The holidays are a crucial time to prepare for what will be the most important years of your education. Getting a head start on VCE physics will not only give you an advantage over your peers but will also help you keep up with the content, which will undoubtedly be faster-paced than previous years. In addition, going over the content beforehand will help you feel less overwhelmed, as the content covered in class would be consolidation of what you already know, rather than brand new content. Therefore, it is vital to use the holidays to your advantage, regardless of whether you will be commencing Year 11 or Year12 physics, in order to set yourself up for success.

Preparing for Year 12 Physics

For those commencing Year 12 physics, it is essential that you have a solid understanding of certain Year 11 physics concepts. It is recommended that you revise the following areas of study:

• Electromagnetic radiation and waves (Unit 1 AOS 1) – This will assist with Unit 4 AOS 1, which covers the wave nature of light.
• Basic electricity concepts (Unit 1 AOS 3) – Concepts such as Ohm’s law, series and parallel circuits are assumed knowledge and are useful in Unit 3 AOS 3 on electricity generation and transmission.
• Motion, forces and energy (Unit 2 AOS 1) – This is also assumed knowledge and extremely important for Unit 3 AOS 1 on motion.

If you have covered any concepts in class as part of the Year 12 transition in the previous year, make sure to revise these and complete any associated holiday homework, as these concepts are often not covered again in the new year. It is also beneficial to get ahead in terms of the content to gain a preliminary understanding of new topics, before reinforcing your understanding in class. The following resources will help you get a headstart with the content:

• Our reformatted Y12 VCE Physics Study Design: found here. The study design lists all the key points that you need to know for VCE Physics. Use this as a checklist to guide your learning to ensure that you coverall assessable concepts. Remember, the end of year exam can only test topics within the scope of the study design.
• VCAA Physics Exam Formula Sheet: found here. The formula sheet contains all the formulas you need to know for calculation questions. However, there are some derived formulas not included in the formula sheet, so stay tuned for our enhanced formula sheets for each AOS which will becoming out throughout this year.
• Heinemann Physics 12 Textbook, 5^th Edition: found here. It is recommended that you have a read of the following chapters and complete the chapter review questions at the end of each sub-chapter, as this will assist with gaining an initial understanding of the content. The content covered in these chapters mostly builds on U2 AOS 1, rather than brand new content, so you should be able to work through these on your own.
  • Chapter 2: Newtonian Theories of Motion (pg 62-108): This chapter covers Newton’s three laws, circular and projectile motion, which you would have likely covered during the year 12 transition, and also builds on concepts from U2 AOS 1. Recommended questions: 2.1 Q 4-10, 2.2 Q5-9, 2.3 Q3-7,2.4 All, 2.5 All, 2.6 Q2-6.
  • Chapter 3: The relationship between force, energy and mass (pg 109-157): This chapter is mostly similar to content covered in U2 AOS 1, without much new content. Recommended questions: 3.1Q3-10, 3.2 All, 3.3 Q2-8, 3.4 Q3-6, 3.5 All, 3.6 Q3-9.
• Khan Academy: This is a free resource with helpful videos that can supplement and reinforce your understanding of certain concepts by explaining them in a simple and intuitive manner. Additionally, there are quizzes to test your understanding. Topics thoroughly covered include Newton's First and Second Laws, Newton's Third Law, momentum, impulse, projectile motion and circular motion.

Preparing for Year 11 Physics

For those commencing Year 11 physics, it is likely that you would not have covered much physics in previous years, and most of the content will perhaps be unfamiliar to you. However, there are a few fundamental skills which you should be proficient in that are vital for success in VCE physics:

• Scientific notation
• Unit conversions (eg, μm to m)
• Significant figures, including rules for multiplication/addition
• Independent, dependent and controlled variables
• Proportionality (eg, if force is inversely proportional to radius squared, then what is the effect on the force if the radius is doubled?)
• Scientific calculator use
• Basic maths skills (eg, rearranging formulas, trigonometry involving right-angled triangles)

If you have covered some additional physics concepts during the Year 11 transition in the previous year, it is important to revise these as well, and complete any assigned holiday homework. As mentioned earlier, it is again advantageous to get ahead with the content to ensure that you are not overwhelmed with the large volume of new content. The following resources can assist with getting a headstart on the content:

• Our reformatted Y11 VCE Physics Study Design: found here. As mentioned before, the study design lists all the key points that you need to know for VCE Physics. Use this as a checklist to guide your learning to ensure that you cover all assessable concepts.
• Heinemann Physics 11 Textbook, 5^th Edition: found here. It is recommended that you have a read of the following chapters and complete the following chapter review questions at the end of each sub-chapter, as this will assist with gaining an initial understanding of the content.
  • Chapter 1.3: Data collection and quality (pg. 24-26): This contains important information regarding scientific notation and significant figures. Recommended questions: Q4-6.
  • Chapter 2: Waves and electromagnetic radiation (pg. 60-78): Read this chapter to gain a preliminary understanding of waves, which will not only be important for year 11 but also year 12. Recommended questions: 2.1 Q1 &Q5-9, 2.2 All, 2.3 All.
• Khan Academy: as mentioned before, this is a free resource with helpful videos and quizzes to enhance your understanding. Topics well worth exploring with Khan Academy in preparation for Year 11 physics include significant figures, scientific notation, basic trigonometry, wave properties, mechanical waves and light and electromagnetic radiation.
• YouTube: The following YouTube videos can assist with developing additional key skills required for VCE Physics - proportionality; independent, dependent and controlled variables; unit conversions (from 6:14 - 9:22); rearranging formulas.

Our Resources

In addition to the aforementioned resources, our team has been working hard to create our own resources, crafted by our team of experienced and high-scoring tutors. These resources are designed to give you the best possible headstart with VCE Physics and support you throughout the year. Below is a list of the resources that we have made for students:

• Complete VCE Education tutoring: The experienced tutors at Complete VCE Education cover the syllabus well in advance, and our comprehensive program is an effective way to get a headstart on the content. After enrolling, you will receive 2h weekly live classes with an expert tutor (in-person or online), as well as a free trial class, access to lesson recordings, comprehensive notes covering every dot point in the study design, a bank of 3000+ high-yield questions and solutions, a mock exam program, and out-of-class online support. Here is a sample of our notes on electromagnetic radiation.
• Complete VCE Education YouTube: Throughout the year, we will be creating animated videos and shorts explaining difficult and commonly-assessed concepts in VCE Physics, as well as new concepts on the study design. These videos are designed to help you understand tricky concepts that are often difficult to visualise. Be sure to subscribe to our channel for updates on our latest releases.
• Other socials: Follow our other socials such as Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with reels and promos regarding our latest video releases.
• Free resources: We will also be releasing a multitude of free resources throughout the year, which include but are not limited to:
  • AOS introductions
  • AOS formula sheets
  • AOS summaries
  • Y11 and Y12 exam cheat sheets
  • Blogs on our website (difficult and new study design concepts, insights and advice from high-achieving tutors and more)
  • YouTube videos and shorts
  • Y12 diagnostic quizzes
  • Y12 differentiator questions
  • Y12 practice SACs and Y11 practice tests
  • Revision webinars

Be sure to enter your email to subscribe to receive the above free resources; don’t miss out!

Overall, to set yourself up for success before school starts, ensure that you revise key concepts and skills, especially headstart concepts, and get ahead with the content, utilising resources such as the study design, textbook, and our free online resources. The team at Complete wishes you all the best for your VCE physics studies!