A-LEVEL PHYSICS REVISION SHEET

Introduction

The core module for introductory physics in the preliminary honours year at Durham (Level 1) is known as
Foundations of Physics 1. This (double) module will build upon your knowledge of Physics from school level
and provide the foundation knowledge on which to build more advanced material in later years of the course.
In the following sections are topics from the UK A-level Physics syllabus which are relevant to the courses
which will be taught in the Foundations of Physics 1 module. You should read through this list prior to
starting the course and refresh your knowledge of any topics which you have covered but feel unsure on. If
any topics are completely unfamiliar then you should raise these with your Physics tutor early in the first
term.

Classical Mechanics:

• Rectilinear motion
¾ Define displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration.
¾ Find the distance travelled by calculating the area under a velocity-time graph.
¾ Use the slope of a displacement-time graph to find velocity, and of a velocity-time graph to
find acceleration.
• Circular motion
¾ Describe qualitatively motion in a curved path due to a perpendicular force, and understand
the centripetal acceleration in the case of uniform motion in a circle.
¾ Express angular displacement in radians, and be able to convert from degrees to radians.
¾ Define centripetal acceleration as a = v 2 / r , where v is the tangential linear velocity and r is
the radius of the circle.
• Momentum
¾ Define momentum as the product of mass and velocity.
¾ Define force as the rate of change of momentum.
¾ State the principle of conservation of momentum.
• Dynamics
¾ Define and use the equation for density, ρ = M / V , where M is the mass and V is the
volume.
¾ Recall the equation F = Ma (Newton’s second law) where F is force, M is mass, and a is
acceleration. Use it in situations where mass is constant, appreciating that force and
acceleration are always in the same direction.
¾ Define mass as the property of a body which resists change in motion, and distinguish
between mass and weight.
¾ Define the concept of weight as the effect of a gravitational field on a mass, and recall that
they are related in a constant gravitational field by W = Mg , where M is mass and g is the
acceleration due to gravity.

-1-
 • Work and energy
¾ Give examples of energy in different forms, its conversion and conservation, and apply the
principle of energy conservation to simple examples.
¾ Recall and use the equation for kinetic energy, E = mv 2 / 2 , where m is mass and v is
velocity.
¾ Recall the equation for the change in energy due to a change in gravitational potential,
∆E = mg∆h for changes near the Earth’s surface. In this equation, m is the mass, g is the
acceleration due to gravity, and ∆h is the change in height.
¾ Define pressure as P = F / A , where F is the force and A is the area.
¾ Understand the concept of work in terms of the product of force and displacement in the
direction of the force, and use the equation W = Fx where F is a constant force along the
direction of motion, and x is the distance moved.
¾ Relate power to work done and time taken.
• Gravitational fields
¾ Understand a gravitational field as a field of force and define, recall and use gravitational
field strength as force per unit mass.
¾ Recall and use Newton’s law of gravitation for the force, F, between two point masses in the
form F = Gm1m2 / r2, where G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses, and r is
the distance between them.
¾ Recall and use g = Gm / r2 for the gravitational field strength of a point mass, where G is the
gravitational field constant, m is the mass, and r is the distance from the mass.
¾ Appreciate that, on the surface of the Earth, the magnitude of g is approximately constant and
equal to the acceleration of free fall.

Wave Phenomena:

• Oscillations and waves

¾ Describe what is meant by wave motion as illustrated by vibrations in ropes, springs and
ripple tanks.
¾ Appreciate that waves can be reflected and refracted.
¾ Understand and use the terms displacement, amplitude, period, phase difference, frequency,
wavelength and speed.
¾ Recall and use the equation ν = f λ, where v is velocity, f is frequency, and λ is the
wavelength.
¾ Describe the nature of the motions in transverse and longitudinal waves.
• Simple harmonic motion
¾ Define simple harmonic motion.
¾ Describe graphically the changes in displacement, velocity and acceleration during simple
harmonic oscillations.
• Light waves
¾ Recall the laws of refraction of light.
¾ Define refractive index n as c1 / c where c1 and c are the speeds of light in a medium and
vacuum respectively.
¾ Describe refraction in terms of the expression n1 sin θ 1 = n 2 sin θ 2 where n1 and n2 are
refractive indices and θ1 and θ2 are the angles between the rays and the interface normal.
¾ Describe what is meant by critical angle and total internal reflection.
• Superposition of waves
¾ Explain and use the principle of superposition.
¾ Understand the term interference.
¾ Explain the formation of a standing wave using a graphical method, and identify nodes and
antinodes.
¾ Explain the meaning of the term diffraction.

