Double award physics

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P1: Electricity and magnetism

Units
You should be able to:
P1.01 use the following units: ampere (A), coulomb (C), ohm (W), volt (V), watt (W), kilowatt-hour (kW h)

Mains electricity
You should be able to:
P1.02 identify the live, neutral and earth conductor in a correctly-wired plug and recall the colour of the insulation used on each conductor
P1.03 recall the hazards of electricity including frayed cables, long cables, damaged plugs, water around sockets and pushing metal objects into sockets
P1.04 describe the uses of insulation, double insulation, earthing, fuses and circuit breakers in a range of domestic appliances
P1.05 recall that electrical heating is used in a variety of ways in domestic contexts
P1.06 understand that a current in a resistor results in the electrical transfer of energy and an increase in temperature
P1.07 recall and use the quantitative relationship between power, current and voltage: power = current/voltage P = I/V and apply the above relationship to the selection of appropriate fuses
P1.08 calculate the energy used by domestic appliances in kilowatt-hours and calculate domestic electricity bills, based on meter readings
P1.09 use the quantitative relationship between energy transferred, current, voltage and time: 
energy transferred = current x voltage x time    E = I x V x t
P1.10 recall that mains electricity is alternating current (a.c.) and understand the difference between this and the direct current (d.c.) supplied by a cell

Energy and potential difference in circuits
You should be able to:
P1.11 explain whether a series or parallel circuit is more appropriate for a range of applications, including domestic lighting
P1.12 understand that the current in a series circuit depends on the applied voltage and the number and nature of other components
P1.13 describe how current varies with voltage in wires, resistors, metal filament lamps and diodes and how this can be investigated experimentally
P1.14 describe the qualitative effect of changing resistance on the current in a circuit
P1.15 describe the qualitative variation of resistance of LDRs with illumination and of thermistors with temperature
P1.16 recall and use the quantitative relationship between voltage, current and resistance:
voltage = current x resistance   V = I x R
P1.17 understand that current is rate of flow of charge
P1.18 recall and use the quantitative relationship between charge, current and time: 
charge = current x time   Q = I x t
P1.19 recall electric current in solid metallic conductors is a flow of negatively charged electrons
P1.20 recall that electric current in molten or dissolved electrolytes is a flow of negatively charged ions to the positive terminal and positively charged ions to the negative terminal
P1.21recall that:
-voltage is the energy transferred per unit charge passed
-a volt is a joule per coulomb

Electric charge
You should be able to:
P1.22 describe common materials which are electrical conductors or insulators including metals and plastics
P1.23 recall that insulating materials can be charged by friction
P1.24 explain that positive and negative electrostatic charges are produced on materials by the loss and gain of electrons

P1.25 recall that there are forces of attraction between unlike charges and repulsion between like charges
P1.26 explain common electrostatic phenomena, including shocks from car doors and synthetic fabrics, in terms of the movement of electrons
P1.27 describe the potential dangers and uses of electrostatic charges generated in everyday situations, eg fuelling aircraft and tankers, photocopiers and inkjet printers

Electromagnetism
You should be able to:
P1.28 recall that a force is exerted on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field and the application of this effect in simple d.c. electric motors and loudspeakers
P1.29 understand that when a wire carrying a current is perpendicular to a magnetic field, the resulting force is perpendicular to both

Electromagnetic induction
You should be able to:
P1.30 recall that a voltage is induced in a conductor when it moves through a magnetic field or when a magnetic field changes through a coil, and recall the factors which affect the size of the induced voltage
P1.31 describe the generation of electricity by the rotation of a magnet within a coil of wire and of a coil of wire within a magnetic field and the factors which affect the size of the induced voltage
P1.32 recall the structure of a transformer and understand that a transformer changes the size of an alternating voltage by having different numbers of turns on the input and output sides
P1.33 describe the use of step-up and step-down transformers in the large-scale transmission of electrical energy
P1.34 recall and use the quantitative relationship between input (primary) and output (secondary) voltages and the turns ratio for a transformer:
voltage(primary)/voltage(secondary) = turns(primary)/turns(secondary)
Vp/Vs=np/ns

P2: Forces and motion

Units
You should be able to:
P2.01 use the following units: kilogram (kg), metre (m), metre ² (m ² ), metre ³ (m ³ ), metre/second (m/s), metre/second ² (m/s ² ), newton (N), pascal (Pa)

Movement and position
You should be able to:
P2.02 understand distance – time graphs
P2.03 explain the difference between speed and velocity
P2.04 recall and use the quantitative relationship between acceleration, velocity and time:   on 
acceleration = change in velocity/ taken time    a = ( v - u)/t
P2.05 interpret speed-time graphs and determine acceleration from the gradient of the graph
P2.06 determine the distance travelled from the area between the curve and the time axis

