Reaction to 2026 Leaving Certificate Physics (Higher Level) by Pat Doyle, Physics teacher at The 91制片厂.
The exam opens with a听selection听of questions that students will find very fair. There was nothing here that will strike them as being overly novel or challenging, particularly if they revised the听previous听exams. Where challenges did appear, they were mitigated by choice.听So,听if a student was surprised to see two of the mechanics experiments appear (though they did last year too) or where somewhat thrown by the need to sketch a graph in Q1 (v), they had the ability to navigate to more familiar options.听
However听moving into Section B, students will find that each question had a twist. Q6 is normally听very popular听with students but they will be challenged a bit more than in previous years. For example, part (c)鈥檚 request to 鈥渄escribe an experiment to demonstrate Archimede鈥檚 principle鈥� will require them听to think a little more laterally about the material. Those hoping to quickly rattle off a definition will have to really parse through听the question to get full marks. Students who also do Applied Maths tend to favour Q7 on mechanics, but the question setter has been careful to calibrate that overlap and remind them that this is a Physics paper. As such,听the question begins conventionally but moves to Sound in part (vii),听meaning that 18% of the available marks听lay in a different topic.听
The next two questions were very fair but still might cause the overhasty student to stumble. Q8 on Light starts with a nice preamble from 鈥淟et there be light鈥� by听Montwell听and Breslin, before听proceeding听along standard lines of enquiry. To听conclude this question students will again need to describe an experiment, this time for transverse waves. There are two experiments in this area of the course on waves but only one applies here and so if a student missed 鈥渢ransverse鈥�,听16% of that question could be instantly unavailable. Q9 on Sound production is also a fair question, but the inclusion of wind instruments听won鈥檛听be popular with students. While the theory necessary for wind instruments is no more complicated than that for听violin, students often struggle to fully visualize the column of air as clearly as the vibrating string.听听
Q10 was a full question on capacitors, which are leaving the course this year. It is unusual to see a full question on capacitors but as this is its final year it is clearly given centre stage for its swan song. In contrast Q11 was mixed bag of topics ranging from听cathode ray tubes (the kind from old boxy television sets), colours and magnetism. For the latter, the inclusion of a 鈥渄erive the formula鈥� question and the debut appearance of Fleming鈥檚 left-hand rule will听be off-putting for some.听
The final trio of questions will be听largely familiar听from past papers, again with little twists to make the H1s stand out. For听example听students will have needed to do some听additional听maths to get the half-life of polonium-210. But Q13 on the home of the future was a collection of conventional questions paired with a slightly novel (if not wordy) scenario. Q14 was another mixed bag question which will be particularly popular with those who covered Applied Electricity in class.听