Northern Ireland · CCEASyllabus
Physics syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Northern Ireland Physicssyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Atomic, nuclear and space physics
Module overview →- What is inside an atom, and what makes one isotope different from another?The nuclear model of the atom, the charges and masses of protons, neutrons and electrons, atomic and mass number, and isotopes.10 min answer →
- What is half-life, and how do we use it to work out how much of a source remains?Half-life as the time for activity to halve, reading half-life from a decay curve, and calculations of remaining activity or mass.10 min answer →
- How do nuclear fission and fusion release energy, and how do they differ?Nuclear fission of heavy nuclei and the chain reaction, the parts of a nuclear reactor, and nuclear fusion in stars.11 min answer →
- What are alpha, beta and gamma radiation, and how do nuclei change when they decay?Alpha, beta and gamma radiation and their properties, the random nature of decay, and writing balanced nuclear equations for alpha and beta decay.11 min answer →
- How is the Solar System structured, how do stars live and die, and what does red shift tell us about the universe?The Solar System and orbits, the life cycle of stars, red shift, and the evidence for the expanding universe and the Big Bang.11 min answer →
- How is radiation used safely, and what are its dangers to living things?Uses of radioactive sources in medicine and industry, the dangers of ionising radiation, irradiation versus contamination, and safety precautions.11 min answer →
Density, pressure and kinetic theory
Module overview →- What is density, and how do we measure it for solids and liquids?Density as mass per unit volume, the equation rho = m / V, and experiments to measure the density of regular solids, irregular solids and liquids.10 min answer →
- What causes gas pressure, and how does it change with temperature and volume?Explaining gas pressure in terms of particle collisions, and how gas pressure changes with temperature and volume at the particle level.10 min answer →
- How does heat move by conduction, convection and radiation, and how can we reduce unwanted heat loss?Heat transfer by conduction, convection and infrared radiation, the role of surface colour, and methods of reducing unwanted energy transfers.11 min answer →
- How does the particle model explain the three states of matter and the changes between them?Properties of solids, liquids and gases in terms of particle arrangement and motion, changes of state, and interpreting heating curves.10 min answer →
- How is pressure calculated, and how does pressure in a liquid change with depth?Pressure as force per unit area, P = F / A, pressure in liquids increasing with depth and density, and the equation P = rho g h.11 min answer →
Electricity, magnetism and electromagnetism
Module overview →- What are charge, current, voltage and resistance, and how are they related?Electric charge and current, the equation Q = I t, potential difference, resistance, and Ohm's law V = I R.11 min answer →
- How is a voltage induced by a changing magnetic field, and how do generators and transformers work?Electromagnetic induction, the AC generator, the structure and action of a transformer, and the transformer equation.11 min answer →
- How do the current-voltage graphs of a resistor, a lamp and a diode differ?The current-voltage characteristics of an ohmic resistor, a filament lamp and a diode, and what each graph shows about resistance.10 min answer →
- How does mains electricity reach our homes safely, and how is electrical power calculated?Alternating and direct current, the live, neutral and earth wires, fuses and earthing, and the electrical power equation P = V I.11 min answer →
- How do current and voltage behave differently in series and parallel circuits?The rules for current and potential difference in series and parallel circuits, and how total resistance changes with each arrangement.11 min answer →
- How do magnets and electric currents produce magnetic fields and forces?Magnetic fields around magnets and current-carrying wires, electromagnets, the motor effect and Fleming's left-hand rule, and the electric motor.11 min answer →
Energy
Module overview →- What are our main energy resources, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?Renewable and non-renewable energy resources, how electricity is generated from them, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.11 min answer →
- What are the different energy stores, and what does it mean to say energy is conserved?The main energy stores and the ways energy is transferred, the principle of conservation of energy, and dissipation of energy to the surroundings.10 min answer →
- How do we calculate the energy of a moving object and the energy of a raised object?Kinetic energy from E = half m v squared, gravitational potential energy from E = mgh, and using conservation of energy to link them.11 min answer →
- What is power, and how do we measure how efficiently a device transfers energy?Power as the rate of energy transfer, P = E / t, and efficiency as useful output over total input.11 min answer →
- What does it mean to do work, and how is work related to energy transferred?Work done as energy transferred by a force, the equation W = F s, and the link between work done and energy.10 min answer →
Motion and forces
Module overview →- How do motion graphs show speed, acceleration and distance travelled?Interpreting distance-time and velocity-time graphs, finding speed and acceleration from gradients, and distance from the area under a velocity-time graph.10 min answer →
- What is momentum, and how is it conserved in collisions and explosions?Momentum p = mv, the principle of conservation of momentum, and calculations for one-dimensional collisions and explosions.11 min answer →
- How do forces change the way objects move?Resultant force, Newton's first, second and third laws, and using F = ma to relate force, mass and acceleration.11 min answer →
- How do we describe how fast something moves and how quickly its motion changes?Distance, displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration, the difference between scalars and vectors, and the equations linking them.10 min answer →
- What affects how far a car travels before it stops, and how do safety features protect us?Thinking, braking and stopping distances, the factors affecting each, and how safety features reduce the force in a crash.10 min answer →
- What is the difference between mass and weight, and why does a falling object reach a steady speed?Mass and weight, the equation W = mg, free fall, air resistance and how a falling object reaches terminal velocity.10 min answer →
Waves, light and the electromagnetic spectrum
Module overview →- How do converging and diverging lenses form images, and how does this relate to the eye?Converging and diverging lenses, how they refract light to form images, the structure of the eye, and correcting short and long sight.11 min answer →
- How does light reflect off surfaces and bend when it changes speed?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.11 min answer →
- How are sound waves produced and heard, and how is ultrasound used?Sound as a longitudinal wave, the link between pitch and frequency and loudness and amplitude, the human hearing range, and uses of ultrasound.10 min answer →
- What makes up the electromagnetic spectrum, and what are the uses and hazards of each part?The order of the electromagnetic spectrum, the common properties of EM waves, and the uses and hazards of each region.11 min answer →
- What are the properties of waves, and how are speed, frequency and wavelength related?Transverse and longitudinal waves, the wave terms amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period, and the wave equation v = f lambda.11 min answer →