How to study Physics in ICSE Class 10

If you have just been promoted to Class 10, what should be your study approach to Physics. SWS spoke Satish Rao Sir, Head of Department of Physics at the Kerala Public School in Jamshedpur, with a teaching experience of over 15 years.

SWS : The ICSE academic year has just begun and it is summer vacation time for most students. How do you suggest students should use this time to study Physics in the holidays?

Satish Sir : Studying Physics is not what I advise Students. I tell the students to understand Physics, see physics in whatever you are seeing around you. Try to see what is the basic in everything that's around, what conversion is taking place. Like the opening and closing of a bottle cap. Visit a market place to see how beam balance works and many more practical examples.  
 
SWS : The template of ICSE Class 10 Board papers has changed in the last three years with more emphasis on application, understanding and analysis-based questions. Keeping this in mind, how should the study strategy change for Physics?
 
Satish Sir : Nothing has changed. It is only the way of looking at things that has changed. Earlier it was direct questions, now it is just the same but the basic knowledge of the students is being tested and the practical use of the topic.  
 
SWS : Students in particular are paranoid about numericals. What should be the strategy with regard to solving numericals? 
 
Satish Sir : Numericals are nothing but how much the basics are clear if a student has his basics clear then numericals will not be an issue. For example, 
ice at -10C converted to water at 100C. How much heat is required? Ice at -10C first converts to ice at 0C (i.e, mass x specific heat). Ice at 0C converts to water at 0C (i.e, mass x latent heat as temperature is constant). Water at 0C to water at 100C ( i.e, mass x specific heat as there is rise in temperature). So if basics are clear, numericals can be solved very easily. 
 
SWS : Can you point out the common mistakes students of the Batch of 2024-25 made?
 
Satish Sir : Common mistakes which students made were wrong conversion of units and not writing the formula. But the main mistake that most of the students made was not reading the question paper properly and making an effort to understand the questions. They just read the question paper and answered it without understanding the questions. 
 
SWS : Every student also needs to submit a project in Class 10. On what basis do you suggest the project topic should be chosen?
 
Satish Sir : Projects should be application based where the basic knowledge of the students is tested, with focus on understanding a particular situation and searching for a solution to that problem.
 
SWS : Thankyou for your time.