OSAT Physics (OK114) study guide
OSAT Physics (OK114) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
OSAT Physics (OK114), also listed as CEOE Physics 114, is a subject-area certification assessment used in Oklahoma's teacher-credentialing pathway for candidates who want to teach physics at the secondary level. It is intended for people preparing to demonstrate physics content knowledge to a state-approved educator preparation program or certification authority, not for students seeking a general science endorsement. The OSAT Physics (OK114) study guide has 8 sections and about 2,420 words.
01Foundations of Scientific Inquiry and Physics
This domain tests how physics knowledge is built and communicated: the cycle of observation, hypothesis, experiment, and revision; the difference between hypothesis, theory, and law; SI units and dimensional analysis; measurement uncertainty and significant figures; and the interpretation of graphs and models. The exam favors questions that ask you to evaluate an experimental design or judge whether a conclusion follows from data.
331 words, about 2 min02Mechanics and Motion
This domain covers kinematics, Newton's laws, vectors, projectile and circular motion, and gravitation. The exam tests whether you can choose a coordinate system, separate motion into components, and identify the forces acting on a body before applying F = ma.
313 words, about 2 min03Energy, Work, and Momentum
This domain tests conservation laws: work and the work-energy theorem, kinetic and potential energy, power, impulse and momentum, collisions, and center of mass. Many exam items ask which quantity is conserved under stated conditions.
293 words, about 1 min04Thermodynamics and Kinetic Theory
This domain covers temperature and heat, specific and latent heat, the first and second laws, ideal gases, kinetic theory, and heat engines. The exam emphasizes sign conventions and the distinction between state functions and path-dependent quantities.
295 words, about 1 min05Waves, Sound, and Optics
This domain tests wave properties, superposition, standing waves, sound, and geometric and physical optics. Exam items often require you to relate frequency, wavelength, and speed, or to apply Snell's law and lens equations with correct signs.
279 words, about 1 min06Electricity and Magnetism
This domain covers electrostatics, electric fields and potential, capacitance, direct-current circuits, magnetism, and electromagnetic induction. The exam tests both conceptual reasoning and algebra with Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's rules, and Faraday's law.
294 words, about 1 min07Modern Physics and Atomic/Nuclear Physics
This domain covers quantization, the photoelectric effect, atomic spectra, wave-particle duality, nuclear decay, half-life, binding energy, and fission/fusion. Many questions ask you to interpret energy-level diagrams or apply conservation laws to nuclear reactions.
302 words, about 2 min08Laboratory Safety, Measurement, and Data Analysis
This domain tests safe practice and the interpretation of experimental data. It includes PPE, chemical and electrical hazards, laser and radiation safety, glassware handling, and the analysis of uncertainty, graphs, and calibration.
313 words, about 2 min