iGCSE Physics

Double Award
Revision Pack
Date of Exam: 20th May

Contents:
GCSEpod checklist
Topic checklist
Topic revision notes
Topic revision tasks
Practice exam questions
GCSEpod Watched Checked

Y10 Topic 1
Forces & Motion
Y10 Topic 2
Astrophysics
Y10 Topic 3
Electricity
Y10 Topic 4
Waves
Y11 Topic 1
Energy Resources & Energy Transfers

Y11 Topic 2
Solids, Liquids & Gases
Y11 Topic 3
Magnetism and Electromagnetism

Y11 Topic 4
Radioactivity & Particles
Topic checklist

Year 10

Topic 1 Forces and Motion

use the following units: kilogram (kg), metre (m), metre/second (m/s),
metre/second2 (m/s2), newton (N), second (s) and newton/kilogram
1.1 (N/kg)

1.3 plot and explain distance−time graphs

know and use the relationship between average speed, distance
1.4 moved and time
practical: investigate the motion of everyday objects such as toy
1.5 cars or tennis balls
know and use the relationship between acceleration, change in
1.6 velocity and time
1.7 plot and explain velocity-time graphs
determine acceleration from the gradient of a velocity−time
1.8 graph
determine the distance travelled from the area between a
1.9 velocity−time graph and the time axis
use the relationship between final speed, initial speed, acceleration
and distance moved: (final speed)2 = (initial speed)2 + (2 ×
1.10 acceleration × distance moved)
describe the effects of forces between bodies such as changes in
1.11 speed, shape or direction
identify different types of force such as gravitational or
1.12 electrostatic
1.13 understand how vector quantities differ from scalar quantities
1.14 understand that force is a vector quantity
1.15 calculate the resultant force of forces that act along a line
1.16 know that friction is a force that opposes motion
know and use the relationship between unbalanced force, mass and
1.17 acceleration: force = mass × acceleration F = m × a
know and use the relationship between weight, mass and
gravitational field strength: weight = mass × gravitational field
1.18 strength W = m × g
know that the stopping distance of a vehicle is made up of the sum
1.19 of the thinking distance and the braking distance
describe the factors affecting vehicle stopping distance, including
1.20 speed, mass, road condition and reaction time
describe the forces acting on falling objects (and explain why falling
1.21 objects reach a terminal velocity)
 practical: investigate how extension varies with applied force for
1.22 helical springs, metal wires and rubber bands
know that the initial linear region of a force-extension graph is
1.23 associated with Hooke’s law
describe elastic behaviour as the ability of a material to recover its
original shape after the forces causing deformation have been
1.24 removed

Topic
2 Astrophysics
use the following units: kilogram (kg), metre (m), metre/second (m/s),
8.1 metre/second2 (m/s2), newton (N), second (s), newton/kilogram (N/kg)
know that: • the universe is a large collection of billions of galaxies •
a galaxy is a large collection of billions of stars • our solar system is
8.2 in the Milky Way galaxy
understand why gravitational field strength, g, varies and know that
8.3 it is different on other planets and the Moon from that on the Earth
explain that gravitational force: • causes moons to orbit planets •
causes the planets to orbit the Sun • causes artificial satellites to
8.4 orbit the Earth • causes comets to orbit the Sun.
8.5 describe the differences in the orbits of comets, moons and planets
use the relationship between orbital speed, orbital radius and time
8.6 period
8.7 understand how stars can be classified according to their colour
8.8 know that a star’s colour is related to its surface temperature
describe the evolution of stars of similar mass to the Sun through
the following stages: • nebula • star (main sequence) • red giant •
8.9 white dwarf
8.10 describe the evolution of stars with a mass larger than the Sun

