Get your formulae right, just be practical with Physics

Updated on: Saturday, February 11, 2012

Mahika Sethi hates physics . She's not good at it. But she still hopes to score at least 90% in the subject in the Class XII Board exams. And her confidence exudes from the fact that she has been engaged in "focused study" .

"Though I scored well in other subjects, I was not performing too well in physics . But then I stopped going for coaching classes and instead focused on self-study . I think that was a very good decision as my performance in the pre-board exams improved - I scored 22 marks more ," says the DPS RK Puram student .

With practical exams already over , Mahika spends most of her time studying at home . Though she is banking on maths , English , economics and chemistry to pull through with a good score in Boards , physics also seems a little more conquerable to her . "The syllabus is vast . With about 15 chapters in the book, project work and the practicals , preparing for this subject seemed impossible initially ," Mahika says .

"Until the half-yearly exams , I was stressing too much on understanding theory and learning it. But then I realized my strategy was wrong : my concepts were not clear ," she adds .

She soon changed her strategy and started spending more time in solving numerical problems . She gathered different reference books besides the prescribed NCERT book to make sure she attempted a good variety of numerical questions . "Though numerical questions carry only 13-14 marks in the paper , they helped stir interest in the subject. My concepts became clearer and hence I scored better in my pre-boards ," Mahika says .

She is now studying a chapter called 'Semiconductors' , which she finds the toughest . "Even teachers say this chapter is better suited for electronics and not pure physics . If you have missed it in class , there is no way you can understand it later . So I am focusing on one of the sub-topics called transistors , which usually carries about five marks in the paper ," she says .

She plans to pursue BA (honours ) economics for which she needs a high aggregate in any four subjects, including language .

"So , I am giving more time to other subjects as it's the wisest thing to do. If you are not good in any subject, work hard on others to build your aggregate . For physics , I have joined a test series , which will help me gauge my preparation in all chapters . I want to give my best performance in physics , too, as Boards are the biggest test of a student's life," she says .

GURU GYAN

MITA ADHIKARY | PGT PHYSICS | KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA 2, DELHI CANTONMENT

TIPS FOR CLASS XII PHYSICS

* Brush up the syllabus and pay attention to weak areas.
* Pore over Board question papers from 2008 to 2011 (all sets comprising Delhi, all-India , foreign and compartment exams).
* Carefully read the NCERT textbook to prepare for one-mark questions. Refer to it for diagrams and graphs.
* Give enough time for intensive revision of derivations.
* Time yourself as you attempt previous years' question papers. Assess your preparedness using the marking scheme provided.
* Since five-mark questions have different parts, revise the applications of each concept.
* Bone up on the following topics as they carry almost 70% of the markselectrostatics , current electricity, magnetic effect of electric current, EMI & AC, optics, and semiconductor.
* Written practice is needed to be thorough with concepts.
* Revise any number of short and very short questions from each unit.
* Circuit diagrams, ray diagrams, graphs, and diagrams of devices must be practised with proper labelling and attention to minute details.
* Ensure all the formulae are on your fingertips.

Times of India

Get your formulae right, just be practical with Physics

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