Pancyprian Technical School Physics (4-hour) study plan

Derive and apply the three equations of uniformly accelerated motion to solve at least 15 problems involving free fall, projectile launch and braking distance, showing the chosen positive direction each time.

Construct and interpret displacement–time and velocity–time graphs, extracting gradient and area to obtain velocity and displacement, for 10 given descriptions of motion.

Resolve forces on inclines and in lift (elevator) situations, writing Newton's second law along and perpendicular to the surface, and check answers for limiting cases such as zero friction.

Distinguish static from kinetic friction and calculate the required force to start and to maintain sliding motion on a horizontal surface for five numerical cases.

Solve connected-body problems (two masses over a pulley, blocks in contact) by drawing separate free-body diagrams for each body and eliminating the internal force.

Apply the work–energy theorem to calculate the net work done on a body from its change in kinetic energy, and verify the result by an independent force-times-distance calculation in 10 problems.

Use conservation of mechanical energy, including gravitational and elastic potential energy, to find speeds and heights in systems with ramps, springs and pendulums.

Calculate power as rate of doing work and as force times velocity, including efficiency of a motor lifting a load, for eight engineering-flavoured cases.

Apply conservation of linear momentum to one-dimensional collisions and explosions, classifying each as elastic or inelastic and checking whether kinetic energy is conserved.

Set up and solve a two-dimensional collision (equal masses, right-angle final paths) using components of momentum.

Relate angular velocity, period, frequency and centripetal acceleration, and derive the centripetal force requirement for conical pendulum, banked track and vertical-loop cases.

Analyse simple harmonic motion of a mass–spring and a simple pendulum, writing the equations for displacement, velocity and acceleration and identifying where each is maximum.

State and apply Newton's law of gravitation to find orbital speed, orbital period and satellite energy, and distinguish geostationary from low-Earth orbits.

Apply Coulomb's law to systems of two and three point charges, resolving forces as vectors and identifying the direction of the net force on each charge.

Define electric field strength and potential, sketch field lines and equipotentials for point charges and parallel plates, and relate field to potential gradient.

Apply Ohm's law and the rules for series and parallel networks to reduce a mixed resistor circuit to a single equivalent resistance and then find all branch currents.

Use Kirchhoff's laws to solve at least two two-loop circuits, including one with two sources, and interpret a negative answer as reversed current direction.

Calculate electrical power dissipation, energy cost and the effect of internal resistance on terminal voltage in battery circuits.

Describe the magnetic field of a straight wire, solenoid and uniform field, and calculate the force on a current-carrying conductor using F = BIL sin θ.

Apply Faraday's and Lenz's laws to a coil or a rod moving in a magnetic field, determining the magnitude and direction of the induced current.

Convert between Celsius, Kelvin and Fahrenheit, and calculate heat transfer using specific heat capacity and latent heat, including a mixture problem where ice is dropped into water.

Distinguish the three modes of heat transfer and explain, with reference to molecular behaviour, why metals conduct better than gases.

State and apply the gas laws and the ideal gas equation to fixed-mass and changing-mass situations, converting units to kelvin and pascals first.

Interpret the kinetic theory of gases qualitatively, linking molecular speed to absolute temperature and pressure to molecular collisions.

Apply pressure in fluids (p = ρgh, Pascal's principle, Archimedes' principle) to floating, submerged and hydraulic-press problems.

Use the wave equation v = fλ and the principle of superposition to determine the resultant of two waves and to explain constructive and destructive interference.

Analyse standing waves on strings and in pipes, calculating fundamental and harmonic frequencies for open and closed ends.

Apply the laws of reflection and refraction, Snell's law and critical angle to ray diagrams for plane mirrors, lenses and prisms, including total internal reflection in optical fibres.

Solve thin-lens and mirror problems with the lens formula and magnification, constructing an accurate ray diagram for each case.

Explain the photoelectric effect using photon energy and work function, and calculate threshold frequency, stopping potential and maximum photoelectron kinetic energy.

Describe radioactive decay, write balanced nuclear equations for alpha and beta decay, and apply the half-life concept to activity and remaining mass.

Select the correct instrument for a measurement, state its resolution and record readings with the appropriate number of significant figures and uncertainty.

Combine uncertainties for sums, products and powers, and quote a final result with absolute and percentage uncertainty.

Plot a graph from tabulated experimental data, draw a best-fit line, determine gradient and intercept with units, and use the linearised form to extract a physical constant.

Identify systematic versus random errors in described experiments and propose a specific improvement for each, including a control of variables.

Explain, using physics principles, how at least four engineering devices work (electric motor, transformer, hydraulic brake, optical fibre or solar cell) and state the energy conversions involved.

Re-solve every question previously marked wrong, without notes, and confirm each is now fully correct or record it as a persistent gap.

Complete two full-length timed papers under exam conditions (four hours total sitting time split across the week) and mark them strictly.

Reduce the formula sheet to a single page of personally error-prone relations and rehearse it from memory three times.

Practise showing method and units for calculation questions so that partial credit is earned even when the final answer is wrong.

Plan the exam-hall strategy: question order, time per mark, and what to do when a question stalls.