AQA A-Level Physics Active Recall Guide (7408)

AQA · A-Level

AQA A-Level Physics Active Recall Guide

A question-and-answer revision guide for AQA A-Level Physics, built to be worked in three passes rather than read.

AQA
A-Level
Specification 7408
13 topics

See what is inside or try the sample questions.

AQA A-Level Physics Active Recall Guide cover

£8 GBP

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The 3-step active recall method

Re-reading notes is a futile process when your aim is to remember the information and successfully apply it in exam settings. Active recall is the method you use to ensure the information sticks for a long period of time. But even active recall can be futile unless you have a structured way of implementing it. This is where the 3-step active recall method comes in, a structured method that is signature to the Levo Learning guides.

Step 1
Answer up to 10 questions cold, closed book, even if you are unsure on the topic.
Step 2
Answer the same questions again, but open book. Write the correct answer down even if it seems pointless.
Step 3
Repeat as step 1 and answer the questions closed book again.

Worked across the AQA A-Level Physics specification, one subtopic at a time.

The subject, and what is assessed

AQA A-Level Physics (specification 7408) is assessed by three written papers taken at the end of the two-year course. Paper 1 covers the first five topics and carries 85 marks over 2 hours. Paper 2 covers further mechanics and thermal physics, fields, and nuclear physics, and also carries 85 marks over 2 hours, with a section assuming knowledge of the earlier content. Paper 3 lasts 2 hours and has two sections: practical skills and data analysis, then one optional topic chosen from Astrophysics, Medical physics, Engineering physics, Turning points in physics and Electronics. Practical skills are assessed across all three papers and separately through the practical endorsement.

Paper	Covers	Length	Marks	Weighting
Paper 1		2 hours	85 marks	34%
Paper 2		2 hours	85 marks	34%
Paper 3	Practical skills and optional topic	2 hours	80 marks	32%

Memorisation, then application

Marks are given for applying content to the question that has been set, which cannot happen while the content is still being looked up. Step 1 shows what is actually held. Step 2 puts the correct wording in front of you while the gap is still fresh. Step 3 repeats the cold test, and the difference between the first and third attempt is the part that has moved.

Every question in the guide is paired with its answer in the same document, so step 2 is done from the guide itself rather than from a separate set of notes.

What is inside the guide

Questions are grouped by topic and then by subtopic, following the AQA specification. Open a topic to see its subtopics.

Measurements and Their Errors3 subtopics

Measurements and their errors runs through the whole course and can be examined on any paper. It covers the SI system, how uncertainty is calculated and combined, and how to estimate a quantity to the right order of magnitude.

Use of SI units and their prefixes24
Limitation of physical measurements51
Estimation of physical quantities12

Particles and Radiation11 subtopics

Particles and radiation is examined on Papers 1 and 3. It builds the atom from its constituents, introduces antimatter and the exchange particles that carry the four interactions, classifies hadrons and leptons, and closes on the photon and wave-particle duality.

Constituents of the atom35
Stable and unstable nuclei25
Particles, antiparticles and photons32
Particle interactions32
Classification of particles48
Quarks and antiquarks39
Applications of conservation laws20
The photoelectric effect21
Collisions of electrons with atoms18
Energy levels and photon emission27
Wave-particle duality17

Waves6 subtopics

Waves is examined on Papers 1 and 3. It covers the properties every wave shares, the stationary waves formed by superposition, and the interference, diffraction and refraction that follow from treating light as a wave.

Progressive waves37
Longitudinal and transverse waves17
Principle of superposition of waves and formation of stationary waves33
Interference39
Diffraction22
Refraction at a plane surface24

Mechanics and Materials10 subtopics

Mechanics and materials is examined on Papers 1 and 3, and is the largest topic in the first year. It runs from vectors and moments through the equations of motion and Newton's laws to momentum and energy, then treats how materials deform under load.

