Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics
12 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.
How are electric circuits analysed using Ohm's law and energy conservation?
Topic 3: Electrical circuits
- Solve problems involving electrical power and energy in DC circuits, applying $P = VI = I^2 R = V^2 / R$ and electrical energy $W = P t$
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on electrical power and energy. Applies $P = VI$, $P = I^2 R$ and $P = V^2 / R$, distinguishes power from energy, converts kWh to joules, and works the QCAA-style household appliance running-cost problem.
5 min answer → - Define electric current, potential difference and resistance, and apply Ohm's law ($V = IR$) to simple resistive circuits
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on Ohm's law. Defines current ($I = Q/t$), potential difference ($V = W/Q$) and resistance ($R = V/I$), distinguishes ohmic and non-ohmic conductors, and works the QCAA-style multi-resistor calculation from EA Paper 1.
5 min answer → - Analyse series and parallel resistor combinations using Kirchhoff's current and voltage laws, including problems with mixed series and parallel branches
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on series and parallel circuits. Applies Kirchhoff's current law (junction rule) and voltage law (loop rule), derives equivalent resistance for series and parallel combinations, and works the QCAA-style mixed-circuit problem from EA Paper 2.
7 min answer →
Topic 2: Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions
- Solve problems involving the exponential decay of radioactive nuclides, half-life and decay constant, and apply to radiometric dating and medical applications
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on half-life and radioactive decay. Applies $N = N_0 (1/2)^{t/T_{1/2}}$ and the decay constant $\lambda = \ln 2 / T_{1/2}$, walks through radiometric dating (carbon-14) and medical applications (technetium-99m), and works the QCAA-style number-of-half-lives problem.
6 min answer → - Describe nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, including the role of binding energy per nucleon, and apply mass-energy equivalence ($E = mc^2$) to estimate the energy released
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on fission and fusion. Reads the binding-energy curve to show why both reactions release energy, applies $E = mc^2$ to mass defect, and works the QCAA-style energy-per-reaction problem from EA Paper 2 with worked U-235 numbers.
6 min answer → - Describe the properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiation, including charge, mass, ionising and penetrating power, and represent decay reactions using balanced nuclear equations
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on the three common types of ionising radiation. Tabulates the charge, mass, ionising power, penetration and shielding of alpha, beta and gamma radiation, and works the QCAA-style balanced-nuclear-equation problem that appears in EA Paper 1.
6 min answer →
Topic 1: Heating processes
- Describe and distinguish between conduction, convection and radiation as mechanisms of heat transfer, with reference to everyday and industrial applications
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on heat transfer mechanisms. Defines conduction (particle-to-particle collisions), convection (bulk fluid motion driven by density differences) and radiation (electromagnetic emission), and works the QCAA-style application question on insulation and energy-efficient homes.
5 min answer → - Describe internal energy, temperature and thermal equilibrium in terms of the kinetic theory of matter, and distinguish heat from temperature
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on internal energy and thermal equilibrium. Defines internal energy as the sum of microscopic kinetic and potential energies, distinguishes heat (energy in transit) from temperature (average translational kinetic energy of particles), and explains how thermal equilibrium establishes a common temperature.
5 min answer → - Solve problems involving specific heat capacity ($Q = mc\Delta T$) and specific latent heat ($Q = mL$) of fusion and vaporisation, including state changes
A focused answer to the QCE Physics Unit 1 dot point on specific heat capacity and latent heat. Applies $Q = mc\Delta T$ and $Q = mL$ to heating, cooling and phase-change calculations, and works the QCAA-style multi-stage problem (heating ice, melting, heating water, vaporising) used in EA Paper 1.
6 min answer →