Table Of ContentAQA Physics
2nd Edition
A
LEVEL
OXFORD
OXFORD
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This book has been writcen co support students studying for AQA A
Level Physics. The sections covered are shown in the contents list,
which also shows you the page numbers for the main topics within
each section. There is also an index at the back to help you find what
you are looking for. If you are studying for AS Physics. you will only
need to know the content in the blue box. This student book contains
summaries of the Year 2 options. The full options are available on
Kerboodle with supporting material.
Year 2 content
6 Further mechanics and thermal
physics
7 Fields
8 Nuclear physics
Plus one option from the following: E
cu
• Astrophysics
)(
• Medical physics Cl)
• Engineering physics
Cl)
>
• Turning points in physics
-Cl)
• Electronics
~
ALevel exams will cover content from Year 1 and Year 2 and will be at
a higher demand than the AS exams. You will also carry out practical
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How to use this book vi
Kerboodle ix
Skills for starting AS and A Level Physics xii
Section 1 4.6 More about stationary waves on strings 62
Particles and radiation 2 4.7 Using an oscilloscope 64
Practice questions 66
1 Matter and radiation 4
1.1 Inside the atom 4
5 Optics 68
1.2 Stable and unstable nuclei 6
5.1 Refraction of light 68
1.3 Photons 8
5.2 More about refraction 70
1.4 Particles and antiparticles 10
5.3 Total internal reflection 73
1.5 Particle interactions 13
5.4 Double slit interference 76
Practice questions 16
5.5 More about interference 79
2 Ouarks and leptons 18 5.6 Diffraction 82
2.1 The particle zoo 18 5.7 The diffraction grating 85
2.2 Particle sorting 20 Practice questions 88
2.3 Leptons at work 22 Section 2 summary 90
2.4 Quarks and antiquarks 24 End of Section 2 questions 92
2.5 Conservation rules 26
Practice questions 28 Section 3
3 Ouantum phenomena 30 Mechanics and materials 94
3.1 The photoelectric effect 30 6 Forces in equilibrium 96
3.2 More about photoelectricity 32 6.1 Vectors and scalars 96
3.3 Collisions of electrons with atoms 34 6.2 Balanced forces 100
3.4 Energy levels in atoms 36 6.3 The principle of moments 103
3.5 Energy levels and spectra 39 6.4 More on moments 105
3.6 Wave- particle duality 41 6.5 Stability 107
Practice questions 44 6.6 Equilibrium rules 110
Section 1 summary 46 6.7 Statics calculations 114
End of Section 1 questions 48 Practice questions 116
7 On the move 118
Section 2
7.1 Speed and velocity 118
Waves and optics 50
7.2 Acceleration 120
4 Waves 52 7.3 Motion along a straight line at
4.1 Waves and vibrations 52 constant acceleration 122
4.2 Measuring waves 54 7.4 Free fall 125
4.3 Wave properties 1 56 7.5 Motion graphs 128
4.4 Wave properties 2 58 7.6 More calculations on motion along
4.5 Stationary and progressive waves 60 a straight line 130
•
7.7 Projectile motion 1 132 13 DC circuits 214
7.8 Projectile motion 2 134 13.1 Circuit rules 214
Practice questions 136 13.2 More about resistance 217
13.3 Electromotive force and internal
8 Newton's laws of motion 138
resistance 220
8.1 Force and acceleration 138
13.4 More about circuit calculations 223
8.2 UsingF = ma 141
13.5 The potential divider 226
8.3 Terminal speed 144
Practice questions 228
8.4 On the road 146
Section 4 summary 230
8.5 Vehicle safety 149
End of Section 4 questions 232
Practice questions 152
Further practice questions 234
9 Force and momentum 154
9.1 Momentum and impulse 154 Section 5
9.2 Impact forces 158 Skills in AS physics 242
9.3 Conservation of momentum 161
14 Practical work in physics 243
9.4 Elastic and inelastic collisions 164
14.1 Moving on from GCSE 243
9.5 Explosions 166
14.2 Making careful measurements 245
Practice questions 168
14.3 Everyday physics instruments 247
10 Work, energy, and power 170 14.4 Analysis and evaluation 249
10.1 Work and energy 170
15 About pract c. I assessment 252
10.2 Kinetic energy and potential energy 173
15.1 Assessment outline 252
10.3 Power 175
15.2 Direct assessment 254
10.4 Energy and efficiency 180
15.3 Indirect assessment 256
Practice questions 182
16 More on mathematical skills 258
11 Materials 184 16.1 Data handling 258
11.1 Density 184 16.2 Trigonometry 260
11.2 Springs 186 16.3 More about algebra 262
