1Physical QuantitiesPrecision and significant figures, dimensions and dimensional analysis — how a measured result is written down and what its units can prove about a formula.Board exam — Mechanics, 26 marks across 8 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Precision and significant figures
Dimensions and dimensional analysis
Applications and limitations of dimensional analysis
3 topics
2VectorsAdding and resolving vectors, and the two products — the scalar product and the vector product — that carry most of the mechanics that follows.Board exam — Mechanics, 26 marks across 8 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Triangle, parallelogram and polygon laws of vectors
Resolution of vectors and unit vectors
Scalar (dot) product and vector (cross) product
3 topics
3KinematicsMotion described rather than explained: the equations of uniformly accelerated motion, motion graphs, relative velocity and projectiles.Board exam — Mechanics, 26 marks across 8 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Equations of motion with uniform acceleration
Motion graphs — displacement, velocity and acceleration against time
Relative velocity
Projectile motion and its trajectory
4 topics
4DynamicsNewton's laws, linear momentum and its conservation, impulse, and motion of connected bodies — why a motion happens rather than what it looks like.Board exam — Mechanics, 26 marks across 8 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Newton's laws of motion
Linear momentum, impulse and conservation of momentum
Application of Newton's laws — connected bodies and the atwood machine
Solid friction and laws of solid friction
4 topics
5Work, Energy and PowerWork done by a constant and a variable force, kinetic and potential energy, the work-energy theorem, conservation of energy, power and efficiency.Board exam — Mechanics, 26 marks across 8 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Work done by a constant force and by a variable force
Kinetic energy, potential energy and the work-energy theorem
Conservation of energy and conservative forces
Power and efficiency
Elastic and inelastic collisions
5 topics
6Circular MotionAngular velocity and acceleration, centripetal force, and the conditions for a vehicle on a banked or level track and a body in a vertical circle.Board exam — Mechanics, 26 marks across 8 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Angular displacement, angular velocity and angular acceleration
Centripetal acceleration and centripetal force
Motion on a level and a banked circular track
Conical pendulum and motion in a vertical circle
4 topics
7GravitationNewton's law of gravitation, gravitational field and potential, and satellite motion — escape velocity, orbital velocity and weightlessness.Board exam — Mechanics, 26 marks across 8 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Newton's law of gravitation and acceleration due to gravity
Variation of g with altitude, depth and latitude
Gravitational field strength, potential and potential energy
Escape velocity, orbital velocity and satellites
4 topics
8ElasticityHooke's law, the stress-strain curve and the elastic moduli, and the energy stored in a stretched wire.Board exam — Mechanics, 26 marks across 8 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Hooke's law, stress and strain
Elastic moduli — Young's modulus, bulk modulus and shear modulus
The stress-strain curve, elastic limit and yield point
Energy stored in a stretched wire and elastic hysteresis
4 topics
9Heat and TemperatureTemperature and thermal equilibrium, the temperature scales, and how a thermometer is calibrated against fixed points.Board exam — Heat and Thermodynamics, 15 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Temperature, thermal equilibrium and the zeroth law
Temperature scales — Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin
Thermometers and their calibration
3 topics
10Thermal ExpansionLinear, superficial and cubical expansion of solids, expansion of liquids, and the anomalous expansion of water.Board exam — Heat and Thermodynamics, 15 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Linear, superficial and cubical expansion of solids
Relation between the coefficients of expansion
Real and apparent expansion of liquids
Anomalous expansion of water and its consequences
4 topics
11Quantity of HeatHeat capacity and specific heat capacity, latent heat of fusion and vaporization, and the method of mixtures.Board exam — Heat and Thermodynamics, 15 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Heat capacity and specific heat capacity
Newton's law of cooling and the method of mixtures
Latent heat of fusion and of vaporization
Calorimetry and heat exchange problems
4 topics
12Rate of Heat FlowConduction, convection and radiation — thermal conductivity, temperature gradient, and the black body and Stefan's law.Board exam — Heat and Thermodynamics, 15 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Conduction, thermal conductivity and temperature gradient
Conduction through a composite slab
Convection and its everyday consequences
Radiation, the black body and Stefan's law
4 topics
13Ideal GasThe gas laws and the ideal gas equation, the kinetic theory of gases, and the molecular interpretation of temperature and pressure.Board exam — Heat and Thermodynamics, 15 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Boyle's law, Charles' law and the ideal gas equation
Assumptions of the kinetic theory of gases
Pressure and temperature from molecular motion
