1.1

use the following units: kilogram (kg), metre (m), metre/second (m/s),

metre/second² (m/s²), newton (N), second (s) and newton/kilogram (N/kg)

1.3

plot and explain distance−time graphs

1.4

know and use the relationship between average speed, distance moved and time

taken:

1.5

practical: investigate the motion of everyday objects such as toy cars or tennis balls

1.6

know and use the relationship between acceleration, change in velocity and time

taken:

1.7

plot and explain velocity-time graphs

1.8

determine acceleration from the gradient of a velocity−time graph

1.9

determine the distance travelled from the area between a velocity−time graph and

the time axis

1.10

use the relationship between final speed, initial speed, acceleration and distance

moved:

1.11

describe the effects of forces between bodies such as changes in speed, shape or

direction

1.12

identify different types of force such as gravitational or electrostatic

1.13

understand how vector quantities differ from scalar quantities

1.14

understand that force is a vector quantity

1.15

calculate the resultant force of forces that act along a line

1.16

know that friction is a force that opposes motion

1.17

know and use the relationship between unbalanced force, mass and acceleration:

force = mass × acceleration

F = m × a

1.18

know and use the relationship between weight, mass and gravitational field strength:

weight = mass × gravitational field strength

W = m × g

1.19

know that the stopping distance of a vehicle is made up of the sum of the thinking

distance and the braking distance

1.20

describe the factors affecting vehicle stopping distance, including speed, mass, road

condition and reaction time

1.21

describe the forces acting on falling objects (and explain why falling objects reach a

terminal velocity)

1.22

practical: investigate how extension varies with applied force for helical springs, metal

wires and rubber bands

1.23

know that the initial linear region of a force-extension graph is associated with

Hooke’s law

1.24

describe elastic behaviour as the ability of a material to recover its original shape

after the forces causing deformation have been removed

2.1

use the following units: ampere (A), coulomb (C), joule (J), ohm (Ω), second (s),

volt (V) and watt (W)

2.2

understand how the use of insulation, double insulation, earthing, fuses and circuit

breakers protects the device or user in a range of domestic appliances

2.3

understand why a current in a resistor results in the electrical transfer of energy and

an increase in temperature, and how this can be used in a variety of domestic

contexts

2.4

know and use the relationship between power, current and voltage:

power = current × voltage

P = I × V

and apply the relationship to the selection of appropriate fuses

2.5

use the relationship between energy transferred, current, voltage and time:

energy transferred = current × voltage × time

E = I × V x t

2.6

know the difference between mains electricity being alternating current (a.c.) and

direct current (d.c.) being supplied by a cell or battery

2.7

explain why a series or parallel circuit is more appropriate for particular applications,

including domestic lighting

2.8

understand how the current in a series circuit depends on the applied voltage and the

number and nature of other components

2.9

describe how current varies with voltage in wires, resistors, metal filament lamps and

diodes, and how to investigate this experimentally

2.10

describe the qualitative effect of changing resistance on the current in a circuit

2.11

describe the qualitative variation of resistance of light-dependent resistors (LDRs)

with illumination and of thermistors with temperature

2.12

know that lamps and LEDs can be used to indicate the presence of a current in a

circuit

2.13

know and use the relationship between voltage, current and resistance:

voltage = current × resistance

V = I × R

2.14

know that current is the rate of flow of charge

2.15

know and use the relationship between charge, current and time:

charge = current × time

Q = I × t

2.16

know that electric current in solid metallic conductors is a flow of negatively charged

electrons

2.17

understand why current is conserved at a junction in a circuit

2.18

know that the voltage across two components connected in parallel is the same

2.19

calculate the currents, voltages and resistances of two resistive components

connected in a series circuit

2.20

know that:

• voltage is the energy transferred per unit charge passed

• the volt is a joule per coulomb.