-2-
Electricity & Magnetism:

• Electric current and potential difference

¾ Understand electric current as a net flow of charged particles.
¾ Understand the concept of charge in terms of the product of current and time.
¾ Appreciate the difference between the directions of conventional current and of electron flow.
¾ Define potential difference and the volt in terms of energy transfer, via the equation
V = W / Q , where V is the voltage, W is the work done, and Q is the charge.
¾ Define power as P = VI where V is the voltage and I is the current.
¾ State Ohm’s law.
¾ Define resistivity, as ρ = RA / l, where R is resistance, A is cross sectional area, and l is the
length of a conductor.
¾ Define power as rate of change of work done, and use the kilowatt-hour (kW h) as a unit of
energy.
• Capacitors
¾ Define capacitance, C, and the farad, via the equation, C = Q / V where Q is the stored
charge and V is the voltage.
¾ Recall and use W=QV/2, for the energy of a charged capacitor, where Q is the stored charge
and V is the voltage.
¾ Recall τ = CR for the time constant of a capacitor-resistor circuit, of capacitance C and
resistance R.
• Electrical circuits
¾ Recall and use appropriate circuit symbols and draw and interpret appropriate circuit
diagrams.
¾ Calculate the result of combining resistors in series and in parallel.
¾ Calculate the result of connecting capacitors in series and in parallel.
• Electric fields
¾ Understand an electric field as an example of a field of force and define, recall and use
electric field strength as force per unit positive charge.
¾ Recall and use Coulomb’s law for the force, F, between two point charges in a vacuum in the
form F = kQ1Q2 / r2, where, k = 1 / 4π ε0, Q1 and Q2 are the charges, and r is the distance
between them.
¾ Recall and use E=kQ/r2 for the electric field strength of a point charge.
¾ Recall and use E=V/d for the magnitude of the uniform electric field strength between
charged parallel plates.
¾ Recognise the similarities of, and differences between, electric fields and gravitational fields.
• Magnetic forces
¾ Sketch magnetic field patterns caused by current in a long straight wire.
¾ Appreciate that a force may act on a current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field.

Atoms, Nuclei & Particles:

• Radioactive decay
¾ Appreciate the spontaneous and random nature of radioactive decay of unstable nuclei.
¾ Describe the nature, penetration and range of α-particles, β-particles and γ-rays as different
types of ionising radiation.
¾ Define, and represent graphically, the equation for the number of remaining nuclei, N, in a
radioactive decay as N = N 0 e − λt , where N0 is the original number of particles, λ is the
decay constant and t is the time.
¾ Define half-life as the mean time for the number of nuclei of a nuclide to halve.

-3-
 • Atomic Structure.
¾ Demonstrate a qualitative understanding of the α-particle scattering experiment and the
evidence this provides for the existence, charge and small size of the nucleus.
¾ Demonstrate a qualitative understanding of X-ray diffraction and the evidence this provides
for crystal structure.
¾ Show an awareness of the relative sizes of nuclei, atoms and molecules.
¾ Understand that an element can exist in various isotopic forms, each with a different number
of neutrons.
¾ Appreciate the equivalence between mass, m, and energy, E, by the equation E = mc 2 ,
where c is the speed of light.

Phases of Matter:

• Temperature and heat energy

¾ Show an awareness that internal energy is determined by the state of the system and can be
expressed as the sum of a random distribution of kinetic and potential energies associated
with the molecules of the system.
¾ Relate a rise in temperature of a body to an increase in internal energy.
¾ Demonstrate knowledge that there is an absolute scale of temperature which does not depend
upon the physical property of any particular substance, i.e. the thermodynamic scale.
¾ Appreciate that, on the thermodynamic (Kelvin) scale, absolute zero is the temperature at
which all substances have a minimum internal energy.
¾ Show familiarity with temperatures measured in kelvin and degrees Celsius.
¾ Describe melting and boiling in terms of energy input without a change in temperature.
¾ Recall and use the ideal gas equation PV = nRT , where P is the pressure, V is the volume, n
is the amount of gas in moles, R is the Universal gas law constant, and T is the temperature.
¾ Appreciate that one mole is 6.02 x 1023 particles and that 6.02 x 1023 mole-1 is the Avogadro
constant.

-4-