PN Cadet 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 PN Cadet, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Motion and Kinematics

   3 topics

   • Scalars and Vectors
   • Equations of Motion
   • Projectile Motion
2. 2

   Force and Newton's Laws

   3 topics

   • Newton's Laws of Motion
   • Momentum and Impulse
   • Friction
3. 3

   Work, Energy and Power

   3 topics

   • Work Done and Energy
   • Conservation of Energy
   • Power and Efficiency
4. 4

   Electricity and Magnetism

   3 topics

   • Current, Voltage and Resistance
   • Ohm's Law and Circuits
   • Magnetism and Electromagnetism
5. 5

   Light and Optics

   3 topics

   • Reflection and Refraction
   • Lenses and Mirrors
   • Optical Instruments
6. 6

   Heat and Thermodynamics

   3 topics

   • Temperature and Heat Transfer
   • Specific Heat and Latent Heat
   • Laws of Thermodynamics
7. 7

   Waves and Sound

   3 topics

   • Wave Properties
   • Sound and Its Properties
   • Simple Harmonic Motion

Physics flashcards for PN Cadet

24 of 50 cards from the Physics deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a scalar quantity? Give two examples.

   A quantity that has only magnitude (size) and no direction. Examples: mass, time, speed, temperature, energy, distance.

2. What is a vector quantity? Give two examples.

   A quantity that has both magnitude and direction. Examples: displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum, weight.

3. What is the difference between distance and displacement?

   Distance is the total path length travelled (scalar); displacement is the straight-line change in position from start to finish, with direction (vector).

4. What is the difference between speed and velocity?

   Speed is the rate of change of distance (scalar); velocity is the rate of change of displacement (vector), so it includes direction.

5. How do you find the resultant of two perpendicular vectors of magnitudes A and B?

   Use the Pythagorean theorem: R = sqrt(A^2 + B^2), with direction given by tan(theta) = B/A.

6. How is a vector resolved into horizontal and vertical components for a vector of magnitude F at angle theta to the horizontal?

   Horizontal component = F cos(theta); Vertical component = F sin(theta).

7. State the three equations of motion for uniform acceleration.

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

8. What is acceleration and what is its SI unit?

   Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time, a = (v - u)/t. Its SI unit is metres per second squared (m/s^2).

9. What is the value of acceleration due to gravity (g) near Earth's surface, and which direction does it act?

   Approximately 9.8 m/s^2 (often taken as 10 m/s^2), acting vertically downward toward the centre of the Earth.

10. For a body falling freely from rest, what equation gives the distance fallen after time t?

    s = (1/2)g t^2, since initial velocity u = 0 and acceleration = g.

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

    The slope (gradient) represents acceleration; the area under the line represents displacement (distance travelled).

12. What is projectile motion?

    The motion of an object thrown into the air that moves under gravity alone, following a curved (parabolic) path, with independent horizontal and vertical motions.

13. In projectile motion, what happens to the horizontal and vertical components of velocity?

    The horizontal velocity remains constant (no horizontal force, ignoring air resistance); the vertical velocity changes due to gravitational acceleration g.

14. What is the formula for the time of flight of a projectile launched with speed u at angle theta?

    Time of flight T = (2 u sin(theta)) / g.

15. What is the formula for the maximum height of a projectile launched with speed u at angle theta?

    Maximum height H = (u^2 sin^2(theta)) / (2g).

16. What is the formula for the horizontal range of a projectile launched with speed u at angle theta?

    Range R = (u^2 sin(2 theta)) / g.

17. At what launch angle is the horizontal range of a projectile maximum (for level ground)?

    45 degrees, because sin(2 theta) reaches its maximum value of 1 when 2 theta = 90 degrees.

18. State Newton's First Law of Motion.

    A body remains at rest, or continues moving in a straight line at constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external resultant (net) force. This is the law of inertia.

19. What is inertia?

    The natural tendency of a body to resist any change in its state of rest or uniform motion; it depends on (and increases with) the body's mass.

20. State Newton's Second Law of Motion and 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. Commonly: F = ma (force = mass x acceleration).

21. State Newton's Third Law of Motion.

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

22. What is the difference between mass and weight?

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

23. What is 1 newton defined as?

    One newton is the force that gives a mass of 1 kg an acceleration of 1 m/s^2 (1 N = 1 kg m/s^2).

24. What is linear momentum and what is its formula and SI unit?

    Momentum is the product of a body's mass and velocity: p = mv. It is a vector. SI unit: kg m/s.

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