11.3 Deformation of solids 189 16.4 Straight line graphs 265
11.4 More about stress and strain 192 16.5 More on graphs 267
Practice questions 194 16.6 Graphs, gradients, and areas 269
Section 3 summary 196
End of Section 3 questions 198 Section 6
Further mechanics and thermal
Section 4 physics 272
Electricity 200 17 Motion in a circle 274
12 Electric current 202 17.1 Uniform circular motion 274
12.1 Current and charge 202 17.2 Centripetal acceleration 276
12.2 Potential difference and power 204 17.3 On the road 278
12.3 Resistance 206 17.4 At the fairground 280
12.4 Components and their characteristics 209 Practice questions: Chapter 1? 282
Practice questions 212 •
18 Simple harmonic motion 286 23 Capacitors 380
18.1 Oscillations 286 23.1 Capacitance 380
18.2 The principles of simple harmonic 23.2 Energy stored in a charged capacitor 382
motion 288 23.3 Charging and discharging a
18.3 More about sine waves 290 capacitor through a fixed resistor 384
18.4 Applications of simple harmonic motion 292 23.4 Dielectrics 388
18.5 Energy and simple harmonic motion 296 Practice questions: Chapter 23 392
18.6 Forced vibrations and resonance 299
24 Magnetic fields 396
Practice questions: Chapter 18 302
24.1 Current-carrying conductors in a
19 Thermal physics 306 magnetic field 396
19.1 Internal energy and temperature 306 24.2 Moving charges in a magnetic field 400
19.2 specific heat capacity 310 24.3 Charged particles in circular orbits 403
19.3 Change of state 313 Practice questions: Chapter 24 406
Practice questions: Chapter 19 316
25 Electromagnetic induction 410
20 Gases 318 25.1 Generating electricity 410
20.1 The experimental gas laws 318 25.2 The laws of electromagnetic induction 413
20.2 The ideal gas law 320 25.3 The alternating current generator 417
20.3 The kinetic theory of gases 323 25.4 Alternating current and power 420
Practice questions: Chapter 20 327 25.5 Transformers 423
Section 6 summary 330 Practice questions: Chapter 25 426
End of Section 6 questions 332 Section 7 summary 430
Practice questions: Fields 432
Section 7
Fields 336
Section 8
Nuclear physics 436
21 Gravitational fields 338
21.1 Gravitational field strength 338 26 Rad oactlvlty 438
21.2 Gravitational potential 340 26.1 The discovery of the nucleus 438
21.3 Newton's law of gravitation 343 26.2 The properties of a, 13, and 'Y radiation 441
21.4 Planetary fields 346 26.3 More about a, 13, and 'Y radiation 446
21.5 Satellite motion 351 26.4 The dangers of radioactivity 449
Practice questions: Chapter 21 354 26.5 Radioactive decay 452
26.6 The theory of radioactive decay 455
22 Electric fields 358
26.7 Radioactive isotopes in use 458
22.1 Field patterns 358
26.8 More about decay modes 462
22.2 Electric field strength 362
26.9 Nuclear radius 466
22.3 Electric potential 366
Practice questions: Chapter 26 468
22.4 Coulomb's law 369
22.5 Point charges 372 27 UC a 472
22.6 Comparing electric fields and 27.1 Energy and mass 472
gravitational fields 375 27.2 Binding energy 475
Practice questions: Chapter 22 376 27.3 Fission and fusion 478
•
27.4 The thermal nuclear reactor 481
Practice questions: Chapter 27 485
Sec .. 488
Practice questions: Nuclear physics 490
Further practice questions 494
Section 9
Option section summaries 502
28.1 Astrophysics 502
28.2 Medical physics 506
28.3 Engineering physics 510
28.4 Turning points in physics 514
28.5 Electronics 518
Section 10
Skills in A Level Year 2 Physics 522
29 Practical work in Year 2 Physics 523
29.1 Comparison of practical work in
Year 1 and Year 2 523
29.2 More about measurements 526
30 Mathematical skills in Year 2 Physics 529
30.1 Trigonometry 529
30.2 Algebra 532
30.3 Logarithms 534
30.4 Exponent~ldecrease 537
30.5 Areas and integration 540
30.6 Graphical and computational modelling 543
Reference data and equations 547
Glossary 550
Answers 562
Index 576
•
Learning objectives This book contains many different features. Each feature is designed to
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Specification reference: 3.1.1
Synoptic link
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0·
is important, and you will need to develop your maths skills, with the icon and to develop your practical
f).
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