A Level Physics

• Use of SI units and their prefixes
• Limitation of physical measurements
• Estimation of physical quantities

• Particles
• Electromagnetic radiation and quantum phenomena

• Progressive and stationary waves
• Refraction, diffraction and interference

• Force, energy and momentum
• Materials

• Current electricity

This topic will help you to understand how to measure physical quantities correctly, understand the uncertainty in measurements and estimate values realistically. These skills are essential for all physics experiments.

• Use of SI units and their prefixes
• Limitation of physical measurements
• Estimation of physical quantities

Particles and radiation will help you understand what matter is made of, how they interact and how energy is carried in discrete packets. You will start to see the link between atomic structure and quantum theory.

• Particles
• Electromagnetic radiation and quantum phenomena

This topic will look at how waves behave, transfer energy and interact. You will see the difference between moving waves and standing patterns. Also, how waves bend, spread or combine in ways that explain natural and technological phenomena.

• Progressive and stationary waves
• Refraction, diffraction and interference

This topic will look into how objects move and interact under forces, how energy is transferred or stored and how different materials respond to forces. The modules form the basis for most classical physics and engineering problems.

• Force, energy and momentum
• Materials

Current electricity covers moving charges, voltage, resistance and how energy is transferred in circuits. It helps you to understand electrical devices, power supply and electronic circuits.

• Current electricity

Periodic motion will help you to understand how oscillations and vibrations behave including their energy patterns. Thermal physics will show how heat and temperature affect matter, how gases behave and how energy flows.

• Periodic motion
• Thermal physics

This topic will look at how forces act without contact. Fields allow us to predict motion, store energy and generate electricity. This forms a basis for astronomy, electronics and electromagnetism.

• Fields
• Gravitational fields
• Electric fields
• Capacitance
• Magnetic fields

This topic will cover unstable nuclei, the types of radiation they emit and how they decay over time. This is crucial for understanding nuclear energy, medical technologies and radiation.

• Radioactivity

The optional topic for this section which has been chosen is Astrophysics. Astrophysics uses physics to understand space, explain more about stars, understand how galaxies form and how the universe evolves.

• Astrophysics

Physical quantities are things we measure such as length, mass, time, speed and force. SI Units are used worldwide for example, meter (m) for length and second (s) for time. Scalars and Vectors must also be considered in Physics. Scalars are simple numbers with units that can be added or subtracted whereas Vectors are a quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

• Physical quantities
• SI units
• Errors and uncertainties
• Scalars and vectors

Equations of motion are formulas that help us to calculate where an object will be after a certain time along with how fast the object is moving at any point. They can also help us to understand the effect of forces and acceleration on motion.

• Equations of motion

Dynamics is the study of forces causing motion. It explains why objects start, stop or change speed.

• Momentum and Newton’s laws of motion
• Non-uniform motion
• Linear momentum and its conservation

This topic will help explain how the physical world behaves. Forces explain why things move, stop, change direction and deform. When these forces balance, they either stay still or move at constant speed (a building or airplane). This is known as equilibrium and understanding this term, helps prevent structural failure and accidents. Density explains why ships and oil float and helps us identify substances. Pressure explains how force spreads over surfaces for example, civil engineers must calculate water pressure to design dams.

• Turning effects of forces
• Equilibrium of forces
• Density and pressure

This topic will explain how energy moves, changes and affects materials. This is basically how the entire physical world operates. For example, a rollercoaster will convert potential energy into kinetic energy. Power stations convert energy into electricity. Without conservation of energy, engineering would be impossible as we wouldn’t be able to calculate outcomes reliably. Gravitational potential energy is energy stored due to height. For example, the higher an object is will mean that there is more energy stored. Therefore, impact will be greater when the object falls. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. It explains car crashes, determines stopping distances and is essential in aerospace and vehicle design.

• Energy conservation
• Gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy

A solid will stretch or compress when a force is applied. For example, buildings sway, springs compress and muscles stretch. Calculations for stress and strain can help engineers determine how strong a bolt must be or how much weight a beam can carry.

• Stress and strain
• Elastic and plastic behaviour

Transverse and longitudinal are known as progressive waves. These waves transfer energy without transferring matter. For example, when you look at the ocean, the water mostly stays in the same place but the energy moves across the ocean. An electromagnetic wave is a wave made from electric and magnetic fields. It carries energy travelling at the speed of light. The electromagnetic spectrum is all different types of electromagnetic waves arranged by wavelength or frequency. Modern technology depends entirely on understanding the EM spectrum. Polarisation restricts vibrations to one direction and only works for transverse waves. It reduces glare in sunglasses, is used in photography and helps engineers to control and filter light.

• Progressive waves
• Transverse and longitudinal waves
• Doppler effect for sound waves
• Electromagnetic spectrum
• Polarisation

Superposition is when two or more waves meet, the total displacement at any point is the sum of their displacements. Waves can add together or cancel each other out. After they pass through each other, they continue as normal.