Scalars and vectors30
Moments18
Motion along a straight line45
Projectile motion23
Newton's laws of motion26
Momentum31
Work, energy and power29
Conservation of energy20
Bulk properties of solids44
The Young modulus19

Electricity6 subtopics

Electricity is examined on Papers 1 and 3. It covers current, potential difference and resistance, the characteristics of common components, circuit rules, and what internal resistance does to a real source.

Basics of electricity17
Current-voltage characteristics18
Resistivity25
Circuits36
Potential divider18
Electromotive force and internal resistance36

Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics7 subtopics

Further mechanics and thermal physics is examined on Papers 1 and 3. It extends mechanics to circular and oscillating motion, then treats heat, the gas laws and the kinetic theory that explains them.

Circular motion37
Simple harmonic motion (SHM)30
Simple harmonic systems47
Forced vibrations and resonance30
Thermal energy transfer33
Ideal gases44
Molecular kinetic theory model33

Fields and Their Consequences18 subtopics

Fields and their consequences is examined on Papers 2 and 3, and is the largest topic in the second year. It treats gravitational, electric and magnetic fields side by side, drawing out what they share, then covers capacitance and electromagnetic induction.

Fields11
Newton's law18
Gravitational field strength19
Gravitational potential25
Orbits of planets and satellites45
Coulomb's law17
Electric field strength20
Electric potential24
Capacitance15
Parallel plate capacitor25
Energy stored by a capacitor15
Capacitor charge and discharge41
Magnetic flux density23
Moving charges in a magnetic field29
Magnetic flux and flux linkage33
Electromagnetic induction22
Alternating currents26
Transformers14

Nuclear Physics8 subtopics

Nuclear physics is examined on Papers 2 and 3. It starts with the scattering experiment that revealed the nucleus, works through the properties of radiation and the decay law, then treats nuclear radius, binding energy and fission.

Rutherford scattering19
α, β and γ radiation48
Radioactive decay51
Nuclear instability30
Nuclear radius32
Mass and energy28
Induced fission21
Safety aspects34

Astrophysics14 subtopics

Astrophysics is one of the five optional topics, sat on Paper 3. It covers the telescopes used to gather light, the magnitude and spectral schemes used to classify stars, and the red shift evidence for an expanding universe.

Astronomical telescope consisting of two converging lenses23
Reflecting telescopes24
Single dish radio telescopes, I-R, U-V and X-ray telescopes32
Advantages of large diameter telescopes22
Classification by luminosity10
Absolute magnitude, M23
Classification by temperature, black-body radiation23
Principles of the use of stellar spectral classes33
The Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram27
Supernovae, neutron stars and black holes25
Doppler effect26
Hubble's law22
Quasars25
Detection of exoplanets18

Medical Physics19 subtopics

Medical physics is one of the five optional topics, sat on Paper 3. It applies optics, sound and radiation physics to the body: how the eye and ear work and how their defects are corrected, then the imaging techniques built on ultrasound, X-rays, magnetic resonance and gamma emission.

Physics of vision38
Defects of vision and their correction using lenses36
Ear as a sound detection system28
Sensitivity and frequency response24
Defects of hearing17
Simple ECG machines and the normal ECG waveform17
Ultrasound imaging28
Fibre optics and endoscopy24
Magnetic resonance (MR) scanner12
The physics of diagnostic X-rays36
Image detection and enhancement26
Absorption of X-rays21
CT scanner19
Imaging techniques29
Half-life16
Gamma camera25
Use of high-energy X-rays14
Use of radioactive implants9
and 1 more subtopic in this topic

Engineering Physics12 subtopics

Engineering physics is one of the five optional topics, sat on Paper 3. It has two halves: rotational dynamics, which mirrors linear mechanics with moment of inertia in place of mass, and thermodynamics, which covers the gas processes and the engines built on them.

