A level · Pearson Edexcel

Physics 9PH0

Every topic Pearson Edexcel can examine you on. Open a topic to see its sub-topics, lessons and practice questions.

  • 3 papers
  • 226 sub-topics
  • Y12Y13When each is usually taught

Official specification (PDF)

Topics 1 to 13

Compulsory

Statement numbers follow the specification. CP marks a core practical.

1Working as a physicistUnits, estimating, the limits of measurements, and how science works in society.Y128 sub-topics
  1. 1Base and derived quantities and SI unitsY12
  2. 2Practical skills and techniquesY12
  3. 3Estimating physical quantitiesY12
  4. 4Limitations of physical measurementY12
  5. 5Communicating information with appropriate terminologyY12
  6. 6Applications and implications of scienceY12
  7. 7The scientific community and validating knowledgeY12
  8. 8How society uses science in decision makingY12
2MechanicsMotion, suvat equations, vectors, projectiles, Newton's laws, momentum, moments, work, energy and power.Y1222 sub-topics
  1. 9Equations for uniformly accelerated motionY12
  2. 10Displacement–time, velocity–time and acceleration–time graphsY12
  3. 11Quantities from gradients and areas of graphsY12
  4. 12Scalar and vector quantitiesY12
  5. 13Resolving a vector into perpendicular componentsY12
  6. 14Resultant of coplanar vectorsY12
  7. 15Independence of vertical and horizontal motion of a projectileY12
  8. 16Free-body force diagramsY12
  9. 17Newton's first and second laws and terminal velocityY12
  10. 18Gravitational field strength and weight, W = mgY12
  11. 19CP1: Determine the acceleration of a freely-falling objectY12
  12. 20Newton's third lawY12
  13. 21Momentum, p = mvY12
  14. 22Conservation of linear momentum in one dimensionY12
  15. 23Moment of a forceY12
  16. 24Centre of gravity and the principle of momentsY12
  17. 25Work doneY12
  18. 26Kinetic energyY12
  19. 27Gravitational potential energyY12
  20. 28Conservation of energyY12
  21. 29PowerY12
  22. 30EfficiencyY12
3Electric circuitsCurrent, potential difference and resistance, resistivity, circuits, potential dividers and internal resistance.Y1218 sub-topics
  1. 31Electric current as rate of flow of chargeY12
  2. 32Potential difference as work done per unit chargeY12
  3. 33Resistance and Ohm's lawY12
  4. 34Current and conservation of chargeY12
  5. 35Potential difference and conservation of energyY12
  6. 36Resistors in series and parallelY12
  7. 37Electrical powerY12
  8. 38I–V characteristicsY12
  9. 39Resistivity, R = ρl/AY12
  10. 40CP2: Determine the electrical resistivity of a materialY12
  11. 41I = nqvA and the range of resistivitiesY12
  12. 42Potential along a uniform current-carrying wireY12
  13. 43Potential dividersY12
  14. 44Potential dividers with thermistors and LDRsY12
  15. 45E.m.f. and internal resistanceY12
  16. 46CP3: Measure the e.m.f. and internal resistance of a cellY12
  17. 47Resistance and temperatureY12
  18. 48Resistance and illuminationY12
4MaterialsFluids (density, upthrust, viscosity) and solid materials (Hooke's law, stress, strain and the Young modulus).Y1210 sub-topics
  1. 49DensityY12
  2. 50UpthrustY12
  3. 51Viscosity and Stokes' lawY12
  4. 52CP4: Use a falling-ball method to determine the viscosity of a liquidY12
  5. 53Hooke's law and stiffnessY12
  6. 54Stress, strain and the Young modulusY12
  7. 55Force–extension and force–compression graphsY12
  8. 56Stress–strain graphs and breaking stressY12
  9. 57CP5: Determine the Young modulus of a materialY12
  10. 58Elastic strain energyY12
5Waves and the particle nature of lightWaves, superposition, refraction, lenses, polarisation, diffraction, and the particle nature of light and electrons.Y1238 sub-topics
  1. 59Amplitude, frequency, period, speed and wavelengthY12
  2. 60The wave equation, v = fλY12
  3. 61Longitudinal wavesY12
  4. 62Transverse wavesY12
  5. 63Graphs of wavesY12
  6. 64CP6: Determine the speed of sound in air using a 2-beam oscilloscopeY12
  7. 65Superposition, coherence, path difference and phaseY12
  8. 66Phase difference and path differenceY12
  9. 67Standing waves, nodes and antinodesY12
  10. 68Speed of a transverse wave on a stringY12
  11. 69CP7: Factors affecting the frequency of a vibrating stringY12
  12. 70Intensity, I = P/AY12
  13. 71Refraction, Snell's law and refractive indexY12
  14. 72Critical angleY12
  15. 73Total internal reflectionY12
  16. 74Measuring refractive indexY12
  17. 75Focal length of converging and diverging lensesY12
  18. 76Ray diagramsY12
  19. 77Power of a lens, P = 1/fY12
  20. 78Thin lenses in combinationY12
  21. 79Real and virtual imagesY12
  22. 80The thin lens equationY12
  23. 81MagnificationY12
  24. 82Plane polarisationY12
  25. 83Diffraction and Huygens' constructionY12
  26. 84Diffraction grating, nλ = d sin θY12
  27. 85CP8: Determine the wavelength of light using a diffraction gratingY12
  28. 86Electron diffractionY12
  29. 87De Broglie wavelengthY12
  30. 88Transmission and reflection at interfacesY12
  31. 89Pulse–echo techniqueY12
  32. 90Wave and photon models of electromagnetic radiationY12
  33. 91Photon energy, E = hfY12
  34. 92Photoelectric emissionY12
  35. 93Threshold frequency, work function and the photoelectric equationY12
  36. 94The electronvoltY12