2.21

know and use the relationship between energy transferred, charge and voltage:

energy transferred = charge × voltage

E = Q × V

3.1

use the following units: degree (°), hertz (Hz), metre (m), metre/second (m/s) and

second (s)

3.2

explain the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves

3.3

know the definitions of amplitude, wavefront, frequency, wavelength and period of a

wave

3.4

know that waves transfer energy and information without transferring matter

3.5

know and use the relationship between the speed, frequency and wavelength of a

wave:

wave speed = frequency × wavelength

v = f × λ

3.6

use the relationship between frequency and time period:

3.7

use the above relationships in different contexts including sound waves and

electromagnetic waves

3.8

explain why there is a change in the observed frequency and wavelength of a wave

when its source is moving relative to an observer, and that this is known as the

Doppler effect

3.9

explain that all waves can be reflected and refracted

3.10

know that light is part of a continuous electromagnetic spectrum that includes radio,

microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma ray radiations and that all

these waves travel at the same speed in free space

3.11

know the order of the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of decreasing wavelength

and increasing frequency, including the colours of the visible spectrum

3.12

explain some of the uses of electromagnetic radiations, including:

• radio waves: broadcasting and communications

• microwaves: cooking and satellite transmissions

• infrared: heaters and night vision equipment

• visible light: optical fibres and photography

• ultraviolet: fluorescent lamps

• x-rays: observing the internal structure of objects and materials, including for

medical applications

• gamma rays: sterilising food and medical equipment.

3.13

explain the detrimental effects of excessive exposure of the human body to

electromagnetic waves, including:

• microwaves: internal heating of body tissue

• infrared: skin burns

• ultraviolet: damage to surface cells and blindness

• gamma rays: cancer, mutation and describe simple protective measures against the risks

3.14

know that light waves are transverse waves and that they can be reflected and

refracted

3.15

use the law of reflection (the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection)

3.16

draw ray diagrams to illustrate reflection and refraction

3.17

practical: investigate the refraction of light, using rectangular blocks, semi-circular

blocks and triangular prisms

3.18

know and use the relationship between refractive index, angle of incidence and angle

of refraction:

3.19

practical: investigate the refractive index of glass, using a glass block

3.20

describe the role of total internal reflection in transmitting information along optical

fibres and in prisms

3.21

explain the meaning of critical angle c

3.22

know and use the relationship between critical angle and refractive index:

3.23

know that sound waves are longitudinal waves which can be reflected and refracted

4.1

use the following units: kilogram (kg), joule (J), metre (m), metre/second (m/s),

metre/second² (m/s²), newton (N), second (s) and watt (W)

4.2

describe energy transfers involving energy stores:

• energy stores: chemical, kinetic, gravitational, elastic, thermal, magnetic, electrostatic, nuclear

• energy transfers: mechanically, electrically, by heating, by radiation (light and sound)

4.3

use the principle of conservation of energy

4.4

know and use the relationship between efficiency, useful energy output and total

energy output:

4.5

describe a variety of everyday and scientific devices and situations, explaining the

transfer of the input energy in terms of the above relationship, including their

representation by Sankey diagrams

4.6

describe how thermal energy transfer may take place by conduction, convection and

radiation

4.7

explain the role of convection in everyday phenomena

4.8

explain how emission and absorption of radiation are related to surface and

temperature

4.9

practical: investigate thermal energy transfer by conduction, convection and radiation

4.10

explain ways of reducing unwanted energy transfer, such as insulation

4.11

know and use the relationship between work done, force and distance moved in the

direction of the force:

work done = force × distance moved

W = F × d

4.12

know that work done is equal to energy transferred

4.13

know and use the relationship between gravitational potential energy, mass,

gravitational field strength and height:

gravitational potential energy = mass × gravitational field strength × height

GPE = m × g × h

4.14

know and use the relationship:

4.15

understand how conservation of energy produces a link between gravitational

potential energy, kinetic energy and work

4.16

describe power as the rate of transfer of energy or the rate of doing work

4.17

use the relationship between power, work done (energy transferred) and time taken:

5.1

use the following units: degree Celsius (°C), Kelvin (K), joule (J), kilogram (kg),

kilogram/metre³ (kg/m³), metre (m), metre² (m²), metre³ (m³), metre/second (m/s),

metre/second² (m/s²), newton (N) and pascal (Pa)

5.3

know and use the relationship between density, mass and volume:

5.4

practical: investigate density using direct measurements of mass and volume

5.5

know and use the relationship between pressure, force and area:

5.6

understand how the pressure at a point in a gas or liquid at rest acts equally in all

directions

5.7

know and use the relationship for pressure difference:

pressure difference = height × density × gravitational field strength

p = h × ρ × g

5.15

explain how molecules in a gas have random motion and that they exert a force and

hence a pressure on the walls of a container

5.16

understand why there is an absolute zero of temperature which is –273 °C

5.17

describe the Kelvin scale of temperature and be able to convert between the Kelvin

and Celsius scales

5.18

understand why an increase in temperature results in an increase in the average

speed of gas molecules

5.19

know that the Kelvin temperature of a gas is proportional to the average kinetic

energy of its molecules

5.20

explain, for a fixed amount of gas, the qualitative relationship between:

• pressure and volume at constant temperature

• pressure and Kelvin temperature at constant volume.

5.21

use the relationship between the pressure and Kelvin temperature of a fixed mass of

gas at constant volume:

5.22

use the relationship between the pressure and volume of a fixed mass of gas at

constant temperature:

p₁V₁ = p₂V₂

6.1

use the following units: ampere (A), volt (V) and watt (W)

6.2

know that magnets repel and attract other magnets and attract magnetic substances

6.3

describe the properties of magnetically hard and soft materials

6.4

understand the term magnetic field line

6.5

know that magnetism is induced in some materials when they are placed in a

magnetic field

6.6

practical: investigate the magnetic field pattern for a permanent bar magnet and

between two bar magnets

6.7

describe how to use two permanent magnets to produce a uniform magnetic field

pattern

6.8

know that an electric current in a conductor produces a magnetic field around it

6.12

understand why a force is exerted on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field, and

how this effect is applied in simple d.c. electric motors and loudspeakers

6.13

use the left-hand rule to predict the direction of the resulting force when a wire

carries a current perpendicular to a magnetic field

6.14

describe how the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field changes

with the magnitude and direction of the field and current

6.15

know that a voltage is induced in a conductor or a coil when it moves through a

magnetic field or when a magnetic field changes through it and describe the factors

that affect the size of the induced voltage

6.16

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 describe the factors that affect the

size of the induced voltage

7.1 use the following units: becquerel (Bq), centimetre (cm), hour (h), minute (min) and

second (s)

7.2

describe the structure of an atom in terms of protons, neutrons and electrons and use

symbols such as

to describe particular nuclei

7.3

know the terms atomic (proton) number, mass (nucleon) number and isotope

7.4

know that alpha (α) particles, beta (β⁻) particles, and gamma (γ) rays are ionising

radiations emitted from unstable nuclei in a random process

7.5

describe the nature of alpha (α) particles, beta (β⁻) particles, and gamma (γ) rays,

and recall that they may be distinguished in terms of penetrating power and ability to

ionise

7.6

practical: investigate the penetration powers of different types of radiation using

either radioactive sources or simulations

7.7

describe the effects on the atomic and mass numbers of a nucleus of the emission of

each of the four main types of radiation (alpha, beta, gamma and neutron radiation)

7.8

understand how to balance nuclear equations in terms of mass and charge

7.9

know that photographic film or a Geiger−Müller detector can detect ionising radiations

7.10

explain the sources of background (ionising) radiation from Earth and space

7.11

know that the activity of a radioactive source decreases over a period of time and is

measured in becquerels

7.12

know the definition of the term half-life and understand that it is different for different

radioactive isotopes

7.13

use the concept of the half-life to carry out simple calculations on activity, including

graphical methods

7.14

describe uses of radioactivity in industry and medicine

7.15

describe the difference between contamination and irradiation

7.16

describe the dangers of ionising radiations, including:

• that radiation can cause mutations in living organisms

• that radiation can damage cells and tissue

• the problems arising from the disposal of radioactive waste and how the

associated risks can be reduced.

7.17

know that nuclear reactions, including fission, fusion and radioactive decay, can be a

source of energy

7.18

understand how a nucleus of U-235 can be split (the process of fission) by collision

with a neutron, and that this process releases energy as kinetic energy of the fission

products

7.19

know that the fission of U-235 produces two radioactive daughter nuclei and a small

number of neutrons

7.20

describe how a chain reaction can be set up if the neutrons produced by one fission

strike other U-235 nuclei

7.21

describe the role played by the control rods and moderator in the fission process

7.22

understand the role of shielding around a nuclear reactor

7.23

explain the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission