IGCSE physics notes cover every syllabus point, ensuring your high understanding of each and every topic. It is meticulously organized to provide efficiency to your revision with detailed explanations.
Section 1(general physics)
● Scalar quantity: has magnitude (size) only
● Vector quantity: has magnitude and direction
● Speed: distance travelled per unit time
● Velocity: speed in a given direction
● Acceleration: change in velocity per unit time
● Deceleration: negative acceleration
● Acceleration of free fall for an object near to the surface of the Earth is approx
constant, 9.8m/s^2
● Terminal velocity: highest velocity reached by a falling object where weight=air
resistance
● Mass: a measure of the quantity of matter in an object at rest relative to the
observer
● Weight: gravitational force on an object that has mass
(weight = gravity force x mass)
● Gravitational field strength: force per unit mass(=to acceleration of free fall)
(g=f/M)
● Density: mass per unit volume
● Forces:produces changes in size and shape of objects
● An object remains at rest or continues in a straight line at constant speed
unless acted on by resultant force(additional)
● Resultant force may change the velocity of an object by changing its directions
of motion or its speed
(when changing direction/speed, needs to have resultant force)
Resultant of 2 vectors (graphically)
● Scale drawing
→direction (angles→ how many degrees east/west upwards/downwards from horizontal)
● Pythagoras theorem
● Spring constant: force per unit extension
● Limit of proportionality:Up to this limit, the extension on a spring is
proportional to the load (Hooke’s law)
● Solid friction: force between two surfaces that may impede motion and produce
heating
● Drag: friction that acts on object moving through liquid/gas(air resistance)
● Describe Moment of a force: a measure of its turning effect
● Define Moment of a force: force x perpendicular distance from the pivot
, ● An object in equilibrium=no resultant force and no resultant moment
● Centre of gravity: A point in an object where weight is considered to act
● Momentum: mass x velocity
● Impulse: force x time, change in momentum (Ns)
● Total momentum after collision=total momentum before collision
When two objects interact, the changes in momentum of one object are balanced by
the changes in momentum of the other object, resulting in a constant total
momentum.
● Resultant force= the change in momentum per unit time (mv-mu/t)
● F=ma , the force and acceleration is in the same direction
● Motion in a circular path is due to:
Force perpendicular to the motion of object
● Energy stores:KE, GPE, chemical, elastic, nuclear, electrostatic, internal(thermal)
-kinetic (when object is moving) (not the object being pushed-the thing is pushing has KE)
-gravitational potential (object at height)
-chemical
-elastic ( impermanently compressed, stretched or generally)
-nuclear (stored in nucleus of an atom)
-electrostatic (stored in charged object)
-internal(thermal)
● How energy stores are transferred
-forces(mechanical work done)
-electrical currents(electrical work done)
-heating
-electromagnetic
-sound and other waves
● Principle of the conservation of energy: total energy before=total energy after
● chemical/mechanical work done=energy transferred
● Mechanical working: Work done=Fd=change in energy(energy transferred)
● Energy is released by nuclear fusion in the sun
● Radiation from the sun is the main source of energy for all our energy resources
(except geothermal , nuclear and tidal)
● Research is being carried out to investigate how energy released by nuclear
fusion can be used to produce electrical energy on a large scale
, ● Efficiency: (useful energy output)/(total energy input) x 100 OR useful power
output/total power input x 100
● Power: work done per unit time/ energy transferred per unit time
-measured in Watts( joules/s)
● Pressure:force per unit area
● Change in pressure beneath surface of a liquid: pgh (densityx gravity x height)
Unit: Pa (F/m^2)
Energy resources (moving wind/water to turn turn turbine)
Ways of transferring energy
1. Forces (mechanical work done)
2. Electrical currents (electrical work done)
3. Heating
4. Electromagnetic
5. Sound and other waves
● mechanical work - a force moving an object through a distance
● electrical work - charges moving due to a potential difference
● heating - due to temperature difference caused electrically or by chemical
reaction
● radiation - energy tranferred as a wave, eg light and infrared - light radiation
and infrared radiation are emitted from the sun
● Fossil fuels
-stores of chemical energy(made from sun’s radiation million years ago)
-boiler(moving steam), turbine, generator
-not renewable
-is reliable
-readability available
-produces large scale of energy production
-produces significant greenhouse gases and pollution
● Biofuel
-stores of chemical energy(absorbs sun energy through photosynthesis)
-boiler, turbine, generator
-renewable(by growing plants)
, -reliable
-does not produce at a large scale of production
-takes up a lot of land and consume resources for food production
● Waves/ tidal
-sun heats up air→wind→blows over ocean/ does not come from sun→from gravitational
force of moon
-turbine, generator
-renewable
-reliable(got sun got moon always)
-does not produce on large scale of energy
-can cause flood and destroy habitats
● Hydroelectric dams
-sun energy evaporate→water rainfall→trapped behind a dam
-turbine, generator
-renewable
-reliable
-generates large scale amount of energy
-causes flood and destroy habitats
● Geothermal resources
-reservoir of hot water below Earth Surface( x from sun)
-turbine, generator
-renewable
-reliable
-generates large scale amount of energy
-greenhouse gases form underground
● Nuclear fuel
-splitting atoms produces heat
-boiler, turbine, generator
-not renewable,
-reliable
-produces large scale of production
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