NCEA Level 2 Physics study guide
NCEA Level 2 Physics · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
NCEA Level 2 Physics is the Level 2 physics offering within New Zealand's National Certificate of Educational Achievement, administered by NZQA. It is designed for secondary learners who want to build a deeper understanding of the physical world - how forces and motion, matter and energy, and space and time can be described by general laws. Note that Physics is no longer available at Level 1; Physics, Earth and Space Science is the Level 1 subject on the New Zealand Curriculum. At Level 2, Physics includes both internally assessed standards and external assessment. Topics on this exam: Mechanics, Electricity and electromagnetism, Waves, and Atomic and nuclear physics. The NCEA Level 2 Physics study guide has 4 sections and about 1,462 words.
01Mechanics (AS91171)
NCEA Level 2 Physics mechanics tests motion in one and two dimensions, force, momentum, energy and circular motion. You must select the right model, show vector reasoning and justify conservation laws. Use SI units and g = 9.81 m s^-2. The constant-acceleration equations v = u + at, s = ut + ½at², v² = u² + 2as and s = ½(u + v)t apply only when acceleration is constant.
360 words, about 2 min02Electricity and electromagnetism (AS91173)
This domain tests DC circuit analysis, electrical power, magnetic fields and electromagnetic induction. NCEA questions often combine a circuit calculation with a magnetic-force or transformer context, so keep electrical and magnetic models separate. Current is conserved at a junction. In series, current is the same and voltage is shared; in parallel, voltage is the same and current splits.
367 words, about 2 min03Waves (AS91170)
The waves standard tests wave behaviour, superposition, reflection and refraction, diffraction, standing waves and the Doppler effect. You need to link a physical situation to the correct wave model and use the wave equation accurately. Wave speed v = fλ; period T = 1/f. Frequency is set by the source and does not change on refraction; speed and wavelength do.
342 words, about 2 min04Atomic and nuclear physics (AS91172)
This domain tests atomic structure, quantised energy levels, spectra, radioactive decay, half-life and nuclear equations. NCEA questions often ask you to justify a photon energy or balance a decay equation, so track both mass number and atomic number. An atom is described by atomic number Z (protons) and mass number A (protons + neutrons). Isotopes have the same Z but different A.
393 words, about 2 min