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PN Cadet Physics Syllabus

The Physics syllabus for PN Cadet in full: 7 chapters and 21 topics, every one listed below, plus 50 Physics flashcards with answers.

7Chapters
21Topics
50Flashcards

Physics syllabus: all 7 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  1. Motion and Kinematics

     3 topics
    • Scalars and Vectors
    • Equations of Motion
    • Projectile Motion

  2. Force and Newton's Laws

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

  3. Work, Energy and Power

     3 topics
    • Work Done and Energy
    • Conservation of Energy
    • Power and Efficiency

  4. Electricity and Magnetism

     3 topics
    • Current, Voltage and Resistance
    • Ohm's Law and Circuits
    • Magnetism and Electromagnetism

  5. Light and Optics

     3 topics
    • Reflection and Refraction
    • Lenses and Mirrors
    • Optical Instruments

  6. Heat and Thermodynamics

     3 topics
    • Temperature and Heat Transfer
    • Specific Heat and Latent Heat
    • Laws of Thermodynamics

  7. Waves and Sound

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

PN Cadet Physics flashcards — 50 questions with 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).

Show the other 30 Physics flashcards

  1. State Newton's Third Law of Motion.

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

  2. 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).

  3. 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).

  4. 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.

  5. What is impulse and how is it related to momentum?

    Impulse is the product of force and the time it acts: Impulse = F x t. It equals the change in momentum: F t = mv - mu.

  6. State the law of conservation of momentum.

    In the absence of an external resultant force, the total momentum of a system before a collision equals the total momentum after the collision.

  7. Write the conservation of momentum equation for two bodies colliding.

    m1 u1 + m2 u2 = m1 v1 + m2 v2, where u are velocities before and v are velocities after the collision.

  8. What is the difference between an elastic and an inelastic collision?

    In an elastic collision both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved; in an inelastic collision momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not (some converts to heat/sound).

  9. What is friction?

    A force that opposes the relative motion (or tendency of motion) between two surfaces in contact, acting parallel to the surfaces.

  10. What is the difference between static and kinetic (sliding) friction?

    Static friction acts on a stationary object and prevents motion up to a maximum value; kinetic friction acts on a moving object and is usually slightly smaller than maximum static friction.

  11. What is the formula for the force of friction in terms of the coefficient of friction?

    F = mu x R, where mu is the coefficient of friction and R is the normal reaction force between the surfaces.

  12. Give two methods of reducing friction.

    Lubrication (oil/grease), using ball or roller bearings, polishing/smoothing surfaces, streamlining shapes, or using air cushions.

  13. Give two useful effects (advantages) of friction.

    It allows walking without slipping, enables vehicle tyres to grip the road, lets brakes work, and holds nails/screws in place.

  14. What is work done in physics, and what is its formula and SI unit?

    Work is done when a force moves an object in its direction: W = F x d (or F d cos(theta) at an angle). SI unit: joule (J).

  15. When is the work done by a force zero even though the force is applied?

    When there is no displacement, or when the displacement is perpendicular to the force (cos 90 = 0), e.g. carrying a load horizontally.

  16. What is energy and what is its SI unit?

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

  17. What is kinetic energy and what is its formula?

    Kinetic energy is the energy a body possesses due to its motion: K.E. = (1/2) m v^2.

  18. What is gravitational potential energy and what is its formula?

    The energy stored in a body due to its height above a reference level: P.E. = m g h.

  19. State the law of conservation of energy.

    Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another, and the total energy of an isolated system remains constant.

  20. For a body falling freely, how do its kinetic and potential energies change?

    As it falls, potential energy decreases and kinetic energy increases by an equal amount, keeping the total mechanical energy constant (ignoring air resistance).

  21. What is power, and what is its formula and SI unit?

    Power is the rate of doing work or transferring energy: P = Work / time = W/t. SI unit: watt (W), where 1 W = 1 J/s.

  22. What is efficiency and how is it calculated?

    Efficiency is the ratio of useful output energy (or power) to total input energy, expressed as a percentage: Efficiency = (useful output / total input) x 100%.

  23. Why can the efficiency of a real machine never be 100%?

    Because some input energy is always lost as heat, sound, or to friction, so useful output is always less than total input.

  24. What is electric current, and what is its SI unit?

    Electric current is the rate of flow of electric charge: I = Q/t. SI unit: ampere (A), where 1 A = 1 coulomb per second.

  25. What is voltage (potential difference), and what is its SI unit?

    Voltage is the work done (energy transferred) per unit charge between two points: V = W/Q. SI unit: volt (V).

  26. What is electrical resistance, and what is its SI unit?

    Resistance is the opposition a conductor offers to the flow of current: R = V/I. SI unit: ohm (symbol omega).

  27. State Ohm's Law and its equation.

    At constant temperature, the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across it: V = I R.

  28. How do you calculate the total resistance of resistors connected in series?

    Add them directly: R_total = R1 + R2 + R3 + ... The same current flows through each.

  29. How do you calculate the total resistance of two resistors connected in parallel?

    Use 1/R_total = 1/R1 + 1/R2 (so for two resistors R_total = R1 R2/(R1 + R2)). The same voltage is across each.

  30. What is electromagnetism, and what does a current-carrying conductor produce around it?

    Electromagnetism is the relationship between electricity and magnetism. A current-carrying conductor produces a magnetic field around it; coiling the wire (solenoid) and adding an iron core makes an electromagnet.

PN Cadet Physics FAQ

What is in the PN Cadet Physics syllabus?

PN Cadet Physics is split into 7 chapters: Motion and Kinematics, Force and Newton's Laws, Work, Energy and Power, Electricity and Magnetism, Light and Optics, Heat and Thermodynamics and Waves and Sound. Together they contain 21 topics.

How many chapters are in PN Cadet Physics?

7 chapters, containing 21 topics. The largest chapter is Motion and Kinematics, with 3 topics.

Are there flashcards for PN Cadet Physics?

Yes — a 50-card Physics deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.