  37. 95Photoelectric effect as evidence for the particle nature of lightY12
  38. 96Atomic line spectra and energy levelsY12
6Further mechanicsMomentum in two dimensions, collisions and circular motion.Y1311 sub-topics
  1. 97Impulse, FΔt = ΔpY13
  2. 98CP9: Force exerted on an object and its change of momentumY13
  3. 99Conservation of linear momentum in two dimensionsY13
  4. 100CP10: Use ICT to analyse collisions between small spheresY13
  5. 101Elastic and inelastic collisionsY13
  6. 102Kinetic energy, Ek = p²/2mY13
  7. 103Radians and degreesY13
  8. 104Angular velocity, v = ωrY13
  9. 105Centripetal accelerationY13
  10. 106Centripetal forceY13
  11. 107Equations for centripetal forceY13
7Electric and magnetic fieldsElectric fields, capacitors, magnetic fields and electromagnetic induction.Y1322 sub-topics
  1. 108Electric fieldsY13
  2. 109Electric field strength, E = F/QY13
  3. 110Coulomb's lawY13
  4. 111Field due to a point chargeY13
  5. 112Electric field and electric potentialY13
  6. 113Uniform field between parallel plates, E = V/dY13
  7. 114Potential in a radial fieldY13
  8. 115Field lines and equipotentialsY13
  9. 116Capacitance, C = Q/VY13
  10. 117Energy stored by a capacitorY13
  11. 118Charging and discharging capacitors and the time constantY13
  12. 119CP11: Analyse the p.d. across a charging and discharging capacitorY13
  13. 120Exponential discharge equationsY13
  14. 121Magnetic flux density, flux and flux linkageY13
  15. 122Force on a moving chargeY13
  16. 123Force on a current-carrying conductor, F = BIl sin θY13
  17. 124Induced e.m.f. from relative motionY13
  18. 125Induced e.m.f. from a changing currentY13
  19. 126Lenz's lawY13
  20. 127Faraday's lawY13
  21. 128Alternating current: frequency, period, peak and r.m.s.Y13
  22. 129Peak and r.m.s. valuesY13
8Nuclear and particle physicsThe nuclear atom, particle accelerators and detectors, and the standard model of particles.Y1314 sub-topics
  1. 130Nucleon number and proton numberY13
  2. 131Alpha particle scatteringY13
  3. 132Thermionic emission and accelerating electronsY13
  4. 133Linear accelerators, cyclotrons and detectorsY13
  5. 134Charged particles in a magnetic field, r = p/BQY13
  6. 135Conservation laws in particle interactionsY13
  7. 136High energies to probe nucleon structureY13
  8. 137Pair creation and annihilationY13
  9. 138MeV, GeV and MeV/c²Y13
  10. 139Relativistic increase in particle lifetimeY13
  11. 140The standard quark–lepton modelY13
  12. 141AntiparticlesY13
  13. 142Conservation of charge, baryon number and lepton numberY13
  14. 143Particle equationsY13
9ThermodynamicsHeating, specific heat and latent heat, internal energy, ideal gases and kinetic theory.Y1312 sub-topics
  1. 144Specific heat capacity and specific latent heatY13
  2. 145CP12: Calibrate a thermistor in a potential divider as a thermostatY13
  3. 146CP13: Determine the specific latent heat of a phase changeY13
  4. 147Internal energyY13
  5. 148Absolute zeroY13
  6. 149Kinetic theory, pV = ⅓Nm⟨c²⟩Y13
  7. 150Ideal gas equation, pV = NkTY13
  8. 151CP14: Pressure and volume of a gas at fixed temperatureY13
  9. 152Mean kinetic energy, ½m⟨c²⟩ = 3/2 kTY13
  10. 153Black body radiationY13
  11. 154Stefan–Boltzmann lawY13
  12. 155Wien's lawY13
10SpaceRadiation from stars, measuring astronomical distances, the life cycles of stars and the expanding universe.Y138 sub-topics
  1. 156Intensity and luminosityY13
  2. 157Trigonometric parallaxY13
  3. 158Standard candlesY13
  4. 159Hertzsprung–Russell diagramY13
  5. 160Life cycles of starsY13
  6. 161Doppler effectY13
  7. 162Redshift and Hubble's law, v = H₀dY13
  8. 163The age and fate of the universe and dark matterY13
11Nuclear radiationBinding energy, fission and fusion, the properties of nuclear radiation and radioactive decay.Y1310 sub-topics
  1. 164Binding energy and mass deficitY13
  2. 165Atomic mass unitY13
  3. 166Fission and fusionY13
  4. 167Conditions for fusionY13
  5. 168Background radiationY13
  6. 169Alpha, beta and gamma radiationY13
  7. 170Nuclear equationsY13
  8. 171CP15: Investigate the absorption of gamma radiation by leadY13
  9. 172Random nature of radioactive decayY13
  10. 173Half-life and decay equationsY13
12Gravitational fieldsGravitational fields, Newton's law of gravitation and orbits.Y137 sub-topics
  1. 174Gravitational fieldsY13
  2. 175Gravitational field strength, g = F/mY13
  3. 176Newton's law of universal gravitationY13
  4. 177Field due to a point massY13
  5. 178Gravitational potentialY13
  6. 179Comparing electric and gravitational fieldsY13
  7. 180OrbitsY13
13OscillationsSimple harmonic motion, damping, forced oscillations and resonance.Y1311 sub-topics
  1. 181Condition for simple harmonic motionY13
  2. 182Equations of simple harmonic motionY13
  3. 183Mass–spring system and simple pendulumY13
  4. 184Velocity from a displacement–time graphY13
  5. 185Acceleration from a velocity–time graphY13
  6. 186ResonanceY13
  7. 187CP16: Determine an unknown mass using resonant frequenciesY13
  8. 188Energy in damped and undamped oscillatorsY13
  9. 189Free and forced oscillationsY13
  10. 190Forced oscillations near the natural frequencyY13
  11. 191Damping and plastic deformationY13

