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Making a revision plan

Revising all the science you know can seem like a massive task. The first thing to do is to break down all the material you need to learn into small topics.

Next, make a list of the days you can revise, and match a topic to each of these days. This is your revision plan. Tick off each day’s revision when you have completed it.

Review topics that you’ve already revised by going over them again quickly the next day.


How to revise

There are different ways to revise, and everyone has their own favourite way. Try different ways of revising and test yourself to see which works best.

However, everyone should revise:

in a quiet place where youwon’t be disturbed – nobackground TV or music!

sitting on a chair at a desk, notslumped on the sofa

in good light – so you don’t strain your eyes

with the correct equipment – paper, pens, pencils, clock, etc.


What’s the best revision method for me?

Write short notes on key ideas.

Draw a concept map, linking key wordsand ideas together.

Record your notes as an MP3 file and playthem back.

Write key words on Post-Its and stick them around the house.

Draw pictures/diagrams to illustrate an idea.

When revising it’s very important not to just read through your books – your brain needs to do something with the information. Here are some suggestions for active revision:


When should you revise?

Start revising early in the morning, and don’t work for more than two hours at a time. Use a clock and be strict about stopping, even if you’re in the middle of something.

Take a five minute break every25 minutes. You learn more effectively at the start and end of a revision session, so it’s better to have several shorter sessions than one long session.

Give yourself a reward after the two hours is up, such as listening to a favourite song, watching a TV programme, or playing outside.


What’s the best revision method for me?


Key ideas in KS3 physics

All the physics you have studied is based on four key ideas:

1. Energy can be usefully transferred and stored, but cannot be created or destroyed.

2. Forces are interactions between objects and can affect their

shape and motion.

3. Electric current in circuits can produce a variety of effects.

4. Astronomy and space science provide insight into the nature and observed motions of the sun, moon, stars, planets and other celestial bodies.


Making a concept map

Try writing a few statements for each of the four key ideas, then link them together to make a concept map. For example:

magnets in a

magnetic field

will experience a

force

Earth’s gravity enables artificial satellites to orbit the planet

gravity is a

force

electromagnets are magnets created by electricity

electricity is generated from different energy

resources

a larger electric

current

increase the

strength of an

electromagnet


Preparing for the exam

Have a good night’s sleep before the day of the exam so you wake up fresh and ready to go.

Eat a good breakfast. Studies show that students who eat a healthy breakfast perform better than those who do not.

Make sure you have the following equipment ready the night before the exam:

two pens (black or blue)

two pencils

a rubber and pencil sharpener

a 30 cm ruler

a protractor

a calculator.


In the exam

When the exam starts, read each question carefully before you start writing and check how many marks it is worth.

While you’re waiting for the exam to start, read everything on the front cover of the exam paper.

Pace yourself so you don’t run out of time. Aim for 3–4 minutes per question. If you get stuck on a question, skip it and come back to it at the end.

Always try to answer every part of every question – it’s better to put something down than to leave your answer blank.


Answering questions

Top tips on how to maximize your chances of top marks:

Write as clearly and neatly as you can.

Questions that start with ‘Explain…’ or ‘Describe…’ usually need longer answers than questions that start with ‘List…’ or ‘State…’, but don’t waffle.

If you are asked to calculate something, show your working out – even if the final answer is wrong, you may still get some marks.

Remember to add units to calculations and graphs if the question asks for them, and add labels to diagrams.

If a question says ‘Tick one box’, or ‘Draw two lines’, do it!


Answering questions

Not everything in the exams will test your memory. Sometimes you will be given information about experiments or situations you are not familiar with.

Don’t worry! The question is trying to see if you can analyse information and work out the important facts from it.

For example, you are given a diagram of an electrical circuit containing a cell and a component you have never seen before. The voltage across the cell is 2V. What is the voltage across the component?

No-one would expect you to know about this component before the exam, but read the question carefully, consider what you already know about voltage in series circuits, and you should be able to answer it.


Identifying poor answers


Worked sample question 1

1. A ray of light is directed onto a glass block, as shown below.

Label the angle of incidence i on the diagram.

The angle of incidence is measured from the incident ray to the normal to the air/glass boundary. It can be labelled with the letter i as given in the question.

i

1 mark

(a) (i)


Worked sample question 1 (continued)

Which of the lines in the diagram (A, B, C and D) represents the path of light after it enters the glass block?

(ii)

A

B C

D

C

When light enters a denser medium such as glass, it slows down and bends towards the normal.

1 mark



Add a line to the diagram to represent the path of light as it leaves the glass block.

(iii)

On leaving the glass block, the ray bends away from the normal to return to its original angle.

1 mark



Bowfishing is a sport in which participants use a bow and arrow to shoot fish from a jetty or the back of a boat.

As light reflected from the fish hits the air/water boundary, does it speed up or slow down?

(b)

(i)

1 mark

Light travels more slowly in water than in air, because water is denser.

It speeds up.



The change in the speed of the light causes refraction. Mark on the diagram where the fish appears to be from the archer’s perspective.

light to archer

(ii)

1 mark

The archer sees the fish as if the light reaching his eye had travelled in a straight line.



(c) To compensate for this refraction, the archer must aim at a point in front of the fish. Why might it be easier to hit a fish close to the boat than one further away? Tick two boxes. 2 marks

target is closer

larger incident angle reduces

refraction

larger incident angle increases

refraction

smaller incident angle reduces

refraction

Since the archer is looking down on the fish, the light rays are closer to the normal, so the incident angle is smaller. The smaller the incident angle, the less a ray is refracted.


Sample question 2

(a)

solar eclipse full moon

lunar eclipse

waxing crescent

What phenomenon is visible from point A on Earth when the Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned as in the diagram below?

A

2.

1 mark

(i)


Sample question 2 (continued)

B

lunar eclipse 1 mark

What phenomenon is visible from point B on Earth when the Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned as in the diagram below?

(ii)



Look at the diagram again. What phase is the Moon in when this event occurs?

crescent

full moon

new moon

gibbousWhat is the phase of the Moon just before and after a solar eclipse?

new moon

(b) (i)

(ii)

1 mark

1 mark



2.

sunlight

A

B

C

The diagram shows the Moon in eight different positions at eight different times in the course of one month.

Consider the view of the moon from Earth at points A and B, and shade in the diagram for point C.

A

B

C

2 marks


Sample question 3

3. Derek drives in a straight line down a road and stops at a set of traffic lights.

(a) Name two of the forces acting on the car as it slows down at the lights.

2 marks



(b) Look at the distance–time graph of the car’s motion and answer the questions below.

(i)

(ii)

Describe the motion of the car between:

5 and 15 seconds

15 and 20 seconds.1 mark

1 mark

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

20

40

60

80



(c)

(iii)

Derek is wearing sunglasses that have blue lenses while he is driving. Consider what you know about how light passes through coloured filters.

Look at the graph again. At what time do you think Derrick saw the traffic lights change?

1 mark

Why might it be dangerous to wear these glasses when approaching a set of traffic lights?

1 mark

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