GCSE Physics Topics

Electricity

1. Static Electricity
   • What is Static Electricity?
   • Attraction and Repulsion of charged bodies
   • Static Electricty and Lightning hazards
   • Conductors and Insulators
   • Uses of Static Electricity
2. Electrical Circuits
   • What is Current?
   • Potential Difference
   • Resistance
   • Conventional Current, Series and Parallel Circuits
   • Circuit Symbols
   • Ohm’s Law & Potential Difference Graphs
   • Diodes, LDRs and Thermistors
3. Mains Electricity
• Direct Current (dc) and Alternating Current (ac)
• Cells & Batteries – dc current
• Solar Cell
• Mains Electricity
• Fuse
• The Earth Wire
• Circuit Breakers
• The Three Pin Plug
4. Electrical Power
• Electrical Power
• Examples of electrical power
• The Electricity Bill
• Examples
5. Electricity Generation
• Energy Sources
• Non renewable Energy Sources
• Renewable Energy Sources
• Coal Fired Power Stations
• Nuclear Power Stations
• Wind Turbine
• The National Grid – Electricity Transfer
6. Electric Motors & Generators
• The Motor Effect
• Right Hand Grip Rule
• Fleming’s Left Hand Rule
• A Simple Electric Motor
• Improving a Motor
7. Transformers
• Principle of Transformers
• Step-up Transformer
• Step-down Transformer

Forces and Motion

1. Speed & Velocity
   • Speed
   • Velocity
   • Acceleration
   • Distance – Time graphs
   • Velocity – Time graphs
2. Forces & Motion
• What are Forces?
• Newton's First Law of Motion
• Newton's Second Law of Motion
• Newton's Third Law of Motion
• Momentum
• Friction and Stopping Distance
• Air Resistance and Terminal Velocity
3. Turning Effect of Forces
• Moment
• Principle of Moments
4. Circular Motion & Centripetal Force

Waves

• Basic Wave Theory
• Reflection & Refraction
• Convex & Concave Lenses
• Use of lenses for correcting vision
• Refractive Index, Total Internal Reflection and Optical Fibres
• Diffraction
• Interference
• Sound Waves
• Pitch, Loudness and Quality of Musical Notes
• Ultrasound

Electromagnetic Spectrum

• Electromagnetic Waves
• Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Electromagnetic Radiation
• Gamma Rays
• X-Rays
• Ultraviolet
• Visible Light
• Infrared
• Microwaves
• Radio waves

Energy

• Work & Energy
• Kinetic Energy
• Potential Energy
• Electrical Energy
• Conservation of Energy
• Energy Transfer Diagrams and Efficiency
• Heat Transfer
• Conduction
• Convection
• Radiation

The Earth & Beyond

• The Earth
• Igneous Rocks
• Sedimentary Rocks
• Metamorphic Rocks
• Weathering
• Erosion & Transport
• The Rock Cycle
• Wegener and Continental drift
• Plate Tectonics
• Convection Cells
• Tectonic Plate Motion
• Convergent Boundaries
• Divergent Boundaries
• Transform Boundaries
• The Solar System
• Gravitational Force, Centripetal Force & Orbits
• The Sun
• Lunar and Solar Eclipse
• Comets
• Asteroids
• Life cycle of Stars
• Death of Low Mass Stars - White & Black Dwarfs
• Death of High Mass Stars - Neutron Stars & Pulsars
• Death of Very High Mass Stars - Black Holes
• Earth Based Telescopes – Optical Telescopes
• Earth Based Telescopes – Radio Telescopes
• Space based Telescopes
• The Expanding Universe
• Doppler Effect
• Red Shift

Radioactivity

• What is Radioactivity?
• Isotopes
• Stable and Unstable Nuclei
• Alpha, Beta and Gamma Rays
• Penetrating Properties of Radiation
• Properties of Radiation – Deflection in an electric and magnetic field
• Detecting radioactivity – the Geiger Muller Tube
• Radioactive Half Life
• Uses of radioactivity
  • Radiation in the treatment of cancer
  • Alpha particles in smoke detectors
  • Beta radiation in thickness control
  • Beta radiation in leak detection
  • Gamma rays in sterilisation
  • Radiocarbon dating
• What is nuclear fission?
• Chain reaction
• A nuclear reactor
• A nuclear power station
• Radioactive waste
• What is nuclear fusion?
• Background radiation

Gases

• Absolute zero and the Kelvin scale of temperature
• Pressure and volume relationship of a gas – Boyle's law
• Volume and temperature relationship of a gas – Charles' law
• Pressure and temperature relationship of a gas – the Pressure Law
• The gas equation