Physics is involved in most of the everyday applications of science and technology that we meet in our daily lives, in work, medicine, entertainment and in the home. While physics is principally concerned with the laws and relationships that govern our world, it also provides interesting insights into how things work and contributes to the development of problem-solving skills.
Forces occur throughout nature and affect all aspects of living and working. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is converted from one form to another. It is in the process of these conversions that useful work is done. Natural resources need to be conserved.
| Main Topic | Sub-topics |
| 3A1 Measurement in science | measuring the temperature of various solids and liquids, the melting point of ice and boiling point of water measuring and recording length, mass, time, volume, temperature; SI units calculations using recorded data; presenting and communicating data derived data: area, volume, density, speed, velocity, acceleration |
| 3A2 Density and flotation | investigating flotation for solids and liquids relating flotation to density |
| 3A3 Force and moments | forces, effects of forces extension of a spring friction, everyday applications of friction, lubrication the force of gravity (weight) and its relationship to mass centre of gravity and its importance in design equilibrium, the law of the lever, everyday applications of levers |
| 3A4 Pressure | factors affecting pressure; pressure in fluids air has mass and occupies space atmospheric pressure and its relationship to weather measuring pressure, everyday applications of pressure |
| 3A5 Work and power | definition and units for work and power |
| 3A6 Energy | definition and units for energy principal of conservation of energy forms of energy, sources of energy, renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, need for energy conservation national energy needs |
| 3A7 Energy conversion | energy conversions examples of energy conversion from everyday experience |
SECTION 3A: FORCE AND ENERGY
On completion of this section, students should be able to
| OP1 | measure length, mass, time and temperature, and perform simple calculations based on these to find the derived quantities: area, volume, density, speed, velocity, and acceleration; understand that units of measurement follow the SI system |
| OP2 | measure mass and volume of a variety ofsolids and liquids and hence determinetheir densities |
| OP3 | investigate flotation for a variety of solids and liquids in water and other liquids, and relate the results of this investigation to their densities |
| OP4 | understand the concept of force, recall that the newton is the unit of force, and describe forces and their effects |
| OP5 | investigate examples of friction and the effect of lubrication |
| OP6 | investigate the relationship between theextension of a spring and the applied force |
| OP7 | understand that weight is the force of gravity and that weight varies with location; recall that mass in kilograms multiplied by 10 is approximately equal to weight in newtons on the surface of the earth |
| OP8 | find the centre of gravity of a thin lamina; investigate the role of centre of gravity in design for stability and equilibrium |
| OP9 | investigate the law of the lever; recall two everyday applications of levers |
| OP10 | understand the relationship between pressure, force and area; perform simple calculations using this relationship |
| OP11 | investigate the relationship between pressure and depth for a liquid |
| OP12 | show that air has mass and occupies space |
| OP13 | understand that the atmosphere exerts pressure and that atmospheric pressure varies with height |
| OP14 | examine weather charts to observe variations in atmospheric pressure and relate these to weather conditions |
| OP15 | define and give the units for work, energy and power, state the relationship between work and power, and perform simple calculations based on this relationship |
| OP16 | classify sources of energy as renewable or non-renewable |
| OP17 | state the principle of conservation of energy |
| OP18 | explain why the sun is considered our primary source of energy and how this is important in food production and energy supply |
| OP19 | list the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources, including nuclear sources of energy, as part of the solution to national energy needs |
| OP20 | identify different forms of energy and carryout simple experiments to show thefollowing energy conversions:
a. chemical energy to electrical energy toheat energy
b. electrical energy to magnetic energy tokinetic energy
c. light energy to electrical energy tokinetic energy |
| OP21 | give examples of energy conversion from everyday experience. |
Heat, light and sound are forms of energy that have many applications in our lives. Students should develop a basic understanding of these forms of energy and their common properties, and be able to identify everyday applications. They should be able to investigate these forms of energy, using appropriate equipment.
