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Syllabus
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Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics
Topic 1: Heating processes
Kinetic particle model and heat flow
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 1: Heating processes > Kinetic particle model and heat flow
- Describe the kinetic particle model of matter
- Define and distinguish between thermal energy, temperature, kinetic energy, heat and internal energy
- Explain heat transfers in terms of conduction, convection and radiation
Temperature and specific heat capacity
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 1: Heating processes > Temperature and specific heat capacity
- Use Tk = Tc + 273 to convert temperature measurements between Celsius and Kelvin
- Use digital and other measuring devices to collect data, ensuring measurements are recorded using the correct symbol, SI unit, number of significant figures and associated measurement uncertainty (absolute and percentage); all experimental measurements should be recorded in this way
- Explain that a change in temperature is due to the addition or removal of energy from a system (without phase change)
- Define specific heat capacity and the concept of proportionality
- Interpret tabulated and graphical data of heat added to a substance and its subsequent temperature change (without phase change)
- Solve problems involving specific heat capacity
Phase changes and specific latent heat
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 1: Heating processes > Phase changes and specific latent heat
- Explain why the temperature of the system remains the same during the process of state change; explain it in terms of the internal energy of a system and the kinetic particle model of matter
- Define specific latent heat
- Solve problems involving specific latent heat
Energy conservation in calorimetry
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 1: Heating processes > Energy conservation in calorimetry
- Define thermal equilibrium in terms of the temperature and average kinetic energy of the particles in each of the systems
- Explain the process in which thermal energy is transferred between two systems until thermal equilibrium is achieved, and recognise this as the zeroth law of thermodynamics
- Solve problems involving specific heat capacity, specific latent heat and thermal equilibrium
Energy in systems - mechanical work and efficiency
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 1: Heating processes > Energy in systems - mechanical work and efficiency
- Explain that a system with thermal energy has the capacity to do mechanical work
- Recall that the change in the internal energy of a system is equal to the energy added or removed by heating plus the work done on or by the system, and recognise this as the first law of thermodynamics and that this is a consequence of the law of conservation of energy
- Explain that energy transfers and transformations in mechanical systems always result in some heat loss to the environment, so that the amount of useable energy is reduced
- Define efficiency
- Solve problems involving finding the efficiency of heat transfers
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment that obtains data to be plotted on a scatter graph (with correct title and symbols, units and labels on the axes), analysed by calculating the equation of a linear trend line, interpreted to draw a conclusion, and reported on using scientific conventions and language
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment that determines the specific heat capacity of a substance, ensuring that measurement uncertainties associated with mass and temperature are propagated. Where the mean is calculated (in this, and future experiments), determine the percentage and/or absolute uncertainty of the mean
Topic 2: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions
Nuclear model and stability
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 2: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions > Nuclear model and stability
- Describe the nuclear model of the atom characterised by a small nucleus surrounded by electrons
- Explain why protons in the nucleus repel each other
- Define the strong nuclear force
- Explain the stability of a nuclide in terms of the operation of the strong nuclear force over very short distances, electrostatic repulsion, and the relative number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
Spontaneous decay and half-life
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 2: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions > Spontaneous decay and half-life
- Explain natural radioactive decay in terms of stability
- Define alpha radiation, beta positive radiation, beta negative radiation and gamma radiation
- Describe alpha, beta positive, beta negative and gamma radiation, including the properties of penetrating ability, charge, mass and ionisation ability
- Explain how an excess of protons, neutrons or mass in a nucleus can result in alpha, beta positive and beta negative decay
- Solve problems involving balancing nuclear equations
- Represent spontaneous alpha, beta positive and beta negative decay using
decay equations
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 2: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions > decay equations
- Explain how a radionuclide will, through a series of spontaneous decays, become a stable nuclide
- Define half-life
- Solve radioactive decay problems involving whole numbers of half-lives
Energy and mass defect
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 2: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions > Energy and mass defect
- Describe energy in terms of electron volts (eV) and joules (J)
- Define artificial transmutation
- Distinguish between artificial transmutations and natural radioactive decay
