Edexcel International GCSE Physics (4PH1) revision notes
IGCSE Physics video lessons · Revision notes · IGCSE Physics past papers
Clear revision notes for every topic, each beside its video lesson.
1 Movement and position
- Average speed, distance and time notes
- Distance-time graphs notes
- Practical: investigating the motion of everyday objects notes
- Acceleration notes
- Velocity-time graphs notes
- Distance travelled from a velocity-time graph notes
- Using v² = u² + 2as notes
- Motion graphs: putting it together notes
2 Forces and shape
- What forces do and the types of force notes
- Scalar and vector quantities notes
- Resultant forces and free-body diagrams notes
- Friction and drag notes
- Practical: stretching springs, wires and rubber bands notes
- Force-extension graphs and Hooke's law notes
3 Forces and movement
- Force, mass and acceleration notes
- Mass and weight notes
- Stopping distance: thinking and braking notes
- What affects stopping distance notes
- Falling objects and terminal velocity notes
- The skydiver: opening the parachute notes
4 Momentum
- Momentum notes
- Conservation of momentum in collisions notes
- Explosions and recoil notes
- Force and the rate of change of momentum notes
- Momentum and safety features notes
- Newton's third law notes
5 The turning effect of forces
- Moments notes
- Centre of gravity and stability notes
- The principle of moments notes
- Forces on a beam supported at both ends notes
6 Mains electricity
- Alternating and direct current notes
- Fuses and earthing notes
- Insulation, double insulation and circuit breakers notes
- Why a current heats a resistor notes
- Electrical power and choosing a fuse notes
- Energy transferred by an appliance notes
7 Current and voltage in circuits
- Current is the rate of flow of charge notes
- Circuit symbols, ammeters and voltmeters notes
- Current in series and parallel circuits notes
- Voltage in series and parallel circuits notes
- Voltage: energy per unit charge notes
- Series or parallel: which and why notes
8 Electrical resistance
- Resistance and V = I × R notes
- Current-voltage graphs for components notes
- Practical: investigating how current varies with voltage notes
- Light-dependent resistors and thermistors notes
- Calculating current, voltage and resistance in a series circuit notes
- Adding resistors: series against parallel notes
- Electricity calculations: choosing the right equation notes
9 Electric charge
- Electrical conductors and insulators notes
- Charging by friction notes
- Forces between charges and electrostatic effects notes
- Dangers of static electricity notes
- Uses of static electricity notes
10 Properties of waves
- Transverse and longitudinal waves notes
- Amplitude, wavelength, frequency, period and wavefronts notes
- The wave equation v = f × λ notes
- Frequency and time period notes
- Reflection and refraction of waves notes
- The Doppler effect notes
11 The electromagnetic spectrum
- The electromagnetic spectrum notes
- Uses of radio waves, microwaves and infrared notes
- Uses of visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays notes
- Dangers of electromagnetic radiation and protection notes
12 Light waves
- Reflection of light and plane mirrors notes
- Refraction of light notes
- Practical: refraction in blocks and prisms notes
- Refractive index: n = sin i / sin r notes
- Practical: measuring the refractive index of glass notes
- Critical angle and total internal reflection notes
- Total internal reflection in optical fibres and prisms notes
13 Sound
- Sound waves and human hearing notes
- Practical: measuring the speed of sound in air notes
- Displaying a sound wave with a microphone and oscilloscope notes
- Pitch and loudness notes
14 Energy transfers
- Energy stores and how energy is transferred notes
- Conservation of energy notes
- Efficiency notes
- Sankey diagrams notes
15 Thermal energy
- Conduction notes
- Convection and convection currents notes
- Thermal radiation: emission and absorption notes
- Practical: investigating conduction, convection and radiation notes
- Reducing unwanted energy transfer notes
16 Work and power
- Work done and energy transferred notes
- Gravitational potential energy notes
- Kinetic energy notes
- Linking GPE, KE and work notes
- Power notes
17 Energy resources and electricity generation
- Generating electricity: fossil fuels and nuclear power notes
- Wind and water power notes
- Geothermal energy, solar heating and solar cells notes
- Advantages and disadvantages of energy resources notes
18 Density and pressure
- Density notes
- Practical: measuring density notes
- Pressure notes
- Pressure in liquids and gases notes
- Calculating pressure in a liquid notes
19 Solids, liquids and gases
- Particles in solids, liquids and gases notes
- Changes of state: melting, evaporating and boiling notes
- Practical: a temperature-time graph for a change of state notes
- Specific heat capacity notes
- Practical: measuring specific heat capacity notes
- Gas pressure and molecules notes
- Absolute zero and the Kelvin scale notes
- Temperature and the speed of gas molecules notes
- Pressure and temperature of a gas notes
- Pressure and volume of a gas notes
20 Magnetism and electromagnetism
- Magnets and magnetic materials notes
- Magnetically hard and soft materials notes
- Magnetic fields and field lines notes
- Making a uniform magnetic field notes
- The magnetic field around a wire notes
- Coils, solenoids and electromagnets notes
- The force on a charged particle in a magnetic field notes
21 Electric motors and electromagnetic induction
- The motor effect notes
- Fleming's left-hand rule notes
- The simple d.c. electric motor notes
- The loudspeaker notes
- Electromagnetic induction notes
- Generating electricity: the a.c. generator notes
- Transformers notes
- Transformer calculations notes
- Transmitting electricity: why the voltage is stepped up notes
22 Atoms and radioactivity
- The structure of the atom notes
- Atomic number, mass number and isotopes notes
- Alpha, beta and gamma radiation notes
- Practical: investigating the penetrating power of radiation notes
- Nuclear equations and decay notes
- Detecting radiation and background radiation notes
23 Radiation and half-life
24 Applications of radioactivity
- Uses of radioactivity in medicine notes
- Uses of radioactivity in industry notes
- Contamination and irradiation notes
- Dangers of ionising radiation and radioactive waste notes
25 Fission and fusion
- Nuclear fission notes
- Chain reactions notes
- Inside a nuclear reactor notes
- Nuclear fusion notes
- Why fusion needs very high temperatures and pressures notes
26 Motion in the universe
- The universe, galaxies and our solar system notes
- Gravitational field strength on other planets notes
- Orbits of moons, planets, satellites and comets notes
- Orbital speed notes
27 Stellar evolution
- Classifying stars by colour notes
- The life cycle of a star like the Sun notes
- The life cycle of a massive star notes
- Brightness and absolute magnitude notes
- The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram notes
28 Cosmology
- The Big Bang theory notes
- Red-shift notes
- Calculating the speed of a galaxy notes
- Evidence for the Big Bang notes
29 Practical and maths skills
- Units, prefixes and standard form notes
- Using equations: substitute, rearrange, evaluate notes
- Significant figures and rounding notes
- Plotting a graph and drawing a line of best fit notes
- Gradients, tangents and areas under graphs notes
- Planning an investigation: variables and fair tests notes
- Accuracy, precision, errors and anomalies notes