Across the whole course

Compulsory

Assessed in every paper: maths makes up at least 40% of the marks.

MSMathematical skillsThe maths you need in physics: units, standard form, uncertainties, rearranging equations, logarithms, graphs and trigonometry.35 sub-topics
  1. 0.1Units and prefixesY13
  2. 0.2Decimal and standard formY13
  3. 0.3Ratios, fractions and percentagesY13
  4. 0.4Estimating effects of changing parametersY13
  5. 0.5Calculator: powers, exponentials and logsY13
  6. 0.6Calculator: sin, cos and tanY13
  7. 1.1Significant figuresY13
  8. 1.2Means of repeated readingsY13
  9. 1.3Simple probabilityY13
  10. 1.4Order-of-magnitude calculationsY13
  11. 1.5Combining uncertaintiesY13
  12. 2.1Symbols =, <, ≪, ≫, >, ∝, ≈, ΔY13
  13. 2.2Changing the subjectY13
  14. 2.3Substituting values with unitsY13
  15. 2.4Solving equationsY13
  16. 2.5LogarithmsY13
  17. 3.1Graphical, numerical and algebraic formsY13
  18. 3.2Plotting dataY13
  19. 3.3y = mx + cY13
  20. 3.4Gradient and interceptY13
  21. 3.5Rate of change from a straight lineY13
  22. 3.6Tangents to curvesY13
  23. 3.7Instantaneous and average ratesY13
  24. 3.8Area under a graphY13
  25. 3.9Calculus ideas without calculusY13
  26. 3.10Logarithmic plotsY13
  27. 3.11Testing exponential and power laws with log plotsY13
  28. 3.12Sketching k/x, kx², kx, sin x, cos x, e^(±x), sin²x, cos²xY13
  29. 4.1Angles in 2D and 3D structuresY13
  30. 4.22D and 3D formsY13
  31. 4.3Areas and volumesY13
  32. 4.4Pythagoras and angle sum of a triangleY13
  33. 4.5Sin, cos and tan in physical problemsY13
  34. 4.6Small-angle approximationsY13
  35. 4.7Degrees and radiansY13

The exam papers

Paper 1: Advanced Physics I (Topics 1 to 3, 6 to 8)1 h 45 min · 90 marks · 30%9PH0/01
Paper 2: Advanced Physics II (Topics 1, 4, 5, 9 to 13)1 h 45 min · 90 marks · 30%9PH0/02
Paper 3: General and Practical Principles in Physics2 h 30 min · 120 marks · 40%9PH0/03