Root mean square speed and degrees of freedom
4 topics
14Reflection at Curved MirrorsReflection at plane and spherical mirrors — the mirror formula, magnification, and telling a real image from a virtual one.Board exam — Wave and Optics, 9 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Reflection at a plane mirror and image formation
Concave and convex mirrors — centre of curvature, pole and focal length
The mirror formula and linear magnification
Real and virtual images, and sign conventions
4 topics
15Refraction at Plane SurfacesThe laws of refraction and refractive index, lateral shift and real and apparent depth, critical angle and total internal reflection.Board exam — Wave and Optics, 9 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Laws of refraction and refractive index
Lateral shift through a parallel-sided slab
Real and apparent depth
Critical angle and total internal reflection
4 topics
16Refraction Through PrismsDeviation through a prism, the minimum deviation condition and the relation between the angle of the prism, minimum deviation and refractive index.Board exam — Wave and Optics, 9 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Deviation produced by a prism
Minimum deviation and the prism formula
Deviation through a small-angle prism
Total internal reflection in a prism
4 topics
17LensesConverging and diverging lenses, the lens formula and the lens maker's formula, power of a lens and combinations of lenses.Board exam — Wave and Optics, 9 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Converging and diverging lenses, and image formation
The lens formula and linear magnification
The lens maker's formula
Power of a lens and lenses in contact
4 topics
18DispersionDispersion through a prism and the pure spectrum, dispersive power, chromatic and spherical aberration and achromatism.Board exam — Wave and Optics, 9 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Dispersion through a prism and the pure spectrum
Dispersive power
Chromatic and spherical aberration
Achromatic combination of lenses
The rainbow as dispersion with total internal reflection
5 topics
19Electric ChargesCharge and its conservation, charging by induction, and Coulomb's law for the force between two point charges.Board exam — Electricity and Magnetism, 16 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Electric charge, conservation and quantisation
Charging by friction, conduction and induction
Coulomb's law and the force between point charges
Permittivity and the effect of the medium
4 topics
20Electric FieldElectric field strength and field lines, the field due to point charges and dipoles, electric flux and Gauss's law.Board exam — Electricity and Magnetism, 16 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Electric field strength and electric field lines
Field due to a point charge and to a system of charges
Electric dipole and dipole moment
Electric flux and Gauss's law with its applications
4 topics
21Potential, Potential Difference and Potential EnergyElectric potential and potential difference, potential energy of a charge distribution, equipotential surfaces and the electron volt.Board exam — Electricity and Magnetism, 16 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Electric potential and potential difference
Potential due to a point charge and a system of charges
Equipotential surfaces and the relation between field and potential
Electric potential energy and the electron volt
4 topics
22CapacitorCapacitance and the parallel plate capacitor, capacitors in series and parallel, the effect of a dielectric and the energy stored.Board exam — Electricity and Magnetism, 16 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Capacitance and the parallel plate capacitor
Capacitors in series and in parallel
Effect of a dielectric on capacitance
Energy stored in a charged capacitor
4 topics
23DC CircuitsOhm's law and resistance, resistivity and its variation, resistors in series and parallel, electromotive force and internal resistance, and electrical power.Board exam — Electricity and Magnetism, 16 marks across 5 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Ohm's law, resistance and resistivity
Resistors in series and in parallel
Electromotive force, terminal potential difference and internal resistance
Electrical energy, power and the heating effect of current
Kirchhoff's laws and the Wheatstone bridge
5 topics
24Nuclear PhysicsThe nucleus and its size, Rutherford's scattering experiment, mass defect and binding energy, radioactivity and nuclear reactions.Board exam — Modern Physics, 9 marks across 3 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Rutherford's alpha-scattering experiment and the size of the nucleus
Atomic mass unit, mass defect and binding energy
Radioactivity — alpha, beta and gamma decay
Half-life and the law of radioactive decay
Nuclear fission and fusion
5 topics
25SolidsEnergy bands in solids, conductors, insulators and semiconductors, and the intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductor.Board exam — Modern Physics, 9 marks across 3 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Energy bands in solids
Conductors, insulators and semiconductors
Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors
The p-n junction diode
4 topics
26Recent Trends in PhysicsParticle physics and the classification of elementary particles, and the universe on the largest scale.Board exam — Modern Physics, 9 marks across 3 chaptersView topicsHide topics
Elementary particles — quarks, leptons, bosons and fermions