• Stationary waves
• Diffraction
• Interference
• Diffraction gratings

Electric current is the flow of electrons through a conductor. Potential difference is the energy per unit charge and power is the rate of energy transfer. Resistance is how hard it is for the current to flow and resistivity is the property of material affecting resistance.

• Electric current
• Potential difference and power
• Resistance and resistivity

D.C. circuits are circuits with direct current where electrons flow one way.

• Practical circuits
• Kirchhoff’s laws
• Potential dividers

Atoms are everywhere and everything around you is made from atoms. Radiation is energy or particles emitted from unstable nuclei. Radiation is used in radiotherapy, PET scans, smoke detectors and archaeology. Fundamental particles goes deeper into atoms. Inside protons and neutrons are quarks. Electrons are fundamental particles called leptons. There are also bosons that carry forces too.

• Atoms, nuclei and radiation
• Fundamental particles

Circular motion explains why things orbit, spin and turn instead of flying off. Examples include planets orbiting the sun, cars going around bends and a washing machine spinning. Without centripetal acceleration, satellites would drift into space and the earth wouldn’t orbit the sun.

• Kinematics of uniform circular motion
• Centripetal acceleration

Gravitational field is a region around a mass where another mass feels a gravitational force. The earth creates a gravitational field that pulls objects downward.

• Gravitational field
• Gravitational force between point masses
• Gravitational field of a point mass
• Gravitational potential

Thermal equilibrium is when two objects in contact reach the same temperature. This means that no further heat will flow between them. Temperature is measured in Celsius or Kelvin.

• Thermal equilibrium
• Temperature scales
• Specific heat capacity and specific latent heat

A mole is just a counting unit similar to 12 eggs equalling 1 dozen. Mole is important because it helps us count small particles in a practical way. Without the mole. Modern chemistry and chemical engineering wouldn’t work.

• The mole
• Equation of state
• Kinetic theory of gases

Thermodynamics explains how energy moves and changes form in real systems. For example, engines, refrigerators and power stations.

• Internal energy
• The first law of thermodynamics

Oscillations describe a repeating motion that goes back-and-forth around a central (equilibrium) position. Examples include a swing or sound.

• Simple harmonic oscillations
• Energy in simple harmonic motion
• Damped and forced oscillations, resonance

An electric field is a region around a charge where another charge experiences a force. A doesn’t need to touch another charge to affect it. It creates a field around itself.

• Electric fields and field lines
• Uniform electric fields
• Electric force between point charges Electric field of a point charge
• Electric potential

Capacitance tells you how much charge can be stored per volt. A large capacitance stores more charge whereas a small capacitance stores less charge.

• Capacitors and capacitance
• Energy stored in a capacitor
• Discharging a capacitor

A magnetic field is a region where a magnetic force acts on moving charges or magnets. They explain how motors spin, generators produce electricity and how much of modern technology works.

• Concept of a magnetic field
• Force on a current
• carrying conductor
• Force on a moving charge
• Magnetic fields due to currents
• Electromagnetic induction

An alternating current is a current that continuously changes direction. Instead of flowing one way like DC (direct current), AC flows forward, then backward, repeatedly.

• Characteristics of alternating currents
• Rectification and smoothing

All modern technology relies on quantum physics. For example, electronics and solar panels rely on the energy of photons and sensors and imaging rely on the photoelectric effect.

• Energy and momentum of a photon
• Photoelectric effect
• Wave-particle duality
• Energy levels in atoms and line spectra

Nuclear physics explains the energy inside the atom’s nucleus and how it is released. This is the science behind nuclear power, medicine and understanding the universe.

• Mass defect and nuclear binding energy
• Radioactive decay

Medical physics has helped produce tools to save lives and diagnose diseases. Ultrasound machines use high-frequency waves to produce an image of internal structures and assist with pregnancy, heart imaging or detecting organs. X-rays use high-energy electromagnetic waves that produce images of bones and internal structures. X-rays are essential for diagnosing broken bones, dental problems and chest infections.

• Production and use of ultrasound
• Production and use of X-rays
• PET scanning

Physics helps explain the largest scales of the universe. Standard candles are objects in space with a known intrinsic brightness. By comparing their known brightness, we can calculate their distance. Stellar Radii is how we determine the size of stars using brightness and surface temperature. Hubble’s law will provide the foundation for modern cosmology including the study of dark matter and dark energy.