Forces and movement
You should be able to:
P2.07 recall a brief history of our understanding of forces including:
-the Greek view – a single force needed to sustain motion
-Galileo and Newton – balanced forces allow an object to continue in uniform motion in a straight line or to remain at rest
-Newton – gravitational attraction acts between all masses
P2.08 recall that when two bodies interact, the forces they exert on each other are equal and opposite
P2.09 understand how to add forces which act along a line
P2.10 understand that friction can produce both accelerating and retarding forces
P2.11 recall and use the quantitative relationship between unbalanced force, mass and acceleration and apply this relationship to vehicular and human movement:
force = mass x acceleration
F = m x a
P2.12 recall and use the quantitative relationship between weight, mass and g:
weight = mass x g      W = m x g
P2.13 recall that a mass of 1 kg has a weight of 10 N on Earth; ie the Earth’s gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg
P2.14 explain the forces acting on falling objects and why falling objects reach a terminal velocity
P2.15 understand that the stopping distance of a vehicle is the sum of the thinking distance and the stopping distance
P2.16 describe the factors affecting vehicle stopping distances including speed, mass, road condition and reaction time

Forces and shape
You should be able to:
P2.1 understand that the upward forces on a light beam supported at its ends vary with the position of a heavy object placed on the beam
P2.18 describe how extension varies with applied force for a range of materials including springs and/or rubber bands
P2.19 recall that particles in a gas have random motion and that they exert a force on the walls of the container
P2.20 understand the relationship between the pressure and volume of a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature and use the quantitative relationship
P1 x V1 = P2 x V2

P3: Waves

Units
You should be able to:
P3.01 use the following units: hertz (Hz), kilohertz (kHz), megahertz (MHz), metre/second (m/s)

Properties of waves
You should be able to:
P3.02 describe longitudinal and transverse waves in ropes, springs and water
P3.03 state the meaning of amplitude, frequency, wavelength and period of a wave
P3.04 recall that waves transfer energy and information without transferring matter
P3.05 recall and use the quantitative relationship between the speed, frequency and wavelength of a wave:
speed = frequency x wavelength     v = f  x l
P3.06 use the quantitative relationship between frequency and time period:  
frequency = 1/ period time       f =1/T
P3.07 use the above relationships in a wide range of contexts including sound waves and electromagnetic waves
P3.08 understand that waves can be diffracted through gaps or when they pass an edge and that the extent of diffraction depends on the wavelength and the physical dimension

The Earth’s layered structure
You should be able to:
P3.09 understand that the different ways in which longitudinal and transverse waves are transmitted through the Earth, and their paths and times of travel, provide evidence for the Earth’s layered structure: crust, mantle, outer (liquid) core, inner core
P3.10 recall that the Earth’s outermost layer, the lithosphere, is composed of plates in relative motion and that plate tectonic processes result in the formation, deformation and recycling of rocks
P3.11 understand that at plate boundaries, plates may:
-slide past each other, causing earthquakes
-move towards each other, taking rock into the mantle
-move away from each other, resulting in volcanoes and/or formation of new rocks

The electromagnetic spectrum
You should be able to:
P3.12 understand that light is part of a continuous electromagnetic spectrum which includes radio, microwave, infra-red, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma ray radiations and that all these waves travel at the same speed in free space
P3.13 recall the order of the electromagnetic spectrum in decreasing wavelength and increasing frequency, including the colours of the visible spectrum
P3.14 recall some uses of electromagnetic radiations including:
-radio waves: broadcasting and communications
-microwaves: cooking and satellite transmissions
-infra-red: heaters, grills, night vision and remote controls
-visible light: optical fibres and photography
-ultraviolet: sunbeds, crime prevention and fluorescent lamps
-X-rays: observing the internal structure of objects and materials, medical applications
-gamma rays: sterilising food and medical equipment
P3.15 recall the detrimental effects of excessive exposure of the human body to electromagnetic waves of increasing frequencies including:
-microwaves: internal heating of body tissue
-infra-red: skin burns
-ultraviolet: damage to surface cells and blindness
-gamma rays: cancer, mutation ()

Light and sound
You should be able to:
P3.16 recall that light waves are transverse waves which can be reflected, refracted
and diffracted
P3.17 describe the role of total internal reflection in transmitting information along optical fibres and in prisms
P3.18 understand the difference between analogue and digital signals
P3.19 describe how digital signals can carry more information
P3.20 recall that sound waves are longitudinal waves which can be reflected, refracted and diffracted
P3.21 recall that the frequency range for human hearing is 20 Hz – 20 000 Hz
P3.22 understand the nature of ultrasound as high-frequency sound and its applications in scanning, cleaning and range or direction finding ()