Topic
3 Electricity
use the following units: ampere (A), coulomb (C), joule (J), ohm (Ω), second (s),
2.1 volt (V) and watt (W)
understand how the use of insulation, double insulation, earthing,
fuses and circuit breakers protects the device or user in a range of
2.2 domestic appliances
understand why a current in a resistor results in the electrical
transfer of energy and an increase in temperature, and how this
2.3 can be used in a variety of domestic contexts
know and use the relationship between power, current and voltage:
power = current × voltage P = I × V and apply the relationship to the
2.4 selection of appropriate fuses
 use the relationship between energy transferred, current, voltage
2.5 and time: energy transferred = current × voltage × time E = I × V x t
know the difference between mains electricity being alternating
current (a.c.) and direct current (d.c.) being supplied by a cell or
2.6 battery
explain why a series or parallel circuit is more appropriate for
2.7 particular applications, including domestic lighting
understand how the current in a series circuit depends on the
2.8 applied voltage and the number and nature of other components
describe how current varies with voltage in wires, resistors, metal
filament lamps and diodes, and how to investigate this
2.9 experimentally
describe the qualitative effect of changing resistance on the
2.10 current in a circuit
describe the qualitative variation of resistance of light-dependent
2.11 resistors (LDRs) with illumination and thermistors with temperature
know that lamps and LEDs can be used to indicate the presence of
2.12 a current in a circuit
know and use the relationship between voltage, current and
2.13 resistance: voltage = current × resistance V = I × R
2.14 know that current is the rate of flow of charge
know and use the relationship between charge, current and time:
2.15 charge = current × time Q = I × t
know that electric current in solid metallic conductors is a flow of
2.16 negatively charged electrons
2.17 understand why current is conserved at a junction in a circuit
know that the voltage across two components connected in parallel
2.18 is the same
calculate the currents, voltages and resistances of two resistive
2.19 components connected in a series circuit
know that: • voltage is the energy transferred per unit charge
2.20 passed • the volt is a joule per coulomb.
know and use the relationship between energy transferred, charge
2.21 and voltage: energy transferred = charge × voltage E = Q × V

