Key Concepts of Physics | Edexcel GCSE Physics, Higher tier (1PH0)
Key Concepts of Physics
- 30 questions
- 3 subtopics
- Paper 1
- Paper 1 and Paper 2
Key Concepts of Physics is examined in both papers, as the key concepts that run through the whole course.
It covers SI units in physics, multiples and sub-multiples of units, and converting units, significant figures and standard form.
Sample questions from Key Concepts of Physics
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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SI units in physics
Name the unit of time and give its symbol.
Show the answer
Time is measured in seconds, symbol s. -
SI units in physics
Give the units of electric current, potential difference and resistance.
Show the answer
Current is measured in amperes (A), potential difference in volts (V) and resistance in ohms (Ω). -
Multiples and sub-multiples of units
What do the prefixes centi and milli stand for?
Show the answer
Centi means one hundredth (10⁻²) and milli means one thousandth (10⁻³). -
Multiples and sub-multiples of units
A radio station broadcasts at a frequency of 98 MHz. Give this frequency in hertz.
Show the answer
98 MHz is 98 × 10⁶ Hz, which is 9.8 × 10⁷ Hz. -
Converting units, significant figures and standard form
A mass of 750 g is recorded on a balance. Give this mass in kilograms.
Show the answer
750 g is 0.75 kg. -
Converting units, significant figures and standard form
Give the number 7.2 × 10⁻³ as an ordinary decimal.
Show the answer
7.2 × 10⁻³ is 0.0072.
The 3 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| SI units in physics | SI units and symbols for length, mass, time, force, energy, temperature, current, potential difference, resistance, power and frequency, and why scientists everywhere use the same agreed units. | 8 |
| Multiples and sub-multiples of units | The prefixes kilo, mega, giga, centi, milli, micro and nano, the symbol μ for micro, and converting megahertz, kilohms and milliamperes into hertz, ohms and amperes. | 8 |
| Converting units, significant figures and standard form | Seconds in an hour, hours and minutes into seconds, kilometres to metres, grams to kilograms, km/h to m/s, then writing numbers in standard form and rounding to significant figures. | 14 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel GCSE Physics, Higher tier Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,063 questions with their answers.