Physics

Course summary

A Level physics teaches the fundamental principles of physics that explain the universe around us, highlighting real-world applications. The specification has a bedrock of how science works to show how physics affects modern life and teaches skills relevant to future careers. Year one • Measurements and their errors, including the use of SI units and their prefixes, limitations of physical measurement and estimation of physical quantities. • Particles and radiation, including constituents of the atom, particle interactions and collisions of electrons with atoms. • Waves, including progressive waves, interference and diffraction. • Mechanics and energy, including projectile motion and Newton’s laws of motion. • Electricity, including current/voltage characteristics, circuits, electromotive force and internal resistance. Year two • Further mechanics and thermal physics, including periodic motion, thermal energy transfer and molecular kinetic theory. • Fields, including Newton’s law of gravitation, orbits of planets and satellites and magnetic flux density. • Nuclear physics, including evidence for the nucleus, radioactive decay and nuclear instability. Option - Astrophysics, including classification of stars by luminosity, Doppler effect and the detection of exoplanets.