It’s been another busy week in the Science and Math wing! From field trips to tricky thermodynamics, here is what we have been up to.
Grade 12 is busy with mocks. Godspeed to them.
⚛️ Physics: It’s Getting Hot in Here
Grade 11 HL (Relativity Summative): The HL students faced their Relativity Summative this week. They had to navigate length contraction and time dilation under exam conditions.
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The Verdict: Only time will tell how well they did. (Get it? Because time is relative? No? Okay, I’ll stick to the math…)
Grade 11 SL (Thermal Physics): We are diving deep into Thermal Physics. The big realization this week was a counter-intuitive one: heating something up doesn’t always increase its temperature. We explored Latent Heat—the energy used to change a substance’s state (like melting ice) rather than making it hotter. It’s the physics equivalent of running on a treadmill: lots of energy expended, but you don’t actually go anywhere on the thermometer.
Grade 10 Science (New Unit!): We have officially launched a major new unit: “The Pulse of the System.” Over the next 8 weeks, we will be exploring the invisible world of Waves and Electricity.
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Update: The Criteria A Summative for the previous unit (“May the Force Be With You”) is done and dusted. The forces have been balanced, and the grades are being calculated!
➗ Mathematics: Field Trips & Formulae
Grade 11 AAHL: Classes didn’t happen this week as the students were away on the Sohar Aluminium Trip. While we missed the classroom time, seeing industrial applications of engineering and math in the real world is infinitely more valuable than a textbook. We will catch up on the missed content next week!
Grade 11 AASL: We are pressing forward with the Binomial Theorem. We are moving past the basics and getting comfortable expanding complex brackets. The students are realizing that Pascal’s Triangle is actually their best friend, not just a pretty pattern of numbers.
Have a wonderful and restful weekend!