iGCSE Physics (Combined) CAIE

This subject is broken down into 46 topics in 8 modules:

  1. Nuclear Physics 12 topics
  2. Space Physics 10 topics
  3. Motion 6 topics
  4. Work, Energy and Power 4 topics
  5. Thermal Physics 3 topics
  6. Properties of Waves, including Light and Sound 4 topics
  7. Electrical Quantities 3 topics
  8. Electric Circuits 4 topics
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  • 8
    modules
  • 46
    topics
  • 17,315
    words of revision content
  • 2+
    hours of audio lessons

This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

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Physics (Combined)

Nuclear Physics

Atomic Structure

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Atomic Structure

Atomic Structure

Atoms

  • Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of all matter.
  • An atom consists of a nucleus, surrounded by electrons.
  • All atoms of the same element have the same number of protons in the nucleus.

Nucleus

  • The nucleus is located at the centre of the atom.
  • It is composed of protons and neutrons, collectively referred to as nucleons.
  • Protons have a positive charge, while neutrons carry no charge.
  • The nucleus is extremely dense and contains most of the atom's mass.

Electrons

  • Electrons are tiny, negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus.
  • Their paths are organised into energy levels or shells, each of which can hold a specific number of electrons.
  • The number of electrons in an atom usually equals the number of protons, which makes the atom overall electrically neutral.

Atomic Number

  • The atomic number, or proton number, is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
  • This number determines which element the atom is.

Atomic Mass

  • Atomic mass, or nucleon number, is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.
  • It's measured relative to the mass of the carbon-12 isotope, which has 6 protons and 6 neutrons.

Isotopes

  • Isotopes are atoms of the same element (so they have the same number of protons) but with different numbers of neutrons.
  • Although isotopes of an element behave the same chemically, they can have significantly different physical properties.

Radioactivity

  • Radiation is released by atoms when the balance of energy within the atom is disturbed, often due to changes in the nucleus structure.
  • This process is called radioactive decay.
  • The three types of nuclear radiation are Alpha (α), Beta (β) and Gamma (γ).

Course material for Physics (Combined), module Nuclear Physics, topic Atomic Structure

Physics (Combined)

Motion

Motion

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Motion

Understanding Motion

  • Motion refers to the change in position of an object with respect to its surroundings in a given time period.
  • The study of motion primarily involves speed, velocity, and acceleration.
  • An object can be at rest if it does not change its position with respect to its surroundings.

Speed and Velocity

  • Speed is the distance covered by an object in a given unit of time. It's a scalar quantity, meaning it has magnitude but no direction.
  • The formula for speed is distance divided by time (speed = distance/time) and it is usually measured in meters per second (m/s).
  • Velocity, on the other hand, is the rate of change of displacement (not distance) with time. Being a vector quantity, it has both magnitude and direction.
  • The formula for velocity is displacement divided by time (velocity = displacement/time).
  • Displacement is the distance covered in a given direction or shortest distance from the initial to the final position.

Acceleration

  • Acceleration is the change in velocity of an object over a unit time period.
  • It's a vector quantity as it involves a change in velocity, which has both speed and direction.
  • The formula for acceleration is change in velocity divided by time (acceleration = change in velocity/time).
  • Acceleration is usually measured in meters per second squared (m/s²).
  • An object is said to be undergoing acceleration if there is a change in its speed or direction of motion, or both.

Scalars and Vectors

  • In the context of motion, scalar quantities like speed and distance, have magnitude but do not have direction.
  • Vector quantities like velocity and acceleration, have both magnitude and direction.
  • Understanding the concepts of scalars and vectors is crucial in the study of motion.

Graphing Motion

  • Graphical representation can be a useful way to study motion, often used to show distance-time graphs and velocity-time graphs.
  • In a distance-time graph, a straight line represents uniform speed, while a curved line indicates that the speed is changing.
  • Velocity-time graphs can represent the acceleration of an object. A horizontal line represents no acceleration (constant velocity) while a sloping line indicates acceleration.
  • The area under a velocity-time graph represents the displacement of an object.
  • Gradients on these graphs provide crucial information about the motion of an object.

Understanding Free Fall

  • Free fall is the motion of an object under the influence of gravity alone, with no other forces acting upon it.
  • An object in free fall experiences acceleration due to gravity, which on Earth is approximately 9.8 m/s².
  • Disregarding air resistance, all objects in free fall close to Earth's surface speed up at the same rate, regardless of their mass.
  • Knowledge of free fall principles attributes to understanding concepts of gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy.

Course material for Physics (Combined), module Motion, topic Motion

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