Topic
4 Waves
use the following units: degree (°), hertz (Hz), metre (m), metre/second
3.1 (m/s) and second (s)
3.2 explain the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves
know the definitions of amplitude, wavefront, frequency, wavelength
3.3 and period of a wave
know that waves transfer energy and information without
3.4 transferring matter
 know and use the relationship between the speed, frequency and
3.5 wavelength of a wave: wave speed = frequency × wavelength v = f × λ
3.6 use the relationship between frequency and time period
use the above relationships in different contexts including sound
3.7 waves and electromagnetic waves
explain why there is a change in the observed frequency and
wavelength of a wave when its source is moving relative to an
3.8 observer, and that this is known as the Doppler effect
3.9 explain that all waves can be reflected and refracted
know that light is part of a continuous electromagnetic spectrum
that includes radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-ray and
gamma ray radiations and that all these waves travel at the same
3.10 speed in free space
know the order of the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of
decreasing wavelength and increasing frequency, including the
3.11 colours of the visible spectrum
explain some of the uses of electromagnetic radiations, including: •
radio waves: broadcasting and communications • microwaves:
cooking and satellite transmissions • infrared: heaters and night
vision equipment • visible light: optical fibres and photography •
ultraviolet: fluorescent lamps • x-rays: observing the internal
structure of objects and materials, including for medical
3.12 applications • gamma rays: sterilising food and medical equipment
explain the detrimental effects of excessive exposure of the human
body to electromagnetic waves, including: • microwaves: internal
heating of body tissue • infrared: skin burns • ultraviolet: damage to
surface cells and blindness • gamma rays: cancer, mutation and
3.13 describe simple protective measures against the risks
know that light waves are transverse waves and that they can be
3.14 reflected and refracted
use the law of reflection (the angle of incidence equals the angle of
3.15 reflection)
3.16 draw ray diagrams to illustrate reflection and refraction
practical: investigate the refraction of light, using rectangular
3.17 blocks, semi-circular blocks and triangular prisms
know and use the relationship between refractive index, angle of
3.18 incidence and angle of refraction
practical: investigate the refractive index of glass, using a glass
3.19 block
describe the role of total internal reflection in transmitting
3.20 information along optical fibres and in prisms
3.21 explain the meaning of critical angle c
know and use the relationship between critical angle and refractive
3.22 index
know that sound waves are longitudinal waves which can be
3.23 reflected and refracted
Year
11
Topic
1 Energy Resources and Energy Transfers
use the following units: kilogram (kg), joule (J), metre (m),
metre/second (m/s), metre/second2 (m/s2), newton (N), second (s)
4.1 and watt (W)
describe energy transfers involving energy stores: • energy stores:
chemical, kinetic, gravitational, elastic, thermal, magnetic,
electrostatic, nuclear • energy transfers: mechanically, electrically,
4.2 by heating, by radiation (light and sound)
4.3 use the principle of conservation of energy
know and use the relationship between efficiency, useful energy
4.4 output and total energy output
describe a variety of everyday and scientific devices and situations,
explaining the transfer of the input energy in terms of the above
4.5 relationship, including their representation by Sankey diagrams
describe how thermal energy transfer may take place by
4.6 conduction, convection and radiation
4.7 explain the role of convection in everyday phenomena
explain how emission and absorption of radiation are related to
4.8 surface and temperature
practical: investigate thermal energy transfer by conduction,
4.9 convection and radiation
explain ways of reducing unwanted energy transfer, such as
4.10 insulation
know and use the relationship between work done, force and
distance moved in the direction of the force: work done = force ×
4.11 distance moved W = F × d
4.12 know that work done is equal to energy transferred
know and use the relationship between gravitational potential
energy, mass, gravitational field strength and height: gravitational
potential energy = mass × gravitational field strength × height GPE =
4.13 m × g × h
4.14 know and use the relationship: kinetic energy = 1/2 × mass × speed2
understand how conservation of energy produces a link between
4.15 gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy and work
describe power as the rate of transfer of energy or the rate of doing
4.16 work
use the relationship between power, work done (energy transferred)
4.17 and time taken:
Topic
2 Solids, Liquids and Gases
use the following units: degree Celsius (°C), Kelvin (K), joule (J),
kilogram (kg), kilogram/metre3 (kg/m3), metre (m), metre2 (m2), metre3
(m3), metre/second (m/s), metre/second2 (m/s2), newton (N) and
5.1 pascal (Pa)
5.3 know and use the relationship between density, mass and volume
practical: investigate density using direct measurements of mass
5.4 and volume
5.5 know and use the relationship between pressure, force and area
understand how the pressure at a point in a gas or liquid at rest
5.6 acts equally in all directions
know and use the relationship for pressure difference: pressure
difference = height × density × gravitational field strength p = h × ρ ×
5.7 g
explain how molecules in a gas have random motion and that they
5.15 exert a force and hence a pressure on the walls of a container
understand why there is an absolute zero of temperature which is
5.16 –273 °C
describe the Kelvin scale of temperature and be able to convert
5.17 between the Kelvin and Celsius scales
understand why an increase in temperature results in an increase in
5.18 the average speed of gas molecules
know that the Kelvin temperature of a gas is proportional to the
5.19 average kinetic energy of its molecules
explain, for a fixed amount of gas, the qualitative relationship
between: • pressure and volume at constant temperature • pressure
5.20 and Kelvin temperature at constant volume.
use the relationship between the pressure and Kelvin temperature
5.21 of a fixed mass of gas at constant volume
use the relationship between the pressure and volume of a fixed
5.22 mass of gas at constant temperature

