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§-Physics syllabus
QLD · QCAA← Physics

Physics syllabus, dot point by dot point

Every dot point in the QLD Physics syllabus, in syllabus order, with a focused answer for each. Open any dot point for the answer, exam-style questions and links to related points.

Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics

Unit overview →

Topic 1: Heating processes

Describe internal energy, temperature and thermal equilibrium in terms of the kinetic theory of matter, and distinguish heat from temperature
7 min read →
Describe and distinguish between conduction, convection and radiation as mechanisms of heat transfer, with reference to everyday and industrial applications
7 min read →
Solve problems involving specific heat capacity (Q=mcΔTQ = mc\Delta T) and specific latent heat (Q=mLQ = mL) of fusion and vaporisation, including state changes
8 min read →

Topic 2: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions

Describe nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, including the role of binding energy per nucleon, and apply mass-energy equivalence (E=mc2E = mc^2) to estimate the energy released
8 min read →
Describe the properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiation, including charge, mass, ionising and penetrating power, and represent decay reactions using balanced nuclear equations
8 min read →
Solve problems involving the exponential decay of radioactive nuclides, half-life and decay constant, and apply to radiometric dating and medical applications
8 min read →

Topic 3: Electrical circuits

Define electric current, potential difference and resistance, and apply Ohm's law (V=IRV = IR) to simple resistive circuits
7 min read →
Solve problems involving electrical power and energy in DC circuits, applying P=VI=I2R=V2/RP = VI = I^2 R = V^2 / R and electrical energy W=PtW = P t
7 min read →
Analyse series and parallel resistor combinations using Kirchhoff's current and voltage laws, including problems with mixed series and parallel branches
9 min read →

How are electric circuits analysed using Ohm's law and energy conservation?

Electric current, voltage, resistance, Ohm's law V=IRV = IR, series and parallel circuits, electric power P=VIP = VI, and household electricity
10 min read →

How are thermal phenomena explained using kinetic theory and heat transfer?

Thermal energy, temperature and kinetic theory of matter, methods of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation), specific heat capacity Q=mcΔTQ = mc\Delta T, and latent heat
10 min read →

What is nuclear physics, and how do nuclei decay and produce energy?

Atomic nucleus, isotopes, types of radioactive decay (alpha, beta, gamma), half-life, fission and fusion
10 min read →

Unit 2: Linear motion and waves

Unit overview →

Topic 1: Linear motion and force

Define power as the rate of doing work or transferring energy, and apply P=W/t=FvP = W / t = Fv to mechanical systems, including efficiency calculations
8 min read →
Define work, kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy, and apply the principle of conservation of mechanical energy to one-dimensional problems including those with friction
9 min read →
Define linear momentum and impulse, and apply the principle of conservation of momentum to one-dimensional collisions and explosions, distinguishing between elastic and inelastic collisions
9 min read →
Recall and apply the equations for uniformly accelerated motion to one-dimensional problems, including problems involving free fall under gravity
9 min read →
Recall, describe and apply Newton's three laws of motion, including the use of free-body diagrams to identify forces acting on an object and solve problems involving weight, normal force, friction and tension
10 min read →
Recall, describe and apply the concepts of position, displacement, distance, speed, velocity and acceleration, distinguishing between scalar and vector quantities and between average and instantaneous values
8 min read →
Distinguish between scalar and vector quantities, including identifying examples and applying operations of addition and subtraction in one and two dimensions
8 min read →
Analyse the linear motion of an object using graphs of position, velocity and acceleration against time, interpreting slope and area under the graph
9 min read →

Topic 2: Waves

Recall and apply the wave equation v=fλv = f \lambda to determine the speed, frequency or wavelength of a wave, including across media in which the wave speed changes
8 min read →
Describe the superposition of mechanical waves and explain constructive and destructive interference in terms of phase relationships
8 min read →
Describe mechanical waves as transverse or longitudinal, identifying their characteristics including wavelength, period, frequency, amplitude and speed, and giving examples of each
8 min read →
Explain the formation of standing waves in strings (fixed at both ends) and in air columns (open and closed pipes), and solve problems involving the resonant frequencies of mechanical systems
9 min read →

How is linear motion analysed using Newton's laws?

