Physics · Pearson Edexcel 9PH0 · Topic MS

Mathematical skills

The maths you need in physics: units, standard form, uncertainties, rearranging equations, logarithms, graphs and trigonometry.

  • 35 sub-topics
  • Taught in Year 13
  • 227 practice questions
  • 35 animated lessons
Practice questions (227) Lessons Worksheets All Edexcel Physics topics

What the specification says

Every sub-topic Pearson Edexcel can examine in this topic, with its reference number from the official specification. The Y12 and Y13 tags show when each sub-topic is usually taught.

  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

Try 3 questions

Easy, medium and hard questions from this topic, each with a worked solutions and the mark for every step. All 227 questions in this topic, free, no account needed.

Mathematical skills

Easy

Prefixes · Year 12 · 1 mark

  1. What is 33 μV in volts?
    (1)

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  1. micro means × 10⁻⁶.B: 3.30×10−5 V3.30 \times 10^{-5}\ \mathrm{V}

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Mathematical skills

Medium

Orders of magnitude · Year 12 · 1 mark

  1. What is the order of magnitude of (2×105)×(1.1×102)(2 \times 10^{5}) \times (1.1 \times 10^{2})?
    (1)

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  1. Multiply the numbers and add the powers of ten, then take the nearest power of ten.A: 10710^{7}

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Mathematical skills

Hard

Testing a power law · Year 12 · 2 marks

A graph of ln y against ln x is a straight line.
  1. The gradient is -2. State the relationship between y and x.
    (2)
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  1. ln⁡y=nln⁡x+ln⁡k\ln y = n\ln x + \ln k
  2. y=kx−2y = kx^{-2}

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