INTERNATIONAL GCSE (9-1)

PHYSICS PP2

1 Forces and motion

(a) Units

1.2P use the following units: newton metre (Nm), kilogram

metre/second (kg m/s)

(b) Movement and position

1.4 know and use the relationship between average speed, distance
moved and time taken:

average speed = distance moved time taken / time taken

1.10 use the relationship between final speed, initial speed,

acceleration and distance moved:

(final speed)² = (initial speed)² + (2 × acceleration × distance moved)

v² =u² +(2×a×s)

(c) Forces, movement, shape and momentum

1.17 know and use the relationship between unbalanced force, mass
and acceleration:

force = mass × acceleration

F=m×a
1.18 know and use the relationship between weight, mass and
gravitational field strength: weight = mass × gravitational field strength

W=m×g

1.21 describe the forces acting on falling objects (and explain why
falling objects reach a terminal velocity)

1.25P know and use the relationship between momentum, mass and
velocity: momentum = mass × velocity

p=m×v

1.26P use the idea of momentum to explain safety features

1.27P use the conservation of momentum to calculate the mass,

velocity or momentum of objects

1.28P use the relationship between force, change in momentum and

time taken:

force =change in momentum / time taken

F = (mv − mu) / t

1.29P demonstrate an understanding of Newton’s third law

1.31P know that the weight of a body acts through its centre of gravity

1.32P use the principle of moments for a simple system of parallel

forces acting in one plane

1.33P understand how the upward forces on a light beam, supported

at its ends, vary with the position of a heavy object placed on the
beam
2 Electricity

(a) Units

2.1 use the following units: ampere (A), coulomb (C), joule (J), ohm
(Ω), second (s), volt (V) and watt (W)

(b) Mains electricity

2.2 understand how the use of insulation, double insulation, earthing,

fuses and circuit breakers protects the device or user in a range of
domestic appliances

2.3 understand why a current in a resistor results in the electrical

transfer of energy and an increase in temperature, and how this can
be used in a variety of domestic contexts

2.5 use the relationship between energy transferred, current, voltage

and time: energy transferred = current × voltage × time

E=I×Vxt

2.6 know the difference between mains electricity being alternating

current (a.c.) and direct current (d.c.) being supplied by a cell or
battery

( c ) Energy voltage in circuits

2.14 know that current is the rate of flow of charge

2.15 know and use the relationship between charge, current and time:
charge = current × time
Q=I×t

2.21 know and use the relationship between energy transferred,

charge and voltage: energy transferred = charge × voltage

E=Q×V

(d) Electric charge

2.22P identify common materials that are electrical conductors or

insulators, including metals and plastics

2.23P practical: investigate how insulating materials can be charged

by friction

2.24P explain how positive and negative electrostatic charges are

produced on materials by the loss and gain of electrons

2.25P know that there are forces of attraction between unlike charges
and forces of repulsion between like charges

2.26P explain electrostatic phenomena in terms of the movement of

electrons

2.27P explain the potential dangers of electrostatic charges, e.g. when

fuelling aircraft and tankers

2.28P explain some uses of electrostatic charges, e.g. in photocopiers

and inkjet printers
3 Waves
(a) Properties of waves

3.3 know the definitions of amplitude, wavefront, frequency,

wavelength and period of a wave

3.5 know and use the relationship between the speed, frequency and
wavelength of a wave:

wave speed = frequency × wavelength v=f×λ

3.6 use the relationship between frequency and time period:

frequency = 1 / time period

f=1 / T

3.7 use the above relationships in different contexts, including sound

waves and electromagnetic waves

(b) The Electromagnetic spectrum

3.11 know the order of the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of

decreasing wavelength and increasing frequency, including the
colours of the visible spectrum

3.12 explain some of the uses of electromagnetic radiations, including:

● radio waves: broadcasting and communications

● microwaves: cooking and satellite transmissions

 ● infrared: heaters and night vision equipment

● visible light: optical fibres and photography

● ultraviolet: fluorescent lamps

● x-rays: observing the internal structure of objects and materials,

including for medical applications

● gamma rays: sterilising food and medical equipment

3.13 explain the detrimental effects of excessive exposure of the

human body to electromagnetic waves, including:

● microwaves: internal heating of body tissue

● infrared: skin burns

● ultraviolet: damage to surface cells and blindness

● gamma rays: cancer, mutation

and describe simple protective measures against the risks

( c ) lights and sound

3.14 know that light waves are transverse waves and that they can be
reflected and refracted

3.23 know that sound waves are longitudinal waves that can be
reflected and refracted
3.24P know that the frequency range for human hearing is 20–20 000
Hz

3.25P practical: investigate the speed of sound in air

3.26P understand how an oscilloscope and microphone can be used

to display a sound wave

3.27P practical: investigate the frequency of a sound wave using an

oscilloscope

3.28P understand how the pitch of a sound relates to the frequency of

vibration of the source

3.29P understand how the loudness of a sound relates to the

amplitude of vibration of the source

4 Energy resources and energy transfers

( a ) Units

4.1 use the following units: kilogram (kg), joule (J), metre (m),
metre/second (m/s), metre/second² (m/s²), newton (N), second (s) and
watt (W)

(b) energy transfers

4.2 describe energy transfers involving energy stores:

● energy stores: chemical, kinetic, gravitational, elastic, thermal,

magnetic, electrostatic, nuclear
 ● energy transfers: mechanically, electrically, by heating, by
radiation (light and sound)

4.3 use the principle of conservation of energy

4.4 know and use the relationship between efficiency, useful energy
output and total energy output:

efficiency=(useful energy output / total energy output) ×100% total

energy outpu

4.6 describe how thermal energy transfer may take place by

conduction, convection and radiation

4.8 explain how emission and absorption of radiation are related to

surface and temperature

4.9 practical: investigate thermal energy transfer by conduction,

convection and radiation

4.10 explain ways of reducing unwanted energy transfer, such as

insulation

(c) Work and Power

4.14 know and use the relationship: kinetic energy = 1/2 × mass ×
speed²

KE = 1/2 ×m×v²

4.16 describe power as the rate of transfer of energy or the rate of

doing work
4.17 use the relationship between power, work done (energy
transferred) and time taken:

power = work done / time taken

P=W/t

(d) Energy resources and electricity production

4.18P describe the energy transfers involved in generating electricity

using:

● wind
● water
● geothermal resources
● solar heating systems
● solar cells
● fossil fuels
● nuclear power

4.19P describe the advantages and disadvantages of methods of

large-scale electricity production from various renewable and non-
renewable resources

5 Solids, liquids and gases

(a

5.1 use the following units: degree Celsius (°C), Kelvin (K), joule (J),
kilogram (kg), kilogram/metre³ (kg/m³), metre (m), metre2 (m2), metre³
(m³), metre/second (m/s), metre/second2 (m/s²), newton (N) and
pascal (Pa)

5.2P use the following unit: joules/kilogram degree Celsius (J/kg °C)
5.3 know and use the relationship between density, mass and volume:

density = mass / volume

ρ=m/V

5.8P explain why heating a system will change the energy stored
within the system and raise its temperature or produce changes of
state

5.9P describe the changes that occur when a solid melts to form a
liquid, and when a liquid evaporates or boils to form a gas

5.10P describe the arrangement and motion of particles in solids,

liquids and gases

5.11P practical: obtain a temperature–time graph to show the constant

temperature during a change of state

5.12P know that specific heat capacity is the energy required to

change the temperature of an object by one degree Celsius per
kilogram of mass (J/kg °C)

5.13P use the equation:

change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × change in

temperature

ΔQ = m × c × ΔT

5.14P practical: investigate the specific heat capacity of materials

including water and some solids
5.20 explain, for a fixed amount of gas, the qualitative relationship
between:

● pressure and volume at constant temperature

● pressure and Kelvin temperature at constant volume

5.21 use the relationship between the pressure and Kelvin

temperature of a fixed mass of gas at constant volume:

P1 / T1 = P2 / T2

6 Magnetism and electromagnetism

6.2 know that magnets repel and attract other magnets and attract
magnetic substance

6.6 practical: investigate the magnetic field pattern for a permanent

bar magnet and between two bar magnets

6.9P describe the construction of electromagnets

6.10P draw magnetic field patterns for a straight wire, a flat circular
coil and a solenoid when each is carrying a current

6.11P know that there is a force on a charged particle when it moves

in a magnetic field as long as its motion is not parallel to the field

6.12 understand why a force is exerted on a current-carrying wire in a

magnetic field and how this effect is applied in simple d.c. electric
motors and loudspeakers