- Define nuclear fission
- Explain a neutron-enduced nuclear fission reaction, including references to extra neutrons produced from many of these reactions
- Research nuclear safety, considering the suitability of using the sources of information in terms of their credibility
- Explain a fission chain reaction
- Define nuclear fusion
- Define mass defect, binding energy and binding energy per nucleon
- Recall Einstein's mass=energy equivalence relationship
- Solve problems involving Einstein's mass-energy equivalence relationship
- Explain that more energy is released per nucleon in nuclear fusion than in nuclear fission because a greater percentage of the mass is transformed into energy
Topic 3: Electrical circuits
Current, potential difference and energy flow
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 3: Electrical circuits > Current, potential difference and energy flow
- Recall that electric charge can be positive or negative
- Recall that electric current is carried by discrete electric charge carriers
- Recall the law of conservation of electric charge
- Recall that electric charge is conserved at all points in an electrical circuit and recognise this as Kirchhoff's current law
- Define electric current, electrical potential difference in a circuit, and power
- Solve problems involving electric current, electric charge and time
- Explain that the energy inputs in a circuit equal the sum of energy output from loads in the circuit and recognise this as Kirchhoff's voltage law
- Recall that the energy available to electric charges moving in an electrical circuit is measured using electrical potential difference
- Solve problems involving electrical potential difference
- Explain why electric charge separation produces an electrical potential difference (no calculations required to demonstrate this)
- Solve problems involving power
Resistance
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 3: Electrical circuits > Resistance
- Define resistance
- Recall and solve problems using Ohm's Law
- Compare and contrast ohmic and non-ohmic resistors
- Interpret graphical representations of electrical potential difference versus electric current data to find resistance using the gradient and its uncertainty
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment that measures electric current through, and electrical potential difference across an ohmic resistor in order to find resistance, Write a research question, Suggest modifications to the methodology used in class to improve the outcome, Collect sufficient data, Consider safety and manage risks
Circuit analysis and design
Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics > Topic 3: Electrical circuits > Circuit analysis and design
- Define power dissipation over resistors in a circuit
- Solve problems involving electrical potential difference, electric current, resistance and power
- Recall resistor, voltmeter, ammeter, cell, battery, switch and bulb circuit diagram symbols
- Recognise series and parallel connections of components in electrical circuits
- Solve problems involving finding equivalent resistance, electrical potential difference and electric currents in series and parallel circuits
- Design simple series, parallel and series/parallel circuits
Unit 2: Linear motion and waves
Topic 1: Linear motion and force
Vectors
Unit 2: Linear motion and waves > Topic 1: Linear motion and force > Vectors
- Define the terms vector and scalar, and use these terms to categorise physical quantities, e.g. velocity and speed
- Calculate resultant vectors through the addition and subtraction of two vectors in one dimension
Linear motion
Unit 2: Linear motion and waves > Topic 1: Linear motion and force > Linear motion
- Define the terms displacement, velocity and acceleration
- Compare and contrast instantaneous and average velocity
- Describe the motion of an object by interpreting a linear. motion graph
- Calculate and interpret the intercepts and gradients (and their uncertainties) of displacement-time and velocity-time graphs, and the areas under velocity-time and acceleration-time graphs
- Solve problems involving the equations of uniformly accelerated motion in one dimension
- Recall that the acceleration due to gravity is constant near the Earth's surface
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment to verify the value of acceleration due to gravity on the Earth’s surface
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment that requires students to construct and interpret displacement–time and velocity–time graphs with resulting data
Newton's laws of motion
Unit 2: Linear motion and waves > Topic 1: Linear motion and force > Newton's laws of motion
- Define Newton's three laws of motion and give examples of each
- Identify forces acting on an object
- Construct free-body diagrams representing forces acting on an object
- Determine the resultant force acting on an object in one dimension
- Solve problems using each of Newton's three laws of motion
- Define the terms momentum and impulse
- Recall the principle of conservation of momentum
- Solve problems involving momentum, impulse, the conservation of momentum and collisions in one dimension
- Determine and interpret the area under a force-time graph.
Energy
Unit 2: Linear motion and waves > Topic 1: Linear motion and force > Energy
- Define the terms mechanical work, kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy
- Solve problems involving work done by a force
- Solve problems involving kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy
- Determine and interpret the area under a force-displacement graph
- Interpret meaning from an energy-time graph
- Define the terms elastic collision and inelastic collision
- Compare and contrast elastic and inelastic collisions
- Solve problems involving elastic collisions and inelastic collisions.
