Physics

Tutorial
Session
 Ret
urn
tex you
t
a f t b o ok r
Study Tips er
To do now until the lead up to exa your
m!
exam

Review all equations and variables

(including Unit 1 and Unit 2)!
Buddy up and rehearse identifying
the method to solve a problem –
skip the solving
Examine past EAs for question
style and mark allocation
 Perusal strategies

Read every question

study details of each question (diagrams,
graphs, labels, units, directions,
scientific notation, marks, etc.)
Reference the formula book as you
peruse
PRIORITISE confident marks first. You
don’t need to complete exam in order of
questions. Consider leaving multiple
choice for last.
Recognise cognitive verbs
Don’t start solving in your head.
 wRITING strategies

Manage your time. If you need,

skip a question and come back
to it
Use a pencil for diagrams, lines of
best fit, etc. in case you mess up
For questions with parts (a)(b)
(c) etc., read all parts before
starting part (a)
If you can’t do part (a) but need
its answer to do part (b), write
down a logical estimate for part
(a) and use that for part (b)
 Writing strategies

For extended answer questions

take 10 – 15 seconds to plan
your response before starting to
write
Each mark is an element of the
answer, therefore 5 marks
means there needs to be 5+
distinct elements
Concentrate on the question at
hand. Don’t think ahead to the
next question
 Common mistakes
Incorrect interpretation of cognitive verbs
e.g. compare vs contrast
Insuffi cient working
• Possible marks for: equation, substitution,
transposition, answer including units
Not having your calculator set to degrees
Not converting to standard units
Forgetting the scientific notation from a
figure
Mixing vector addition for scalar addition
Not measuring angles from the correct
reference point e.g. from a line perpendicular
to the cross-section
Using the right hand rule for negative charges
Ignoring or forgetting direction (positive or
negative) in calculations
 • Thermod
ynamics
Unit 1 • Nuclear
• Circuits
 • Linear
motion
Unit 2 – • Newton’s 3
Laws
Linear motion • Work and
Energy
 • Wave
equation
Unit 2 - • Polarization
• Standing
Waves Waves
 • Projectile
Motion
• Inclined
Unit 3: Topic 1 Planes
Gravity and Motion • Circular
Motion
• Gravity
• Orbits
 • x- and y-
motions are
INDEPENDENT
Projectile • Time is shared

motion • Acceleration is
-9.8 m/s2
• Special points
 • Rotated
coordinate system
Inclined • Motion always in

• F net = Σ || Forces =
parallel direction
planes
ma
• F g has

components:
 • Net force directly
inward
• Acceleration
Circular directly inward
Motion • Net force can be
from gravity,
magnetism, etc.
 • Gravitational Force, F g (N):
force between two objects
with mass

Gravity • Gravitational Field, g (N/kg or

m/s 2): Surrounds every mass,
always points inward
• Force points in direction of
field
• Diff erent masses feel the
same force, would have
diff erent accelerations
• “r” measured from center of

mass, not surface

Fg Fg
 • Kepler’s
Laws
Orbits
3rd: Square of
2nd: Equal period, T (s)
1st: All orbits are areas proportional to
elliptical swept out cube of radius, r
in equal (m)
times
 • Kepler’s Laws

Orbits
3rd: Square of
period
proportional to
cube of radius
Unit 3: Topic 2
Electromagnetism
• Electrostatics

• Magnetic Fields
• Electromagneti
c Induction
• Electromagneti
c Radiation
 • Electric (Coulomb) Force, F (N):
force between two objects with

Electrost charge
• Electric Field, E (N/C): surrounds
every charge, points in direction
atics of force on a positive charge
• Electric Potential, V (V): the
potential energy of 1 C due to
its position in an E field, no
direction
 • Magnetic flux density, B (T): Region
where a magnetic force would act on
Magnetic fi elds another magnet or moving charges
• Point from North to South
• Moving charges/currents create
magnetic fields
• Direction given by Right Hand Grip
Rule

• Moving charges and currents feel a

magnetic force when moving through
an external magnetic field
• Right Hand Slap Rule give the force
on positive charge and conventional
current (+ to -)

“Palm
Pushes”
 • Magnetic Flux, ɸ (Wb): Total
ElectroMag magnetic field strength passing
through a given area

netic •
Angle measured from the NORMAL
Faraday’s Law: EMF (voltage)

induction proportional to the rate of

change of flux
• Lenz’s Law: Induced current has
a magnetic field that always
opposes the CHANGE in magnetic
field (not necessarily the
direction)
ElectroMagnet
ism
Common
mistake:
misconstruing
magnetism
problems for
induction
problems
 • Transformers use two diff erent

