MATSEC SEC Physics study guide
MATSEC SEC Physics · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) Physics is a secondary-level qualification awarded through the MATSEC Examinations Board, which sits within L-Università ta' Malta. MATSEC describes itself as the body responsible for the SEC and related examinations, and its public pages group material under Regulations, Guidelines and policies, Syllabi, Current Session Information, Applications, Past Papers, Marking Schemes and Exemplars, Research and Reports, and Official communication. The MATSEC SEC Physics study guide has 8 sections and about 2,445 words.
01Mechanics and Motion
MATSEC SEC Physics tests how motion is described and explained: distance, displacement, speed, velocity, acceleration, Newton's laws, momentum and moments. Distance and speed are scalars; displacement, velocity and acceleration are vectors, so direction matters.
334 words, about 2 min02Energy, Work and Power
The SEC syllabus tests work, energy transfer, power and efficiency in mechanical and electrical contexts. Energy is measured in joules and is conserved: it transfers between stores but is not created or destroyed.
328 words, about 2 min03Waves
Waves transfer energy without transferring matter. SEC Physics tests wave terminology, the wave equation, reflection, refraction, diffraction and superposition.
273 words, about 1 min04Sound and Light
SEC Physics tests sound as a longitudinal wave that needs a material medium. Speed is greatest in solids and least in gases; sound cannot travel through a vacuum.
299 words, about 1 min05Heat and Thermal Physics
Temperature measures the average kinetic energy of particles; heat is energy transferred because of a temperature difference. SEC Physics tests specific heat capacity, latent heat, and conduction, convection and radiation.
275 words, about 1 min06Electricity and Magnetism
SEC Physics tests current, potential difference, resistance, series and parallel circuits, electrical power and the magnetic effects of current. Current I = Q/t (ampere = coulomb per second); conventional current is from positive to negative.
333 words, about 2 min07Matter and Pressure
SEC Physics tests density, pressure in solids, liquids and gases, atmospheric pressure, floating and Hooke's law. Density ρ = m/V (kg/m³); to compare with water, 1000 kg/m³ = 1 g/cm³.
299 words, about 1 min08Practical Skills and Experimental Techniques
SEC Physics practical questions test apparatus, SI units, prefixes, significant figures, uncertainty, variables and graph work. Base SI units include metre, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin and mole; prefixes include milli (10⁻³), centi (10⁻²), kilo (10³) and mega (10⁶).
304 words, about 2 min