P4: The Earth and beyond

The Solar system
You should be able to:
P4.01 interpret physical data on the planets, particularly with regard to their masses and their orbits in the Solar system
P4.02 describe the differences between the orbits of a planet and a moon, and also of a comet, and describe the different types of orbit of satellites around the Earth
P4.03 understand that the movements and orbits of planets and moons, and of comets and satellites, are determined by gravitational forces

The rest of the Universe
You should be able to:
P4.04 recall that the Sun is one of many millions of stars in a huge group called the Milky Way galaxy
P4.05 describe the Universe as a system consisting of an enormous number of galaxies and be aware of the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life
P4.06 describe how stars form from very large clouds of hydrogen, helium and dust which collapse under the influence of gravity so that the core becomes hot enough for nuclear reactions to begin
P4.07 recall that small stars, like the Sun, eventually become red giants and later become white dwarfs
P4.08 describe the ‘Big Bang’ theory of the origin of the Universe and consider other theories such as the ‘steady state’ theory
P4.09 recall evidence for the ‘Big Bang’ theory, including the different red shifts of light from distant galaxies and the background microwave radiation
P4.10 explain how the future of the Universe depends on the amount of mass present

P5: Energy resources and energy transfer

Units
You should be able to:
P5.01 use the following units: degree Celsius ( ^o C), joule (J), newton (N), watt (W), kilowatt (kW), megawatt (MW)

Energy transfer
You should be able to:
P5.02 describe energy transfers involving the following forms of energy: thermal, light, electrical, sound, movement (kinetic), chemical, nuclear and potential (elastic and gravitational)
P5.03 understand that energy is conserved
P5.04 recall that efficiency is the proportion of energy transferred to useful work and apply this to everyday situations
P5.05 describe a variety of everyday and scientific devices and situations, explaining the fate of the input energy in the above terms, including their representation by flow diagrams (Sankey diagrams)
P5.06 describe how insulation is used to reduce energy transfers from buildings and the human body
P5.07 understand that many insulating materials make use of the insulating properties of air that is not free to form convection currents

Work and power
You should be able to:
P5.08 recall and use the quantitative relationship between work, force and distance moved in the direction of the force: work done = force x distance moved     W = F x d
P5.09 understand that work done is equal to energy transferred
P5.10 recall and use the quantitative relationships: 
gravitational potential energy = mass x g x height       GPE = m x g x h
kinetic energy = ½ x mass x speed ²     KE = ½ x m x v ²
P5.11 understand how conservation of energy produces a quantitative link between potential energy, kinetic energy and work
P5.12 describe power as the rate of transfer of energy or the rate of doing work
P5.13 use the quantitative relationship between power, work done (energy transferred) and time taken: 
power = done work/ time taken        P =W/t

Energy resources and electricity generation
You should be able to:
P5.14 understand a range of energy transfer chains illustrating the environmental implications of generating electricity, including:
-the use of wind and water
-geothermal resources
-solar heating systems and electricity production through solar cells
-fossil fuel reserves
-nuclear power
P5.15 describe the advantages and disadvantages of methods of large scale electricity production using a variety of renewable and non-renewable resources

P6: Radioactivity

Radioactivity
You should be able to:

P6.02 describe the structure of an atom in terms of protons, neutrons and electrons and use symbols such as ¹⁴₆ C to describe particular nuclei
P6.03 understand the terms atomic (proton) number and mass (nucleon) number and explain the existence of isotopes
P6.04 understand that alpha and beta particles and gamma rays are ionising radiations emitted from unstable nuclei in a random process
P6.05 describe the nature of alpha and beta particles and gamma rays and recall that they may be distinguished in terms of penetrating power and ionising ability
P6.06 describe the effects on the atomic and mass numbers of a nucleus of the emission of each of the three main types of radiation and understand how to complete balanced nuclear equations
P6.07 understand that ionising radiation can be detected using a photographic film or a Geiger-Müller detector
P6.08 recall the existence of background radiation from the Earth and from space, including the regional variations in the United Kingdom, eg because of radon gas released from rocks
P6.09 understand that the activity of a radioactive source decreases over a period of time and is measured in becquerels
P6.10 recall the term half-life and understand that it is different for different radioactive isotopes
P6.11 use the concept of half-life to carry out simple calculations on activity
P6.12 describe the uses of radioactivity in medical and non-medical tracers, in radiotherapy and in the radioactive dating of archaeological specimens and rocks
P6.13 describe the dangers of ionising radiations including:
-radiation can cause mutations in living organisms
-radiation can damage cells and tissue
-the problems arising in the disposal of radioactive waste