Concept of moment of inertia16
Rotational kinetic energy14
Rotational motion37
Torque and angular acceleration18
Angular momentum20
Work and power14
First law of thermodynamics26
Non-flow processes33
The p-V diagram18
Engine cycles39
Second Law and engines27
Reversed heat engines28

Turning Points in Physics13 subtopics

Turning points in physics is one of the five optional topics, sat on Paper 3. It follows three arguments that changed the subject: the discovery of the electron, the long dispute over whether light is a wave or a particle, and the experiment that led to special relativity.

Cathode rays14
Thermionic emission of electrons13
Specific charge of the electron25
Principle of Millikan's determination of the electronic charge, e22
Newton's corpuscular theory of light15
Significance of Young's double slits experiment12
Electromagnetic waves24
The discovery of photoelectricity28
Electron microscopes31
The Michelson-Morley experiment20
Einstein's theory of special relativity11
Time dilation20
Length contraction11

Electronics18 subtopics

Electronics is one of the five optional topics, sat on Paper 3. It covers the semiconductor devices and sensors used to detect a signal, the operational amplifier circuits used to condition it, digital logic, and the systems used to transmit it.

MOSFET (metal-oxide semiconducting field-effect transistor)17
Zener diode15
Photodiode27
Hall effect sensor8
Difference between analogue and digital signals30
LC resonance filters20
The ideal operational amplifier14
Inverting amplifier configuration16
Non-inverting amplifier configuration12
Summing amplifier configuration16
Real operational amplifiers28
Combinational logic29
Sequential logic22
Astables25
Principles of communication systems17
Transmission media24
Time-division multiplexing12
Amplitude (AM) and frequency modulation (FM) techniques30

Sample questions

Taken from the AQA A-Level Physics guide. Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

Measurements and Their Errors

How are SI derived units formed from fundamental units?

Show the answer
By combining fundamental units through multiplication or division.
Particles and Radiation

What is the approximate relative mass of an electron?

Show the answer
Approximately 1/1836 (or about 0.0005).
Waves

How does a progressive wave transfer energy without transferring matter?

Show the answer
Energy is transferred from one place to another as particles of the medium oscillate about fixed equilibrium positions, passing energy to neighbouring particles without themselves moving along with the wave.
Mechanics and Materials

What two properties must a vector quantity possess?

Show the answer
A vector has both magnitude and direction.
Electricity

What is the definition of electric current?

Show the answer
Electric current is the rate of flow of charge.
Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics

Why does an object moving in a circular path at constant speed still experience an acceleration?

Show the answer
Although the speed is constant, the direction of velocity is continuously changing, which constitutes a change in velocity and therefore an acceleration.
Fields and Their Consequences

How can a force field be represented mathematically?

Show the answer
As a vector quantity, having both magnitude and direction.
Nuclear Physics

How were scattered alpha particles detected in Rutherford's experiment?

Show the answer
Using a zinc sulfide screen, which produced visible flashes of light when struck by alpha particles

Questions about this guide

How do you use active recall for AQA A-Level Physics?

Answer up to 10 questions cold and closed book. Answer the same questions again open book, writing the correct answer down. Then answer them closed book one more time. The difference between the first and third attempt is what has moved into recall.

How is AQA A-Level Physics assessed?

AQA A-Level Physics is assessed by 3 components: Paper 1 (2 hours, 85 marks, 34%); Paper 2 (2 hours, 85 marks, 34%); Paper 3, practical skills and optional topic (2 hours, 80 marks, 32%).

What topics does the AQA A-Level Physics active recall guide cover?

It covers Measurements and Their Errors, Particles and Radiation, Waves, Mechanics and Materials, Electricity, Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics, Fields and Their Consequences, Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics, Medical Physics, Engineering Physics, Turning Points in Physics and Electronics.

Is the AQA A-Level Physics guide a PDF?

Yes. It is a digital PDF sent to the email address on your order after purchase. Check the address is correct at checkout, and check junk or spam if it has not arrived.

Does the guide include the answers?

Yes. Every question has its answer in the same document, grouped by topic, so step 2 of the method is done from the guide.