Topic
3 Magnetism and Electromagnetism
6.1 use the following units: ampere (A), volt (V) and watt (W)
know that magnets repel and attract other magnets and attract
6.2 magnetic substances
6.3 describe the properties of magnetically hard and soft materials
6.4 understand the term magnetic field line
know that magnetism is induced in some materials when they are
6.5 placed in a magnetic field
practical: investigate the magnetic field pattern for a permanent
6.6 bar magnet and between two bar magnets
 describe how to use two permanent magnets to produce a uniform
6.7 magnetic field pattern
know that an electric current in a conductor produces a magnetic
6.8 field around it
understand why a force is exerted on a current-carrying wire in a
magnetic field, and how this effect is applied in simple d.c. electric
6.12 motors and loudspeakers
use the left-hand rule to predict the direction of the resulting force
6.13 when a wire carries a current perpendicular to a magnetic field
describe how the force on a current-carrying conductor in a
magnetic field changes with the magnitude and direction of the
6.14 field and current
know that a voltage is induced in a conductor or a coil when it
moves through a magnetic field or when a magnetic field changes
through it and describe the factors that affect the size of the
6.15 induced voltage
describe the generation of electricity by the rotation of a magnet
within a coil of wire and of a coil of wire within a magnetic field, and
6.16 describe the factors that affect the size of the induced voltage

Topic
4 Radioactivity and Particles
use the following units: becquerel (Bq), centimetre (cm), hour (h),
7.1 minute (min) and second (s)
describe the structure of an atom in terms of protons, neutrons and
7.2 electrons
know the terms atomic (proton) number, mass (nucleon) number and
7.3 isotope
know that alpha (α) particles, beta (β−) particles, and gamma (γ) rays are ionising
7.4 radiations emitted from unstable nuclei in a random process
describe the nature of alpha (α) particles, beta (β−) particles, and gamma (γ) rays,
and recall that they may be distinguished in terms of penetrating power and ability
7.5 to ionise
practical: investigate the penetration powers of different types of
7.6 radiation using either radioactive sources or simulations
describe the effects on the atomic and mass numbers of a nucleus
of the emission of each of the four main types of radiation (alpha,
7.7 beta, gamma and neutron radiation)
understand how to balance nuclear equations in terms of mass and
7.8 charge
know that photographic film or a Geiger−Müller detector can
7.9 detect ionising radiations
explain the sources of background (ionising) radiation from Earth
7.10 and space
 know that the activity of a radioactive source decreases over a
7.11 period of time and is measured in becquerels
know the definition of the term half-life and understand that it is
7.12 different for different radioactive isotopes
use the concept of the half-life to carry out simple calculations on
7.13 activity, including graphical methods
7.14 describe uses of radioactivity in industry and medicine
7.15 describe the difference between contamination and irradiation
describe the dangers of ionising radiations, including: • that
radiation can cause mutations in living organisms • that radiation
can damage cells and tissue • the problems arising from the
disposal of radioactive waste and how the associated risks can be
7.16 reduced.
know that nuclear reactions, including fission, fusion and
7.17 radioactive decay, can be a source of energy
understand how a nucleus of U-235 can be split (the process of
fission) by collision with a neutron, and that this process releases
7.18 energy as kinetic energy of the fission products
know that the fission of U-235 produces two radioactive daughter
7.19 nuclei and a small number of neutrons
describe how a chain reaction can be set up if the neutrons
7.20 produced by one fission strike other U-235 nuclei
describe the role played by the control rods and moderator in the
7.21 fission process
7.22 understand the role of shielding around a nuclear reactor
7.23 explain the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission
describe nuclear fusion as the creation of larger nuclei resulting in
a loss of mass from smaller nuclei, accompanied by a release of
7.24 energy
7.25 know that fusion is the energy source for stars
explain why nuclear fusion does not happen at low temperatures
7.26 and pressures, due to electrostatic repulsion of protons
Topic revision notes
Topic 1: Forces and Motion
Topic 2: Astrophysics
Topic 3: Electricity
Topic 4: Waves
Topic 5: Energy Resources & Energy Transfers
Topic 6: Solids, Liquids and Gases
Topic 7: Electromagnetism
Topic 8: Radioactivity and particles
Practice exam questions