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Northern Ireland · CCEAQ&A
PhysicsQ&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every Northern Ireland Physics syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Atomic, nuclear and space physics
- The nuclear model of the atom, the charges and masses of protons, neutrons and electrons, atomic and mass number, and isotopes.3Q&A pairs
- Half-life as the time for activity to halve, reading half-life from a decay curve, and calculations of remaining activity or mass.5Q&A pairs
- Nuclear fission of heavy nuclei and the chain reaction, the parts of a nuclear reactor, and nuclear fusion in stars.3Q&A pairs
- Alpha, beta and gamma radiation and their properties, the random nature of decay, and writing balanced nuclear equations for alpha and beta decay.5Q&A pairs
- The Solar System and orbits, the life cycle of stars, red shift, and the evidence for the expanding universe and the Big Bang.3Q&A pairs
- Uses of radioactive sources in medicine and industry, the dangers of ionising radiation, irradiation versus contamination, and safety precautions.4Q&A pairs
Density, pressure and kinetic theory
- Density as mass per unit volume, the equation rho = m / V, and experiments to measure the density of regular solids, irregular solids and liquids.4Q&A pairs
- Explaining gas pressure in terms of particle collisions, and how gas pressure changes with temperature and volume at the particle level.3Q&A pairs
- Heat transfer by conduction, convection and infrared radiation, the role of surface colour, and methods of reducing unwanted energy transfers.5Q&A pairs
- Properties of solids, liquids and gases in terms of particle arrangement and motion, changes of state, and interpreting heating curves.5Q&A pairs
- Pressure as force per unit area, P = F / A, pressure in liquids increasing with depth and density, and the equation P = rho g h.6Q&A pairs
Electricity, magnetism and electromagnetism
- Electric charge and current, the equation Q = I t, potential difference, resistance, and Ohm's law V = I R.6Q&A pairs
- Electromagnetic induction, the AC generator, the structure and action of a transformer, and the transformer equation.4Q&A pairs
- The current-voltage characteristics of an ohmic resistor, a filament lamp and a diode, and what each graph shows about resistance.4Q&A pairs
- Alternating and direct current, the live, neutral and earth wires, fuses and earthing, and the electrical power equation P = V I.3Q&A pairs
- The rules for current and potential difference in series and parallel circuits, and how total resistance changes with each arrangement.5Q&A pairs
- Magnetic fields around magnets and current-carrying wires, electromagnets, the motor effect and Fleming's left-hand rule, and the electric motor.5Q&A pairs
Energy
- Renewable and non-renewable energy resources, how electricity is generated from them, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.3Q&A pairs
- The main energy stores and the ways energy is transferred, the principle of conservation of energy, and dissipation of energy to the surroundings.6Q&A pairs
- Kinetic energy from E = half m v squared, gravitational potential energy from E = mgh, and using conservation of energy to link them.5Q&A pairs
- Power as the rate of energy transfer, P = E / t, and efficiency as useful output over total input.4Q&A pairs
- Work done as energy transferred by a force, the equation W = F s, and the link between work done and energy.3Q&A pairs
Motion and forces
- Interpreting distance-time and velocity-time graphs, finding speed and acceleration from gradients, and distance from the area under a velocity-time graph.5Q&A pairs
- Momentum p = mv, the principle of conservation of momentum, and calculations for one-dimensional collisions and explosions.4Q&A pairs
- Resultant force, Newton's first, second and third laws, and using F = ma to relate force, mass and acceleration.5Q&A pairs
- Distance, displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration, the difference between scalars and vectors, and the equations linking them.5Q&A pairs
- Thinking, braking and stopping distances, the factors affecting each, and how safety features reduce the force in a crash.5Q&A pairs
- Mass and weight, the equation W = mg, free fall, air resistance and how a falling object reaches terminal velocity.4Q&A pairs
Waves, light and the electromagnetic spectrum
- Converging and diverging lenses, how they refract light to form images, the structure of the eye, and correcting short and long sight.4Q&A pairs
- Reflection and the law angle of incidence equals angle of reflection, refraction as a change of speed and direction at a boundary, and total internal reflection.4Q&A pairs
- Sound as a longitudinal wave, the link between pitch and frequency and loudness and amplitude, the human hearing range, and uses of ultrasound.5Q&A pairs
- The order of the electromagnetic spectrum, the common properties of EM waves, and the uses and hazards of each region.3Q&A pairs
- Transverse and longitudinal waves, the wave terms amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period, and the wave equation v = f lambda.4Q&A pairs