GCE A/L Physics study plan

Derive and apply the four suvat equations to multi-stage motion, including free fall under gravity and projectile motion resolved into horizontal and vertical components.

Draw fully labelled free-body diagrams for bodies on inclines, in lifts and connected by strings over pulleys, then resolve forces to find resultant and acceleration.

State and apply Newton's three laws, and distinguish mass from weight using W = mg with correct units.

Convert between SI prefixes and derive base units of quantities such as the newton, joule and pascal from kg, m, s and A.

Combine percentage and absolute uncertainties when adding, multiplying and raising quantities to powers, and quote answers to a sensible number of significant figures.

Apply conservation of momentum to collisions and explosions in one dimension, classifying each as elastic or inelastic using kinetic energy checks.

Resolve coplanar forces and apply the principle of moments to solve equilibrium problems involving ladders, beams and three-force bodies.

Calculate work, power and efficiency from force-displacement and force-velocity relationships.

Define stress, strain and the Young modulus, and use the gradient of a stress-strain graph to determine E for a wire.

Interpret the force-extension curve to find elastic and plastic regions, yield point and the energy stored as area under the curve.

Define charge, current and potential difference, and apply V = IR, resistivity and series/parallel resistor rules to multi-component circuits.

Draw and interpret I-V characteristics for a metallic conductor, filament lamp and diode, explaining each in terms of charge carriers.

Calculate e.m.f. and internal resistance from terminal p.d. data and sketch the corresponding V-I graph.

Apply Kirchhoff's laws and potential-divider reasoning to solve circuits with two sources or a thermistor.

Describe the force on a current-carrying conductor and on a moving charge in a magnetic field, and use F = BIL and F = BQv with correct direction rules.

Derive and apply the capacitor formulae Q = CV, energy = ½QV, and analyse charge and discharge curves using the time constant.

Explain electromagnetic induction with Faraday's and Lenz's laws, and calculate induced e.m.f. from rate of flux change.

Describe uniform circular motion, derive a = v²/r and apply centripetal force to conical pendulum, banked track and vertical circle cases.

Compare gravitational and electric fields: define field strength and potential, sketch field and potential graphs, and use F = GMm/r² and E = kQ/r².

Define simple harmonic motion through a = -ω²x and derive expressions for period of a mass-spring and simple pendulum systems.

Sketch and interpret displacement, velocity and acceleration graphs for SHM, and calculate energy interchange between kinetic and potential.

Apply the principle of superposition to explain interference and stationary waves, and derive node and antinode positions for strings and pipes.

Describe Young's double-slit experiment, use λ = ax/D, and explain single-slit diffraction and diffraction grating maxima with nλ = d sinθ.

Analyse damping (light, heavy, critical) and forced oscillation leading to resonance, giving one practical example of each.

Convert between Celsius and kelvin, define specific heat capacity and latent heat, and solve mixing and heating-curve problems including energy losses.

State and apply the ideal gas equation pV = nRT and the kinetic theory assumptions linking pressure to mean kinetic energy.

Distinguish heat, work and internal energy, and apply the first law of thermodynamics to isothermal, adiabatic and constant-volume processes.

Describe alpha, beta and gamma decay, write balanced nuclear equations and apply the exponential decay law with half-life.

Calculate mass defect and binding energy per nucleon, and use the binding-energy curve to explain fission and fusion energy release.

Classify particles into quarks and leptons, state hadron composition, and apply conservation of charge, baryon number and lepton number to decays.

Explain the photoelectric effect using photon energy E = hf, work function and threshold frequency, and interpret stopping-potential graphs.

Describe wave-particle duality and apply the de Broglie relation to electrons, calculating accelerating-voltage wavelengths.

Interpret line spectra and discrete energy levels, using photon emission and absorption to explain the hydrogen spectrum.

For the optional module: apply the Doppler effect and redshift to determine recession velocity, and use Hubble's law to estimate distance and age of the universe.

Explain evidence for dark matter and dark energy, and describe stellar parallax and standard candles as distance measures.

For the chosen optional module: solve at least 8 applied problems using its core relations, such as lens and ultrasound equations for medical physics or stress analysis for engineering physics.

Re-derive the ten highest-frequency equations across all domains from memory without notes.

Complete two full timed papers under exam conditions and record marks per domain to identify the weakest two areas.

Write and rehearse a practical-skills checklist covering apparatus choice, uncertainty treatment, graph plotting and conclusion evaluation.