
If I have 5 people in my class what is the probability that none have a birthday in January?
I have two jars one of oil, one of vinegar. Each contain 1 litre, I put 100ml of my vinegar into my
oil. I then shake it so it is fully mixed. I then put 100ml of this into the jar containing vinegar.
Have I got more oil in my vinegar, or vinegar in my oil?
If I tunnel through the Earth from London to New York, and put a frictionless train through it.
Where will the train stop if there is no engine used?
How would you reshape a cuboid wire to double its resistance?
I have a length of fence, which is to make up three sides of a rectangle (the fourth side being a
section of a very long wall). What is the maximum possible area that I can enclose?
Draw (e^-t)(cos t).
Evaluate integral of ((x+3)^2)/(x+9)
Why does a tennis ball curl?
How does a submarine submerge?
Why do different stringed instruments have different sounds?
Do hidden variables exist?
Explain the EPR paradox.
How high must a rollercoaster be in order to make the loop-the-loop?
Draw an acceleration against velocity graph to describe the motion when you are in a lift.
How many grains of sand are there in the world?
Im bouncing a marble, what is happening to the particles at the top of the marble?
A jug of water with a few ice cubes in it is filled to the brim. What happens when the ice melts?
If you are on a boat with a hairdryer and a sail, and you blow the hairdryer into the sail, what are
the forces which are acting on the boat?
Why don't fish freeze?
How many of these pebbles would fit in a car?


Physics, Oxford
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You are shooting a monkey in a tree, but as you fire, it drops from the tree. Where do you aim?
Tell me about the physics of food.
What would happen if you drilled through the earth all the way to the other side and jumped
into the hole?
Why are British aircraft carriers shorter than American ones?
Why does a bullet spiral?
Why does a cricket ball drift in a direction opposite to the spin imparted on the ball?
Talk about a light bulb.
Why do balloons go bang when they pop?
Sketch y=x^2 y=e^-x y=e^-x^2
At what time, after 8 OClock would each hand point in opposite directions?
There is a new disease which effects 1/1000 people, a test is 99% accurate. It says you have the
disease, should you be worried?
Sketch y=sinx, y=e^-x, y=sin(e^-x)
Using Archimedes principle show that an Ice cube in water being pushed down and let go
oscillates in simple harmonic motion.
Calculate the pressure exerted by N number of atoms on a surface of area A inclined at an angle
theta.



























Physics, Oxford
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