← Physics syllabus

ScotlandPhysics

Area 2: Particles and Waves

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do electric and magnetic fields exert forces on charged particles, and how are particles accelerated?

The work done accelerating a charge through a potential difference, the force on a charge moving in a magnetic field, and the operation of particle accelerators.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on forces on charged particles, covering the work done accelerating a charge through a potential difference, the force on a charge moving in a magnetic field, and how particle accelerators work.
11 min answer →

How do coherent waves interfere, and how does a diffraction grating split light into its colours?

Coherence and path difference, constructive and destructive interference, and the diffraction grating equation relating wavelength, slit spacing and the angle to a maximum.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on interference and diffraction, covering coherence and path difference, constructive and destructive interference, and the diffraction grating equation relating wavelength, slit spacing and the angle to a maximum.
11 min answer →

How do fission and fusion release energy, and how is the energy found from the mass difference?

Nuclear fission and fusion, the conservation of mass-energy, and the calculation of the energy released using the mass difference and $E = mc^2$ .
An SQA Higher Physics answer on nuclear reactions, covering nuclear fission and fusion, the conservation of mass-energy, and how to calculate the energy released from the mass difference using E equals mc squared.
11 min answer →

How does light refract and totally internally reflect, and what produces line spectra?

Refraction and the refractive index, critical angle and total internal reflection, and the emission and absorption line spectra produced by electron energy-level transitions.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on refraction and spectra, covering refraction and the refractive index, the critical angle and total internal reflection, and the emission and absorption line spectra produced by electron energy-level transitions.
12 min answer →

How does the standard model classify the fundamental particles and the forces between them?

The standard model of fermions (quarks and leptons) and force-mediating bosons, the classification of hadrons into baryons and mesons, and antimatter.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on the standard model, covering the fermions (quarks and leptons), the force-mediating bosons, the classification of hadrons into baryons and mesons, and antimatter.
11 min answer →

How does the photoelectric effect show that light behaves as particles?

The photon model of light, the photoelectric effect, the work function and threshold frequency, and the photoelectric equation for the kinetic energy of emitted electrons.
An SQA Higher Physics answer on wave-particle duality and the photoelectric effect, covering the photon model of light, the work function and threshold frequency, and the photoelectric equation for the kinetic energy of emitted electrons.
11 min answer →