| Main Topic | Sub-topics |
| 3B1 Heat | expansion of solids, liquids and gases; change of state and latent heat |
| 3B2 Heat transfer | conduction, convection and radiation; heat energy and temperature; insulation. |
| 3B3 Light | sources and transmission of light; speed of light; shadows; colour and the visible spectrum; dispersion of white light |
| 3B4 Reflection of light Refraction of light | reflection of light at plane surfaces; image in a plane mirror refraction; refraction by lenses applications of reflection and refraction |
| 3B5 Sound | vibrations and sound; transmission of sound; speed of sound |
| 3B6 Reflection of sound Hearing | reflection of sound; echoes sound detection in the ear; sound levels; hearing protection |
SECTION 3B: HEAT, LIGHT AND SOUND
On completion of this section, students should be able to
| OP22 | understand that heat is a form of energy and that it can be converted into other forms of energy |
| OP23 | investigate and describe the expansion ofsolids, liquids and gases when heated, andcontraction when cooled |
| OP24 | demonstrate the expansion of water on freezing |
| OP25 | measure the temperature of various solids and liquids at, above and below room temperature; determine the melting point of ice and the boiling point of water |
| OP26 | investigate the effect of pressure on the boiling point of water |
| OP27 | explain the difference between heat and temperature |
| OP28 | carry out experiments that involve changes of state from
i. solid to liquid and liquid to solid
ii. liquid to gas and gas to liquid |
| OP29 | plot a cooling curve and explain the shape of the curve in terms of latent heat |
| OP30 | understand that all hot bodies radiate heat |
| OP31 | carry out simple experiments to show thetransfer of heat energy by conduction,convection and radiation; investigateconduction and convection in water |
| OP32 | identify good and bad conductors of heat and compare insulating ability of different materials |
| OP33 | understand that light is a form of energy and that it can be converted to other forms |
| OP34 | show that light travels in straight lines andexplain how shadows are formed |
| OP35 | understand that luminous objects are a source of light while non-luminous objects are seen as a result of light reflected from them |
| OP36 | recall that white light is made up of different colours which can be separated by dispersion |
| OP37 | produce a spectrum of white light using appropriate apparatus, and list the colours of the spectrum |
| OP38 | investigate the reflection of light by planemirrors, and illustrate this using raydiagrams; demonstrate and explain theoperation of a simple periscope |
| OP39 | show the refraction of light as it passes from: air to glass, air to water, glass to air, water to air; show refraction of light through a lens; demonstrate the operation of a magnifying glass |
| OP40 | show that sound is a form of energy, and understand that sound is produced by vibrations |
| OP41 | show that sound transmission requires a medium and that echoes are reflected sound |
| OP42 | understand that the ear detects sound vibrations and that exposure to very loud sounds can cause damage to hearing |
| OP43 | recall that the speed of sound is less than the speed of light |
| OP44 | explain the time lag between seeing and hearing the same event. |
Magnetism is a natural phenomenon with many useful applications. Electricity is a form of energy. Electricity makes a significant contribution to all aspects of our lives. Students should develop a basic knowledge of the nature of electricity, and of its supply and use in the home. They should understand the operation of simple circuits and be aware of safety issues in the use of electricity. In this section, students are also given a simple introduction to electronics.
| Main Topic | Sub-topics |
| 3C1 Magnetism | forces of attraction and repulsion; magnetic field; the Earth's magnetic field; the magnetic compass |
| 3C2 Static electricity | electric charge; effects of static electricity; earthing |
| 3C3 Current electricity Voltage | current as a flow of charge; measuring current; measuring potential difference (voltage) and resistance (for metallic conductors) relationship between voltage, current and resistance; direct and alternating current; heating, chemical and magnetic effects of an electric current; conductors and insulators |
| 3C4 Electric circuits | simple circuits--series and parallel; function of a switch |
| 3C5 Electricity in the home | mains supply; fuses and circuit breakers and their role in safety; wiring a plug; power rating of electric appliances; units used in calculating electricity bills |
| 3C6 Electronics | simple electronic devices; everyday applications |
SECTION 3C: MAGNETISM, ELECTRICITY AND ELECTRONICS
On completion of this section, students should be able to
| OP45 | carry out simple experiments to show attraction and repulsion between magnets, and test a variety of materials for magnetism |
| OP46 | plot the magnetic field of a bar magnet |
| OP47 | demonstrate that the Earth has a magnetic field, and locate north and south |
| OP48 | use simple materials to generate static electricity; demonstrate the force between charged objects and the effect of earthing |
| OP49 | test electrical conduction in a variety ofmaterials, and classify each material as aconductor or insulator |
| OP50 | set up a simple electric circuit, useappropriate instruments to measurecurrent, potential difference (voltage) andresistance, and establish the relationshipbetween them |
| OP51 | demonstrate simple series and parallel circuits containing a switch and two bulbs |
| OP52 | perform simple calculations based on the relationship between current, potential difference (voltage), and resistance |
| OP53 | describe the heating effect, the chemical effect, and the magnetic effect of an electric current, and identify everyday applications of these, including the action of a fuse |
| OP54 | distinguish between direct and alternating current; recall that the voltage of the mains supply is 230 volts a.c. |
| OP55 | recall that the unit of electrical energy used by electricity supply companies is the kilowatt-hour, and calculate the cost of using common electrical appliances, based on their power rating |
| OP56 | describe how to wire a plug correctly, and explain the safety role of a fuse or circuit breaker in domestic electrical circuits |
| OP57 | understand that a diode is a device that allows current to flow in one direction only, and that a light emitting diode (LED) requires less current than a bulb |
| OP58 | set up simple series circuits using switches, buzzers, LEDs and resistors |
| OP59 | measure the resistance of a light-dependent resistor (LDR) under varying degrees of brightness of light |
| OP60 | identify everyday applications of the diode, including the LED, and of the LDR. |