Topic 2: Waves
Wave properties
Unit 2: Linear motion and waves > Topic 2: Waves > Wave properties
- Recall that waves transfer energy
- Define the term mechanical wave
- Compare the terms transverse wave and longitudinal wave
- Describe examples of transverse and longitudinal waves, such as sound, seismic waves and vibrations of stringed instruments
- Recall the terms compression, rarefaction, crest, trough, displacement, amplitude, period, frequency, wavelength and velocity, identifying them on graphical and visual representations of a wave
- Interpret and calculate the amplitude, period, frequency and wavelength from graphs of transverse and longitudinal waves
- Solve problems involving the wavelength, frequency, period and velocity of a wave
- Define the terms reflection, refraction, diffraction and superposition
- Using the wave model of light, explain phenomena related to reflection and refraction
- Describe the reflection and refraction of a wave at a boundary between two media
- Apply the principle of superposition to determine the resultant amplitude of two simple waves
- Explain constructive interference and destructive interference of two simple waves
- Explain the formation of standing waves in terms of superposition with reference to constructive and destructive interference, and nodes and antinodes.
Sound
Unit 2: Linear motion and waves > Topic 2: Waves > Sound
- Solve problems involving standing wave formation in pipes open at both ends, closed at one end, and on stretched strings
- Define the concept of resonance in a mechanical system
- Define the concept of natural frequency
- Identify that energy is transferred efficiently in resonating systems.
Light
Unit 2: Linear motion and waves > Topic 2: Waves > Light
- Recall that light is not modelled as a mechanical wave, because it can travel through a vacuum
- Recall that a wave model of light can explain reflection, refraction, total internal reflection, dispersion, diffraction and interference
- Describe polarisation using a transverse wave model
- Use ray diagrams to demonstrate the reflection and refraction of light
- Solve problems involving the reflection of light on plane mirrors
- Define Snell's Law
- Solve problems involving the refraction of light at the boundary between two mediums
- Recall that the speed of light in a vacuum is c = 3 x 10^8 m/s
- Contrast the speed of light and the speed of mechanical waves
- Define the concept of intensity
- Solve problems involving the proportional relationship between intensity of light and the inverse-square of the distance from the source
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment to determine the refractive index of a transparent substance
Unit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism
view_agenda query_statsTopic 1: Gravity and motion
view_agenda query_statsVectors
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 1: Gravity and motion > Vectors
- Use vector analysis to resolve a vector into two perpendicular components
- Solve vector problems by resolving vectors into components, adding or subtracting the components and recombining them to determine the resultant vector
Projectile motion
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 1: Gravity and motion > Projectile motion
- Recall that the horizontal and vertical components of a velocity vector are independent of each other
- Apply vector analysis to determine horizontal and vertical components of projectile motion
- Solve problems involving projectile motion
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment to determine the horizontal distance travelled by an object projected at various angles from the horizontal.
Inclined planes
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 1: Gravity and motion > Inclined planes
- Solve problems involving force due to gravity (weight) and mass using the mathematical relationship between them
- Define the term normal force
- Describe and represent the forces acting on an object on an inclined plane through the use of free-body diagrams
- Calculate the net force acting on an object on an inclined plane through vector analysis
Circular motion
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 1: Gravity and motion > Circular motion
- Describe uniform circular motion in terms of a force acting on an object in a perpendicular direction to the velocity of the object
- Define the concepts of average speed and period
- Solve problems involving average speed of objects undergoing uniform circular motion
- Define the terms centripetal acceleration and centripetal force
- Solve problems involving forces acting on objects in uniform circular motion
Gravitational force and fields
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 1: Gravity and motion > Gravitational force and fields
- Recall Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
- Solve problems involving the magnitude of the gravitational force between two masses
- Define the term gravitational fields
- Solve problems involving the gravitational field strength at a distance from an object
Orbits
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 1: Gravity and motion > Orbits
- Recall Kepler's laws of planetary motion
- Solve problems involving Kepler's third law
- Recall that Kepler's third law can be derived from the relationship between Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and uniform circular motion
Topic 2: Electromagnetism
view_agenda query_statsElectrostatics
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 2: Electromagnetism > Electrostatics
- Define Coulomb's Law and recognise that it describes the force exerted by electrostatically charged objects on other electrostatically charged objects
- Solve problems involving Coulomb's Law
- Define the terms electric fields, electric field strength and electrical potential energy
- Solve problems involving electric field strength
- Solve problems involving the work done when an electric charge is moved in an electric field
Magnetic fields
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 2: Electromagnetism > Magnetic fields