• Standard candles
• Stellar radii
• Hubble’s law and the Big Bang theory

Mechanics helps us to explain how objects move and how forces affect them. It consists of Motion (how things move), Energy (how movement and changes happen) and Momentum (how motion is carried and transferred). In this topic, you will cover:

1A Motion

• 1A.1 Velocity and acceleration
• 1A.2 Motion graphs
• 1A.3 Adding forces
• 1A.4 Moments
• 1A.5 Newton’s laws of motion
• 1A.6 Kinematics equations
• 1A.7 Resolving vectors
• 1A.8 Projectiles

1B: Energy

• 1B.1 Gravitational potential and kinetic energies
• 1B.2 Work and power

1C: Momentum

• 1C.1 Momentum
• 1C.2 Conservation of linear momentum

This topic will look into different substances and how they respond and interact with motion and energy. This topic will cover:

2A: Fluids

• 2A.1 Fluids, density and upthrust
• 2A.2 Fluid movement
• 2A.3 Viscosity
• 2A.4 Terminal velocity

2B: Solid Material Properties

• 2B.1 Hooke’s law
• 2B.2 Stress, strain and the Young modulus
• 2B.3 Stress–strain graphs

Energy can be transferred as a wave through light, sound and water. For example, light from the sun reaching the Earth. This topic will cover:

3A: Basic Waves

• 3A.1 Wave basics
• 3A.2 Wave types

3B: The Behaviour of Waves

• 3B.1 Wave phase and superposition
• 3B.2 Stationary waves
• 3B.3 Diffraction
• 3B.4 Wave interference

3C: More Wave Properties of Light

• 3C.1 Refraction
• 3C.2 Total internal reflection
• 3C.3 Polarisation

3D: Quantum Physics

• 3D.1 Wave–particle duality
• 3D.2 The photoelectric effect
• 3D.3 Electron diffraction and interference
• 3D.4 Atomic electron energies

TOPIC 4: ELECTRIC CIRCUITS

This section will look into how energy is transferred using moving charges. In this topic, you will cover:

4A: Electrical Quantities

• 4A.1 Electric current
• 4A.2 Electrical energy transfer
• 4A.3 Current and voltage relationships
• 4A.4 Resistivity
• 4A.5 Conduction and resistance
• 4A.6 Semiconductors

4B: Complete Electrical Circuits

• 4B.1 Series and parallel circuits
• 4B.2 Electrical circuit rules
• 4B.3 Potential dividers
• 4B.4 emf and internal resistance
• 4B.5 Power in electric circuits

In IAS you will have looked into how objects move, simple forces and basic energy and momentum. Further mechanics will provide more realistic situations such as energy changes in collisions and motion in circles requiring centripetal force.

5A: Further Momentum

• 5A.1 Energy in collisions
• 5A.2 More collisions

5B: Circular Motion

• 5B.1 Circular motion basics
• 5B.2 Centripetal force

This topic will help you understand how forces act at a distance without contact. It will also cover the connection between electricity and magnetism and how we store energy.

6A: Electric Fields

• 6A.1 Electric fields
• 6A.2 Radial electric fields
• 6A.3 Coulomb’s law

6B: Capacitors

• 6B.1 Capacitor basics
• 6B.2 Charging and discharging capacitors
• 6B.3 Capacitor mathematics

6C: Electromagnetic Effects

• 6C.1 Magnetic fields
• 6C.2 Electric motors
• 6C.3 Magnetic forces
• 6C.4 Generating electricity

This topic looks at the basic building blocks of matter and how high-energy collisions reveal particles, forces and transformations.

7A: Probing Matter

• 7A.1 A nuclear atom
• 7A.2 Electrons from atoms

7B: Particle Accelerators and Detectors

• 7B.1 Particle accelerators
• 7B.2 Particle detectors
• 7B.3 The Large Hadron Collider

7C: The Particle ZOO

• 7C.1 Particle interactions
• 7C.2 The particle zoo
• 7C.3 Particles and forces
• 7C.4 Particle reactions

This section will help explain what heat, temperature and gases mean in physics. The topic includes:

8A: Heat and Temperature

• 8A.1 Heat and temperature
• 8A.2 Heat transfer
• 8A.3 Internal energy
• 8A.4 Ideal gas behaviour

Nuclear decay is the study of unstable atomic nuclei and how they change over time. This topic will cover:

9A: Radioactivity

• 9A.1 Nuclear radiation
• 9A.2 Rate of radioactive decay
• 9A.3 Fission and fusion

Oscillations are repeated back and forth motion around an equilibrium point. An example could be a swinging pendulum or a vibrating object.

10A: Oscillations

• 10A.1 Simple harmonic motion (SHM)
• 10A.2 SHM mathematics
• 10A.3 SHM energy; 10A.4 Resonance and damping

This topic will investigate how gravity shapes the universe and how start are formed and classified. You will see how vast distances in space are measured and how the universe began and may end.

11A: Gravitational Fields

• 11A.1 Gravitational forces
• 11A.2 Gravitational fields

11B: Space

• 11B.1 Starshine
• 11B.2 Stellar classification
• 11B.3 Distances to the stars
• 11B.4 The age of the Universe
• 11B.5 The fate of the Universe