IGCSE Physics
In the fifth form, students choose to study either Dual Award Science or Separate Science. Both qualifications cover the same core material, but Separate Science Physicists will also cover extra material on Electrostatics, Analogue and Digital Signals, Magnetism, Transformers and Pressure Laws.
Separate Scientists take both Papers 1 and 2 and will cover all content. Dual award scientists only take Paper 1, so do not cover the material in bold on the Syllabus Specification. Please click here to view the full IGCSE Syllabus.
Click here to view a list of equations covered in IGCSE Physics.
Forces and Motion
After a recap of distance-time graphs and the calculation of average speed, velocity-time graphs and the calculation of acceleration will be introduced. Interpretation of both types of graphs will lead to a deeper understanding of the relationship between acceleration, velocity and displacement. Force will be defined as a push or a pull of one body on another, and everyday forces such as gravity and friction will be explored.
Separate Scientists will continue onto balanced and unbalanced forces will lead us onto Newton's law relating mass and acceleration.
Why do objects fall?
Do all objects fall at the same rate?
Why don't objects accelerate forever when they fall?
Finally speed calculations will applied to the real life situation of road safety. Find out how the highway code's stopping distances relate to various factors such as reaction time and initial speed.
Electricity
Learn the difference between conductors and insulators, and their contrasting uses in electrical goods. Electrical heating and resistors dependent on different factors will be covered. Electrical safety and hazards will be recapped and expanded upon. Calculation of electrical power, current and voltage will help to find the appropriate fuse for electrical items. Expanding the aforementioned relationship will lead to caculation of the energy transferred in an electrical circuit. Learn how voltage and current varies dependent on whether the circuit is built in series or in parallel. Investigate how these also vary dependent on factors such as the circuit's components and their resistance. Practical experiments will feature heavily in testing and proving the theoretical information presented in this section. What's the difference between a.c. and d.c.?
Do you know what kind of current mains electricity is?
How are series and parallel circuits used?
Electromagnetism
Moving onto magnetism and electromagnestism, the magnetic field produced by electric current in a conductor will be investigated and compared to that of a magnet. Electromagnetic forces are used in simple d.c. electric motors and loudspeakers. Further investigation will lead to prediction of the resultant electromagnetic force, as well as knowledge of the factors affecting its strength. Finally electromagnetic induction will be covered; voltage can be induced in a conductor as it moves through a magnetic field, or alternatively as the magnetic field is varied through a coil. Electricity can be generated in this fashion, using a rotating magnet within a coil of wire which is in turn within a magnetic field.
Waves
After a recap on the basic properties of waves, the electromagnetic spectrum will be explored indepth. Light is part of this spectrum, which ranges from radio and microwaves, through infra-red, visible and ultraviolet rays, to X-ray and gamma ray radiation. Learn how the full spectrum of electromagnetic waves is used and why some wavelengths are dangerous to the human body.
How do waves transfer energy and information without transferring matter?
What is the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves?
Why do certain types of waves damage the human body when under excessive exposure?
Light and sound will be investigated further and wave topics covered in previous years recalled and recapped. This includes reflection, refraction and total internal reflection. Sound as a longitudinal wave will discussed, as well as its range of frequency and its speed.
As part of the Separate Science syllabus, the refractive index will be calculated, using the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction. Experiments to find the refractive index of glass will be carried out, as well as finding the critical angle, both experimentally and through calculation.
Energy resources & energy transfer
First a recap of different types of energy will be covered. Can you identify thermal (heat), electrical, kinetic and chemical energy? What about potential, sound and nuclear energy? These energies are always conserved, and identifying the useful energy from the total energy, efficiency can be calculated. These energy transfers and conservations can be represented through flow diagrams, and explained through everyday phenomena such as conduction, convection and radiation. Insulation can help to limit such transfers, as in the cases of heat transferral in buildings and the human body. Work and power will be calculated, and the work done related to the energy transferred.
In Separate Science, potential energy and kinetic energy will be further explored with calculations and the conservation of the energy. Finally, an understanding of the different energy transfers used to generate electrical energy will be reached.
What are geothermal resources?
How is nuclear power used?
Are solar cells better than fossil fuels?
Solids, liquids & gases
First, a recap of the definitions of density, mass and volume, and of the calculation of these variables. This will then lead onto the definitions and calculations of pressure, force and area.
Is the pressure on an object in a gas or liquid the same in all directions?
What would happen if the pressure on an object in a gas or liquid was not the same in all directions?
What is Brownian motion?
How cold is absolute zero?
When temperature increases in a gas, the molecules in the gas experience an increase in their kinetic energy. In other words, the speed at which the molecules are moving increases. Relations will be drawn between pressure and temperature, and temperature will be measured in kelvin.
The relationship between pressure and volume of a fixed mass of gas at a constant temperature will be explored as part of the Separate Science syllabus.
Radioactivity and Particles
Ability to describe the structure and components of an atom is essential for this section of Physics, along with the correct use of symbols. Isotope, atomic number and mass number will be defined. Alpha and beta particles and gamma rays, their ionising radiation and how they are produced will be covered. These different types of radiation have a range of penetrating power, and can be detected using photographic film or a Geiger-Miller detector. Seperate scientists will also cover the effects of ionising radiation on the atomic and mass numbers as well as how to complete balanced nuclear equations. The activity of radiation decreases with time, and is measured in becquerels. Half-life will be defined and shown to be different for different radioactive isotopes. This will then be used to calculate radiactivity. Find out the truth about radioactivity; does radiation really create superheroes? Radiation can cause mutations, damage in cells and tissue and problems with disposal of radioactive waste.
Seperate scientists will go on to look at Particles. Follow in the discoveries of Geiger, Marsden and Rutherford. Learn about fission and nuclear power in more detail than previously.
Where does background radiation come from?
How are radioactive tracers used in medicine?
How does radiotherapy work?