- Define the term magnetic field
- Recall how to represent magnetic field lines, including sketching magnetic field lines due to a moving electric charge, electric currents and magnets
- Recall that a moving electric charge generates a magnetic field
- Determine the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field around electric current-carrying wires and inside solenoids
- Solve problems involving the magnitude and direction of magnetic fields around a straight electric current-carrying wire and inside a solenoid
- Recall that electric current-carrying conductors and moving electric charges experience a force when placed in a magnetic field
- Solve problems involving the magnetic force on an electric current-carrying wire and moving charge in a magnetic field
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment to investigate the force acting on a conductor in a magnetic field
- Mandatory practical: Conduct an experiment to investigate the strength of a magnet at various distances
Electromagnetic induction
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 2: Electromagnetism > Electromagnetic induction
- Define the terms magnetic flux, magnetic flux density, electromagnetic induction, electromotive force (EMF), Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law
- Solve problems involving the magnetic flux in an electric current-carrying loop
- Describe the process of inducing an EMF across a moving conductor in a magnetic field
- Solve problems involving Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law
- Explain how Lenz's Law is consistent with the principle of conservation of energy
- Explain how transformers work in terms of Faraday's Law and electromagnetic induction
Electromagnetic radiation
view_agenda query_statsUnit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism > Topic 2: Electromagnetism > Electromagnetic radiation
- Define and explain electromagnetic radiation in terms of electric fields and magnetic fields
Unit 4: Revolutions in modern physics
view_agenda query_statsTopic 1: Special relativity
view_agenda query_statsSpecial relativity
view_agenda query_statsUnit 4: Revolutions in modern physics > Topic 1: Special relativity > Special relativity
- Describe an example of natural phenomena that cannot be explained by Newtonian physics, such as the presence of muons in the atmosphere
- Define the terms frame of reference and inertial frame of reference
- Recall the two postulates of special relativity
- Recall that motion can only be measured relative to an observer
- Explain the concept of simultaneity
- Recall the consequences of the constant speed of light in a vacuum, eg time dilation and length contraction
- Define the terms time dilation, proper time interval, relativistic time interval, length contraction, proper length, relativistic length, rest mass and relativistic momentum
- Describe the phenomena of time dilation and length contraction, including examples of experimental evidence of the phenomena
- Solve problems involving time dilations, length contraction and relativistic momentum
- Recall the mass-energy equivalence relationship
- Explain why no object can travel at the speed of light in a vacuum
- Explain paradoxical scenarios such as the twins' paradox, flashlights on a train and the ladder in the barn paradox
Topic 2: Quantum theory
view_agenda query_statsQuantum theory
view_agenda query_statsUnit 4: Revolutions in modern physics > Topic 2: Quantum theory > Quantum theory
- Explain how Young's double slit experiment provides evidence for the wave model of light
- Describe light as an electromagnetic wave produced by an oscillating electric charge that produces mutually perpendicular oscillating electric fields and magnetic fields
- Explain the concept of black-body radiation
- Identify that black-body radiation provides evidence that electromagnetic radiation is quantised into discrete values
- Describe the concept of a photon
- Solve problems involving the energy, frequency and wavelength of a photon
- Describe the photoelectric effect in terms of the photon
- Define the terms threshold frequency, Planck's constant and work function
- Solve problems involving the photoelectric effect
- Recall that photons exhibit the characteristics of both waves and particles
- Describe Rutherford's model of the atom including its limitations
- Describe the Bohr model of the atom and how it addresses the limitations of Rutherford's model
- Explain how the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom integrates light quanta and atomic energy states to explain the specific wavelengths in the hydrogen line spectrum
- Solve problems involving the line spectra of simple atoms using atomic energy states or atomic energy level diagrams
- Describe wave-particle duality of light by identifying evidence that supports the wave characteristics of light and evidence that supports the particle characteristics of light
- Conduct an experiment (or use a simulation) to investigate the photoelectric effect
Topic 3: The Standard Model
view_agenda query_statsThe Standard Model
view_agenda query_statsUnit 4: Revolutions in modern physics > Topic 3: The Standard Model > The Standard Model
- Define the concept of an elementary particle and antiparticle
- Recall the six types of quarks
- Define the terms baryon and meson
- Recall the six types of leptons
- Recall the four gauge bosons
- Describe the strong nuclear, weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces in terms of the gauge bosons
- Contrast the fundamental forces experienced by quarks and leptons
Particle interactions
view_agenda query_statsUnit 4: Revolutions in modern physics > Topic 3: The Standard Model > Particle interactions
- Define the concept of lepton number and baryon number
- Recall the conservation of lepton number and baryon number in particle interaction
- Explain the following interactions of particles using Feynman diagrams (electron and electron, electron and positron, a neutron decaying into a proton)
- Describe the significance of symmetry in particle interactions