Physics revision notes

One chapter for each section of the 5054 syllabus, with worked examples. Read a chapter, then practise it with real past-paper questions.

1. 1Motion, Forces and EnergyMeasuring length, volume and time, scalars and vectors, speed, velocity and acceleration and their graphs, mass, weight and density, Newton's laws, friction and terminal velocity, springs, circular motion, moments and stability, momentum, energy, work, energy resources, efficiency, power and pressure.31 min read
2. 2Thermal PhysicsThe states of matter and the particle model, gas pressure and volume, thermal expansion and temperature scales, specific heat capacity, melting, boiling, evaporation and latent heat, and the three ways thermal energy is transferred: conduction, convection and radiation.13 min read
3. 3WavesProperties of waves and the wave equation, reflection, refraction and total internal reflection of light, thin lenses and the eye, dispersion, the electromagnetic spectrum and its uses and dangers, and sound including ultrasound.17 min read
4. 4Electricity and MagnetismMagnets and magnetic fields, electric charge and fields, current, e.m.f., potential difference and resistance, circuits and components, series and parallel, electrical power and safety, electromagnetic induction, generators, motors, transformers and the oscilloscope.29 min read
5. 5Nuclear PhysicsThe structure of the atom and the nucleus, nuclide notation and isotopes, detecting radioactivity and background radiation, alpha, beta and gamma radiation, decay equations, fission and fusion, half-life and its uses, and safety with radioactive materials.13 min read
6. 6Space PhysicsThe Earth, Moon and Sun, orbital speed, the Solar System and its planets, gravitational field strength, the Sun as a star, the life cycle of stars, galaxies and light-years, redshift and the Big Bang.9 min read