1. Energy

1.1 Energy Changes in a System

1.1.1 Energy Stores & Transfers

1.1.2 Examples of Energy Transfer

1.1.3 Kinetic Energy

1.1.4 Gravitational Potential Energy

1.1.5 Elastic Potential Energy

1.1.6 KE, GPE & EPE

1.1.7 Thermal Energy

1.1.8 Required Practical: Investigating Specific Heat Capacity

1.1.9 Changes in Energy

1.1.10 Power

1.1.11 Conservation & Dissipation of Energy

1.1.12 Wasted Energy

1.1.13 Conduction of Heat

1.1.14 Required Practical: Investigating Insulation

1.1.15 Efficiency

1.1.16 Improving Efficiency

1.2 National & Global Energy Resources

1.2.1 Energy Resources

1.2.2 Comparing Energy Resources

1.2.3 Environmental Issues

2. Electricity

2.1 Current, Potential Difference & Resistance

2.1.1 Circuit Diagrams

2.1.2 Charge & Current

2.1.3 Current, Resistance & Potential Difference

2.1.4 Required Practical: Investigating Resistance

2.1.5 Resistors

2.1.6 I–V Graphs

2.1.7 Thermistors

2.1.8 LDRs

2.1.9 Investigating Resistance in Thermistors & LDRs

2.1.10 Required Practical: Investigating I–V Characteristics

2.2 Series & Parallel Circuits

2.2.1 Series & Parallel Circuits

2.2.2 Resistors in Series & Parallel

2.2.3 Comparing Series & Parallel Circuits

2.2.4 AC & DC

2.2.5 Mains Electricity

2.2.6 Dangers of Mains Electricity

2.3 Energy Transfers

2.3.1 Electrical Power

2.3.2 Electrical Energy

2.3.3 Calculating Energy Transfers

2.3.4 Power Ratings

2.3.5 The National Grid

2.3.6 Use of Transformers

2.4 Static Electricity

2.4.1 Electric Charge

2.4.2 Static Electricity

2.4.3 Electric Fields

2.4.4 Fields & Static

3. Particle Model of Matter

3.1 Changes of State & the Particle Model

3.1.1 Density

3.1.2 Solids, Liquids & Gases

3.1.3 Required Practical: Determining Density

3.1.4 Changes of State

3.2 Internal Energy & Energy Transfers

3.2.1 Internal Energy

3.2.2 Specific Heat Capacity

3.2.3 Latent Heat

3.2.4 Specific Latent Heat

3.2.5 Heating & Cooling Graphs

3.2.6 Specific Heat Capacity v Specific Latent Heat

3.3 Particle Model & Pressure

3.3.1 Kinetic Theory

3.3.2 Pressure & Volume

3.3.3 Work on a Gas

4. Atomic Structure

4.1 Atoms & Isotopes

4.1.1 Atomic Structure

4.1.2 The Absorption & Emission of EM Radiation

4.1.3 Atomic & Mass Number

4.1.4 Isotopes

4.1.5 Positive Ions

4.1.6 The Plum Pudding Model

4.1.7 Rutherford Scattering

4.1.8 Bohr's Model of the Atom

4.1.9 Discovery of the Proton & Neutron

4.1.10 Changes in the Atomic Model

4.2 Atoms & Nuclear Radiation

4.2.1 Radioactive Decay

4.2.2 Types of Radiation

4.2.3 Uses of Radiation

4.2.4 Alpha Decay

4.2.5 Beta Decay

4.2.6 Gamma Decay

4.2.7 Random Nature of Radioactive Decay

4.2.8 Half-Life

4.2.9 Calculating Radioactive Decay

4.2.10 Contamination & Irradiation

4.2.11 Hazards of Contamination & Irradiation

4.2.12 Studies into the Effects of Radiation

4.3 Hazards & Uses of Radioactive Emissions & of Background Radiation

4.3.1 Background Radiation

4.3.2 Half-Life & Risk

4.3.3 Medical Uses of Radiation

4.4 Nuclear Fission & Fusion

4.4.1 Nuclear Fission

4.4.2 Chain Reactions

4.4.3 Nuclear Fission Diagrams

4.4.4 Nuclear Fusion

5. Forces

5.1 Forces & their Interactions

5.1.1 Scalars & Vectors

5.1.2 Contact & Non-Contact Forces

5.1.3 Forces as Vectors

5.1.4 Weight, Mass & Gravity

5.1.5 Calculating Weight

5.1.6 Resultant Forces

5.1.7 Free Body Diagrams

5.1.8 Balanced & Unbalanced Forces

5.2 Work Done & Energy Transfer

5.2.1 Work Done

5.2.2 Work Done & Energy Transfer

5.2.3 Work Done & Friction

5.3 Forces & Elasticity

5.3.1 Changing Shape

5.3.2 Hooke's Law

5.3.3 Force–Extension Graphs