Linear motion (displacement, velocity, acceleration, suvat equations), Newton's three laws, free-body diagrams, momentum p=mvp = mv, impulse J=FΔtJ = F \Delta t, work, energy, power
10 min read →

How are waves described and how do they behave?

Wave properties (wavelength, frequency, amplitude, period, wave speed v=fλv = f\lambda), transverse vs longitudinal waves, sound waves, the wave behaviours (reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, polarisation), the Doppler effect, and the electromagnetic spectrum
10 min read →

Unit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism

Unit overview →

Topic 1: Gravity and motion

Apply Newton's law of universal gravitation F = G m1 m2 / r^2 and the gravitational field strength g = G M / r^2 to calculate gravitational force, field strength and acceleration at points in a radial gravitational field
9 min read →
Solve problems involving projectile motion by resolving the motion into independent horizontal and vertical components, assuming constant downward acceleration due to gravity and negligible air resistance
10 min read →
Apply the relationships for orbital motion of satellites and planets, including Kepler's third law T^2 / r^3 = 4 pi^2 / (G M), orbital speed v = sqrt(G M / r), and the energy of an orbit (kinetic, gravitational potential and total)
11 min read →
Apply the relationships for uniform circular motion, including centripetal acceleration a = v^2/r, centripetal force F = m v^2 / r, period T = 2 pi r / v, and the geometry of banked curves and conical pendulums
11 min read →

Topic 2: Electromagnetism

Apply Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction (induced EMF = - N dPhi/dt) and Lenz's law to determine the magnitude and direction of induced EMF, including motional EMF in a moving conductor and the induced current in a circuit
12 min read →
Apply the relationships for the magnetic force on a moving charge F = q v B sin(theta) and on a current-carrying conductor F = B I L sin(theta), including the right-hand rule, circular motion of charged particles in uniform magnetic fields, and forces between parallel conductors
11 min read →
Apply Coulomb's law F = k q1 q2 / r^2, the electric field of a point charge E = k Q / r^2, and the uniform electric field between parallel plates E = V / d to calculate forces, fields and the motion of charged particles
11 min read →
Apply the ideal-transformer relationships V_s / V_p = N_s / N_p and I_p / I_s = N_s / N_p, and the role of step-up and step-down transformers in minimising I^2 R losses in AC power transmission
12 min read →

Unit 4: Revolutions in modern physics

Unit overview →

Topic 1: Special relativity

Explain Einstein's two postulates of special relativity (the principle of relativity and the constancy of the speed of light), and apply the time dilation formula t=γt0t = \gamma t_0 where γ=1/1−v2/c2\gamma = 1/\sqrt{1 - v^2/c^2} to predict the time experienced by moving observers
11 min read →
Apply the length contraction formula L=L0/γL = L_0 / \gamma and the relativistic momentum formula p=γmvp = \gamma m v to predict the contraction of moving objects and the momentum of relativistic particles
10 min read →
Apply Einstein's mass-energy equivalence E=mc2E = mc^2 (rest energy) and the relativistic energy E=γmc2E = \gamma m c^2 (total energy) to nuclear reactions, particle physics and astrophysics
10 min read →

Topic 2: Quantum theory

Explain wave-particle duality through de Broglie's matter-wave hypothesis λ=h/p\lambda = h/p, applying it to electron diffraction and to the quantum nature of matter
10 min read →
Apply the photon model of light (E=hfE = hf), the photoelectric equation (Ek,max⁡=hf−ϕE_{k,\max} = hf - \phi), and the Bohr model of atomic energy levels with transitions producing photons of energy ΔE=hf\Delta E = h f
11 min read →

Topic 3: The standard model

Identify the elementary particles of the Standard Model (quarks, leptons, gauge bosons, Higgs boson), classify hadrons as baryons (three quarks) and mesons (quark-antiquark pairs), and explain the role of each particle family
11 min read →
Describe the four fundamental forces (gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, weak nuclear), their gauge boson mediators (in the Standard Model), their relative strengths and effective ranges, and applications in nuclear and particle physics
10 min read →

Based on the official QCAA syllabus. Not individually reviewed by a person; always check QCAA and your school's materials.

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