Physics

Physics is all arounds us. It is the electric light bulb you turn on in the morning; the car you drive to school in; your watch, television, CD player, and that fancy cell phone you got for Christmas. It makes the stars shine every night and the Sun shine every day. 

Physics is the science of matter, energy, space and time.  It deals with matter on scales ranging from sub-atomic particles (ie. the particles that make up the atom and the particles that make up those particles) to stars and even entire galaxies.

There are still profound questions in Physics today: what are the mysterious dark matter and energy that make up most of the universe? Are there more than three dimensions in space? The more we learn about Physics, the more it can help us every day, and the better we can understand our place in the universe.

At Aranui High School, we offer Physics at both Year 12 and Year 13.  In Year 12, students work towards gaining credits for NCEA Level 2.  At Year 13, students work towards gaining credits for NCEA Level 3 and University Entrance.

The key topics for Year 12 and 13 are:

• Physics Skills
• Light
• Waves
• Motion
• Electricity
• Electromagnetism and Induction
• Atomic Physics