Transfor
coils to change voltage up or
down
• For energy conservation,

mers •
Power in = Power out
Primary (input) must be
ALTERNATING CURRENT
• EMF is proportional to the
number of turns
• When n secondary > n primary the

voltage steps up
• When n secondary < n primary the

voltage steps down

 • Created by accelerating
Electromag charges
• Perpendicular E field, B

netic waves field, and direction

RHR:
Fingers – B Field
Thumb – E Field
(“current”)
Palm - Direction
(“force”)
• Can be polarized
• Speed of travel in a
vacuum is fixed
c = 3 x 108 m/s
• Obey laws of wave
behaviour
 • The
Postulates
• Simultanei
ty
Unit 4 • Time
Topic 1 Dilation
Special
• Length
Relativity Contractio
n
• Mass
 • Postulate 1:
Specia All laws of
l physics are the
relativ same for any
ity observer in an
inertial (non-
The
Postulates
accelerating)
frame of
reference
 • Two events occurring
at different points in
Specia space
l which are
relativ simultaneous for one
ity observer
CANNOT
Relativity of
Simultaneit be simultaneous for
y another observer
in a different frame
 • Proper (rest) time, to,
is for the observer who
Specia is present at the
l starting and ending
“events” (a) and (b)
relativ • the person on the ship (a)
ity leaves Earth and
(b) arrives at Alpha
PROPER VS Centauri
DILATED/CO • the particle is (a) fired from
NTRACTED an accelerator and then (b)
arrives at the detector.
Specia • The greater the speed of
l an object, the greater its
relativ
mass
ity
• As mass increases, a
“c”
the cosmic greater force is needed
speed limit
to accelerate it
Specia
• Muons reaching the
l surface of Earth: Time
relativ dilation (Earth frame)
ity and length
Paradoxes contraction (muon
and Natural frame)
Phenomena
• Twins’ Paradox: The
travelling twin
 • Light as a wave
Young’s
Experiment
Unit 4: Topic 2 • Blackbody

Quantum Radiation
• Light as a particle
• Photoelectric
Eff ect
• Models of the
atom
Including
limitations
• Emission
and
Absorption
Spectra
 • The EM spectrum
emitted by a hot
object has a
Blackbody brightest colour
called λmax which
radiation depends on its
temperature
• b = Wein’s
Displacement
Constant = 2.898
x 10-3 m*K
• Wave model of
light can’t explain
it
Ultraviolet
Catastrophe
 • Photon energy
depends on
frequency
Photoelectric • One photon of
suffi cient energy can
eff ect eject one electron
from a metal surface
• The minimum energy
is called the Work
Function, W = hf o
• Any
extra photon
energy is taken by
the electron as E k
• Photoelectric current
depends on
frequency and
intensity
• Evidence for particle
 Rutherford’s Nuclear
model

Models of the • Positive nucleus with e -

‘cloud’
Limitations:
atom
•
• Why don’t e - radiate energy
and collapse into nucleus
• What causes emission
spectra
Bohr’s Planetary model
• e - only in fixed, stable
orbits with fixed energies
(explained emission spectra )
• De Broglie’s standing
wave hypothesis
explained what orbits are
allowed and why e - don’t
radiate energy and
collapse inward
 • Electrons jump
between shells by
Emission and absorbing or emitting
exact amounts of
absorption energy
spectra • Absorbed photon -> jump
‘up’
• Emitted photon -> jump
‘down’
• Every element has a set
of unique transitions
which produce a unique
spectrum of colour
bands
• Rydberg Formula:
describes electron
transitions in single-
electron atoms
Unit 4: Topic 3
The Standard Model
• Particles
and forces
• Particle
interaction
s
 Particles • All matter is made up of
fundamental particles
and Forces •
•
Quarks
Leptons
• All matter particles have
an exact opposite
antimatter particle
• All particles can be
described by a unique set
of quantum numbers e.g.
lepton number, baryon
number
• All forces are mediated
(carried) by particles
called gluons
 Particle • All quantum numbers are
conserved in any particle
interactions interaction
• Lepton number is conserved
• Baryon number is conserved
• Charge is conserved
• Additionally
• Energy is conserved
• Momentum is conserved
• Feynman diagrams show a
particle interaction’s
progression with time
• Particles have forwards
arrows
• Antiparticles have
backwards arrows
• Symmetry exists between
interactions with similar
quantum numbers
 Identifying
problem types

• Recognising the problem

type is the first and most
important step
1) Determine the type of
physics being assessed
2) Identify relevant equations
3) Set out and solve
 Expect
“Com
challenging
plex
questions that
Unfam
combine
iliar”
elements of
more than one
topic
Possible • Charged particle in a
combinat magnetic field in circular
ions motion
• Gravity and circular
motion (essentially
orbits)
• Gravity down balanced
against an electric force
up
• Kinematic equations on
an inclined plane
• Ohm’s Law and
m = 2 kg
Additional
Topics
 • Law of Conservation of Energy
• Electrical circuits
• Gamma radiation
Unit 1 Links • E = mc2
• Nuclear model and strong
force addition
• Vector
• Acceleration due to gravity
near Earth’s surface is
constant (g = 9.8 m/s2) and Fg
Unit 2 Links = mg
• Newton’s 3 Laws
• Momentum and impulse
• Wave properties and wave
interactions
Defini • Know the definitions
wherever the syllabus
tions says define

Recall • Know the laws and

Questi relationships when it
says recall
ons