6.13 use the left-hand rule to predict the direction of the resulting
force when a wire carries a current perpendicular to a magnetic field

6.14 describe how the force on a current-carrying conductor in a

magnetic field changes with the magnitude and direction of the field
and current

6.15 know that a voltage is induced in a conductor or a coil when it

moves through a magnetic field or when a magnetic field changes
through it and describe the factors that affect the size of the induced
voltage

6.16 describe the generation of electricity by the rotation of a magnet

within a coil of wire and of a coil of wire within a magnetic field, and
describe the factors that affect the size of the induced voltage

6.17P describe the structure of a transformer and understand that a

transformer changes the size of an alternating voltage by having
different numbers of turns on the input and output sides

6.18P explain the use of step-up and step-down transformers in the

large-scale generation and transmission of electrical energy

6.19P know and use the relationship between input (primary) and
output (secondary) voltages and the turns ratio for a transformer:
𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 (𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦)𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠
=
𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 (𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦) 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠

6.20P know and use the relationship:

input power = output power

Vp Ip =Vs Is

for 100% efficiency

7 Radioactivity and particles

7.2 describe the structure of an atom in terms of protons, neutrons
and electrons and use symbols such as 14 C to describe particular
nuclei

7.5 describe the nature of alpha (α) particles, beta (β−) particles and
gamma (γ) rays, and recall that they may be distinguished in terms of
penetrating power and ability to ionise

7.7 describe the effects on the atomic and mass numbers of a

nucleus of the emission of each of the four main types of radiation
(alpha, beta, gamma and neutron radiation)

7.8 understand how to balance nuclear equations in terms of mass

and charge

7.10 explain the sources of background (ionising) radiation from Earth

and space

7.11 know that the activity of a radioactive source decreases over a

period of time and is measured in becquerels
7.12 know the definition of the term 'half-life' and understand that it is
different for different radioactive isotopes

7.13 use the concept of the half-life to carry out simple calculations on
activity, including graphical methods

7.14 describe uses of radioactivity in industry and medicine

7.15 describe the difference between contamination and irradiation

7.16 describe the dangers of ionising radiations, including:

● that radiation can cause mutations in living organisms

● that radiation can damage cells and tissue

● the problems arising from the disposal of radioactive waste and

how the associated risks can be reduced

7.19 know that the fission of U-235 produces two radioactive

daughter nuclei and a small number of neutrons

7.20 describe how a chain reaction can be set up if the neutrons

produced by one fission strike other U-235 nuclei

7.23 explain the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission
7.24 describe nuclear fusion as the creation of larger nuclei resulting
in a loss of mass from smaller nuclei, accompanied by a release of
energy

7.26 explain why nuclear fusion does not happen at low temperatures
and pressures, due to electrostatic repulsion of protons

8 Astrophysics
8.2 know that:

● the universe is a large collection of billions of galaxies

● a galaxy is a large collection of billions of stars

● our solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy

8.4 explain that gravitational force:

● causes moons to orbit planets

● causes the planets to orbit the Sun

● causes artificial satellites to orbit the Earth

● causes comets to orbit the Sun

8.6 use the relationship between orbital speed, orbital radius and time
period:

orbital speed = 2 ×π × orbital radius / time period

v = 2 ×π × r / T

8.7 understand how stars can be classified according to their colour

8.9 describe the evolution of stars of similar mass to the Sun through
the following stages:

● nebula
● star (main sequence)

● red giant

● white dwarf

8.11P understand how the brightness of a star at a standard distance

can be represented using absolute magnitude

8.12P draw the main components of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram

(HR diagram)

8.13P describe the past evolution of the universe and the main
arguments in favour of the Big Bang theory

8.14P describe evidence that supports the Big Bang theory

(red-shift and cosmic microwave background - CMB - radiation)

8.15P describe that if a wave source is moving relative to an observer,

there will be a change in the observed frequency and wavelength

8.16P use the equation relating to change in wavelength, reference

wavelength, velocity of a galaxy and the speed of light:

change in wavelength reference wavelength

Λ−λ0 = Δλ = v

λ0 λ0 c

8.17P describe the red-shift in light received from galaxies at different

distances away from the Earth

8.18P explain why the red-shift of galaxies provides evidence for the
expansion of the universe