Yeh they're super annoying to answer and you end up wasting sooo much time just waffling.
Since you do bio, I'm assuming you know all the verbs and what they require?
It's pretty much the same for physics, except you can't access the full marks, unless you have a very deep understanding on the topic, or you've memorised every experiment deeply.
Here's the general steps I follow but obviously alter them to fit the context of the question:
1) Annotate the question: Know the verb, key words any examples they're asking, and what topic it's referring to. Everything you annotate around the question is also marked and may lead to mark.
2) Define any key words. Basically anything that you had to learn in the syllabus is a key word. define each one briefly.
3) Can the question be split into parts? If so split your response with headings. If it asks for experiments of evolution of scientific knowledge, try and do it in chronological order.
4) Can you provide drawings or graphs or equations from the data sheet to support your response? Drawings work well for experiments, graphs for relationships and equation are basically used in every question anyways.
5) Ensure your addressing the verb. E.g. providing cause-effect relationships for "explain" or giving pros, cons and a judgment for "justify"
Example: Q32 HSC 2024) Many scientists have performed experiments to explore the interaction of light and matter. Analyse how evidence from at least THREE such experiments has contributed to our understanding of physics. (8marks)
- "Many scientists" --> would be good to mention more than one scientist then
- "Interaction of light and matter" --> Think module 7 and 8. Think wave-particle duality and Debroglie's matter waves.
- "3 experiments" --> Split your response into 3 sections with each experiment in chronological order, building on the idea from the last. Maybe include a diagram of atleast one experiment.
- "Analyse how" --> Look at it deeply and provide reasons how the experiments contribute to physics.
- "Understanding of phsyics" --> Might be good to mention old theories and how they have evolved
Sample Structure:
brief intro sentence of how experiments are important blah blah
Brief sentence on how light and matter were considered distinct, but over time experiments have led to us understanding that they're related.
Experiment 1: Young's double slit experiment - The nature of light is unknown but the experiment shows it to be a wave.
-outline the old belief
-outline the experiment, providing a diagram if necessary
-how did it improve understanding of the old belief?
Experiment 2: Photoelectric Effect - Light is considered a wave but the experiment shows how it exhibits wave-particle duality
-outline the experiment, providing a diagram if necessary
-how did it improve understanding of belief arising from experiment 1?
Experiment 3: De Broglie double slit experiment - Shows how even atoms (matter) exhibit similar properties to wave-particle duality.
-outline the experiment, providing a diagram if necessary
-how did it improve understanding of belief arising from experiment 2?
Final sentence: "thus experiments 1,2 and 3 greatly improved our understanding of physics by showing the nature of light and its link with matter, blah, blah"
Sorry for writing so much. I hope this helps
