Navy Sailor Test Physics Syllabus

Physics syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Physics in Navy Sailor Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Mechanics

   4 topics

   • Physical Quantities and Units
   • Motion (Kinematics)
   • Force and Newton's Laws
   • Work, Energy and Power
2. 2

   Properties of Matter

   3 topics

   • States of Matter
   • Density and Pressure
   • Elasticity
3. 3

   Heat and Thermodynamics

   3 topics

   • Temperature and Heat
   • Thermal Expansion
   • Transfer of Heat
4. 4

   Waves and Sound

   3 topics

   • Wave Motion
   • Properties of Sound
   • Reflection and Echo
5. 5

   Light and Optics

   3 topics

   • Reflection of Light
   • Refraction of Light
   • Lenses and Mirrors
6. 6

   Electricity and Magnetism

   3 topics

   • Electric Current and Ohm's Law
   • Circuits and Resistance
   • Magnetism and Electromagnetism

Physics flashcards for Navy Sailor Test

24 of 56 cards from the Physics deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a physical quantity, and what two parts make up its complete specification?

   A physical quantity is a property that can be measured. It is fully specified by a numerical magnitude and a unit (e.g., 5 metres = number 5 + unit metre).

2. What is the difference between base (fundamental) quantities and derived quantities? Give two examples of each.

   Base quantities are independent and not defined in terms of others (e.g., length, mass, time). Derived quantities are obtained by combining base quantities (e.g., speed = length/time, force = mass x acceleration).

3. List the seven SI base quantities and their base units.

   Length (metre, m), Mass (kilogram, kg), Time (second, s), Electric current (ampere, A), Temperature (kelvin, K), Amount of substance (mole, mol), Luminous intensity (candela, cd).

4. What is the difference between a scalar and a vector quantity? Give one example of each.

   A scalar has magnitude only (e.g., mass, speed, energy). A vector has both magnitude and direction (e.g., velocity, force, displacement).

5. State the SI prefixes and their multipliers for kilo, milli, micro, and nano.

   kilo (k) = 10^3, milli (m) = 10^-3, micro (u) = 10^-6, nano (n) = 10^-9.

6. Define speed and state its SI unit.

   Speed is the distance travelled per unit time (speed = distance / time). Its SI unit is metres per second (m/s).

7. Define velocity and explain how it differs from speed.

   Velocity is the rate of change of displacement (displacement / time); it is a vector with direction. Speed is a scalar (distance/time) with no direction.

8. Define acceleration and state its SI unit.

   Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity (acceleration = change in velocity / time taken). Its SI unit is metres per second squared (m/s^2).

9. State the three equations of uniformly accelerated motion (equations of motion).

   v = u + at; s = ut + 1/2 at^2; v^2 = u^2 + 2as, where u = initial velocity, v = final velocity, a = acceleration, t = time, s = displacement.

10. On a distance-time graph, what does the slope (gradient) represent?

    The slope of a distance-time graph represents the speed of the object. A steeper slope means greater speed; a horizontal line means the object is at rest.

11. On a velocity-time graph, what do the slope and the area under the graph represent?

    The slope (gradient) represents acceleration, and the area under the graph represents the distance (displacement) travelled.

12. What is the acceleration due to gravity near the Earth's surface, and in which direction does it act?

    Acceleration due to gravity g is approximately 9.8 m/s^2 (often taken as 10 m/s^2), directed vertically downward toward the centre of the Earth.

13. State Newton's First Law of Motion.

    A body remains at rest, or continues to move with uniform velocity in a straight line, unless acted upon by an external unbalanced (net) force. (Law of inertia.)

14. State Newton's Second Law of Motion and give its equation.

    The rate of change of momentum of a body is proportional to the applied force and acts in the direction of the force. In equation form: F = ma (force = mass x acceleration).

15. State Newton's Third Law of Motion.

    To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; the forces act on two different bodies.

16. Define inertia and state what it depends on.

    Inertia is the tendency of a body to resist any change in its state of rest or uniform motion. It depends on the mass of the body; greater mass means greater inertia.

17. Define momentum, give its formula and SI unit.

    Momentum is the product of mass and velocity (p = mv). It is a vector. Its SI unit is kilogram metre per second (kg m/s).

18. What is the difference between mass and weight?

    Mass is the amount of matter in a body (scalar, constant, measured in kg). Weight is the gravitational force on the body (vector, W = mg, measured in newtons, varies with g).

19. State the law of conservation of momentum.

    In the absence of external forces, the total momentum of a system of colliding bodies remains constant before and after collision.

20. Define friction and name the two main types of friction between solid surfaces.

    Friction is the force that opposes relative motion between two surfaces in contact. The two main types are static friction (before motion) and kinetic/sliding friction (during motion).

21. Define work in physics, give its formula and SI unit.

    Work is done when a force moves a body in the direction of the force: W = F x d (or F d cos(theta)). Its SI unit is the joule (J), where 1 J = 1 N m.

22. Define energy and state its SI unit.

    Energy is the capacity (ability) to do work. Its SI unit is the joule (J).

23. Write the formula for kinetic energy and define it.

    Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by a body due to its motion. KE = 1/2 m v^2, where m = mass and v = speed.

24. Write the formula for gravitational potential energy and define it.

    Gravitational potential energy is the energy a body has due to its position/height. PE = mgh, where m = mass, g = gravity, h = height.

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