5.3.4 Work Done on a Spring

5.3.5 Required Practical: Investigating Force & Extension

5.4 Moments, Levers & Gears

5.4.1 Moments in Physics

5.4.2 The Principle of Moments

5.4.3 Levers & Gears

5.5 Pressure & Pressure Differences in Fluids

5.5.1 Pressure

5.5.2 Atmospheric Pressure

5.5.3 Pressure in a Liquid

5.5.4 Upthrust

5.6 Describing Motion

5.6.1 Distance & Displacement

5.6.2 Speed

5.6.3 Measuring Speed

5.6.4 Calculating Speed

5.6.5 Velocity

5.6.6 Vector & Scalar Quantities

5.6.7 Circular Motion

5.6.8 Distance-Time Graphs

5.6.9 Instantaneous Speed

5.6.10 Acceleration

5.6.11 Velocity-Time Graphs

5.6.12 Area Under Velocity-Time Graphs

5.6.13 Calculating Uniform Acceleration

5.6.14 Terminal Velocity

5.6.15 Representing Terminal Velocity

5.7 Newton's Laws of Motion

5.7.1 Newton's First Law

5.7.2 Newton's Second Law

5.7.3 Required Practical: Investigating Force & Acceleration

5.7.4 Newton's Third Law

5.7.5 Inertia

5.8 Stopping Distances

5.8.1 Thinking & Braking Distances

5.8.2 Stopping Distance

5.8.3 Reaction Time

5.8.4 Factors Affecting Thinking Distance & Reaction Time

5.8.5 Factors Affecting Braking Distance

5.8.6 Estimating Decelerating Forces

5.9 Momentum

5.9.1 Momentum

5.9.2 Conservation of Momentum

5.9.3 Collisions

5.9.4 Force & Momentum

5.9.5 Momentum & Safety

6. Waves

6.1 Waves in Air, Fluids & Solids

6.1.1 Transverse & Longitudinal Waves

6.1.2 Describing Wave Motion

6.1.3 The Wave Equation

6.1.4 Measuring the Speed of Waves

6.1.5 Transmission of Sound Waves

6.1.6 Required Practical: Measuring Wave Properties

6.1.7 Reflection, Absorption & Transmission

6.1.8 Required Practical: Investigating Reflection & Refraction

6.1.9 Sound Waves

6.1.10 Exploring Structure Using Waves

6.1.11 Ultrasound

6.1.12 Echo Sounding

6.1.13 Ultrasound in Medical & Industrial Imaging

6.1.14 Seismic Waves

6.2 Electromagnetic Waves

6.2.1 Electromagnetic (EM) Waves

6.2.2 Transfer of Energy by EM Waves

6.2.3 EM Waves & Matter

6.2.4 Refraction Ray Diagrams

6.2.5 Required Practical: Investigating Infrared Radiation

6.2.6 EM Waves & Atoms

6.2.7 Radio Waves

6.2.8 Dangers of High-Energy EM Waves

6.2.9 Applications of EM Waves

6.3 Optics

6.3.1 Convex & Concave Lenses

6.3.2 Convex & Concave Ray Diagrams

6.3.3 Magnification

6.3.4 Visible Light Spectrum

6.3.5 Reflection from Surfaces

6.3.6 Colour & Reflection of Light

6.4 Black Body Radiation

6.4.1 Black Body Radiation

6.4.2 Temperature Balances

7. Magnetism & Electromagnetism

7.1 Permanent & Induced Magnetism, Magnetic Forces & Fields

7.1.1 Magnetism

7.1.2 Permanent & Induced Magnets

7.1.3 Magnetic Fields

7.1.4 The Earth's Magnetic Field

7.2 The Motor Effect

7.2.1 Magnetic Fields in Wires & Solenoids

7.2.2 The Motor Effect

7.2.3 Fleming's Left-Hand Rule

7.2.4 Electric Motors

7.2.5 Loudspeakers & Headphones

7.3 Induced Potential, Transformers & the National Grid

7.3.1 Electromagnetic (EM) Induction

7.3.2 Applications of the Generator Effect

7.3.3 Graphs of Potential Difference in the Coil

7.3.4 Microphones

7.3.5 Transformers

7.3.6 Transformer Equations

7.3.7 AC & High Voltage Transmission

8. Space Physics

8.1 Solar system, Stability of Orbital Motions & Satellites

8.1.1 The Solar System

8.1.2 The Formation of the Sun

8.1.3 Fusion in Stars

8.1.4 The Life Cycle of Solar Mass Stars

8.1.5 The Life Cycle of Larger Stars

8.1.6 Circular Orbits

8.1.7 Non-Circular Orbits

8.2 Red-shift

8.2.1 Galactic Red-shift

8.2.2 The Big Bang

8.2.3 Dark Energy & Dark Matter

Study tools

• AQA GCSE Physics · Exam Questions
• AQA GCSE Physics · Past Papers