Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) 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 Scottish National 5 (Nat 5), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Electricity and Energy

   5 topics

   • Electrical Circuits
     • Series and parallel circuits
     • Ohm's law and resistance calculations
   • Electrical Power
     • Power, energy and appliances
   • Conservation of Energy
     • Energy transformations and efficiency
   • Heat and Temperature
     • Specific heat capacity and latent heat
   • Gas Laws and the Kinetic Model
     • Pressure, volume and temperature relationships
2. 2

   Waves and Radiation

   4 topics

   • Wave Properties
     • Wavelength, frequency, amplitude and wave speed
   • The Electromagnetic Spectrum
     • Order, uses and properties of EM waves
   • Refraction of Light
     • Refraction through lenses and prisms
   • Nuclear Radiation
     • Alpha, beta and gamma radiation
     • Half-life and absorbed dose
3. 3

   Dynamics and Space

   5 topics

   • Velocity and Acceleration
     • Speed, velocity and vector quantities
     • Acceleration and motion graphs
   • Forces and Newton's Laws
     • Balanced and unbalanced forces
     • Newton's three laws of motion
   • Energy and Projectiles
     • Work done, kinetic and potential energy
     • Projectile motion
   • Space Exploration
     • Cosmology and the use of light from space
   • Gravitation and Weight
     • Gravitational field strength and re-entry

Physics flashcards for Scottish National 5 (Nat 5)

24 of 52 cards from the Physics deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. State the relationship between charge, current and time in an electrical circuit, including units.

   Charge equals current multiplied by time: $Q = It$, where $Q$ is in coulombs (C), $I$ in amperes (A) and $t$ in seconds (s).

2. In a series circuit, how do current and voltage behave?

   The current is the same at all points: $I_1 = I_2 = I_3$. The supply voltage is shared (added up across components): $V_s = V_1 + V_2 + V_3$.

3. In a parallel circuit, how do current and voltage behave?

   The voltage across each branch is the same and equal to the supply: $V_s = V_1 = V_2$. The total current is the sum of the branch currents: $I_s = I_1 + I_2 + I_3$.

4. State Ohm's law and the condition under which it holds.

   $V = IR$, where $V$ is potential difference (V), $I$ is current (A) and $R$ is resistance ($\Omega$). It holds when temperature is constant; an ohmic conductor has a straight-line $V$ against $I$ graph through the origin.

5. Give the formula for the total resistance of resistors connected in series.

   $$R_T = R_1 + R_2 + R_3 + \dots$$

6. Give the formula for the total resistance of resistors connected in parallel.

   $$\frac{1}{R_T} = \frac{1}{R_1} + \frac{1}{R_2} + \frac{1}{R_3} + \dots$$

7. What is the function of a potential divider, and how is the output voltage of two series resistors found?

   A potential divider splits the supply voltage in proportion to resistance. The voltage across $R_1$ is $$V_1 = \frac{R_1}{R_1 + R_2}\,V_s.$$

8. Describe how the resistance of a thermistor and an LDR change with their input quantity.

   For a typical (NTC) thermistor, resistance decreases as temperature increases. For a light-dependent resistor (LDR), resistance decreases as light intensity (brightness) increases.

9. State three equivalent equations for electrical power in a circuit.

   $$P = IV, \qquad P = I^{2}R, \qquad P = \frac{V^{2}}{R}.$$

10. How is the energy transferred (transformed) by an electrical component calculated from power and time?

    $E = Pt$, where $E$ is energy in joules (J), $P$ is power in watts (W) and $t$ is time in seconds (s).

11. What does the power rating of an electrical appliance (e.g. "2000 W") tell you?

    It is the rate at which the appliance transfers electrical energy — the number of joules of energy converted each second (1 W = 1 J s$^{-1}$).

12. State the principle of conservation of energy.

    Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred from one form to another (or transferred from one place to another). The total energy of a closed system remains constant.

13. Give the formula for gravitational potential energy, with units.

    $E_p = mgh$, where $m$ is mass (kg), $g$ is gravitational field strength (N kg$^{-1}$) and $h$ is height (m); $E_p$ is in joules (J).

14. Give the formula for kinetic energy.

    $$E_k = \tfrac{1}{2}mv^{2},$$ where $m$ is mass (kg) and $v$ is speed (m s$^{-1}$).

15. For an object falling freely (ignoring air resistance), what energy conversion occurs and what equation links the heights and speeds?

    Gravitational potential energy converts into kinetic energy, so $E_p = E_k$ gives $$mgh = \tfrac{1}{2}mv^{2}.$$

16. Define specific heat capacity and give its equation.

    Specific heat capacity is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 $^{\circ}$C (or 1 K). $E_h = cm\Delta T$, where $c$ is in J kg$^{-1}$ $^{\circ}$C$^{-1}$.

17. Define specific latent heat and give its equation.

    Specific latent heat is the energy required to change the state of 1 kg of a substance without a change in temperature. $E_h = ml$, where $l$ is in J kg$^{-1}$.

18. Distinguish between the specific latent heat of fusion and of vaporisation.

    Latent heat of fusion is the energy per kg to change between solid and liquid (melting/freezing). Latent heat of vaporisation is the energy per kg to change between liquid and gas (boiling/condensing).

19. What is the difference between heat and temperature?

    Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of a substance (in $^{\circ}$C or K). Heat is the total energy transferred due to a temperature difference, measured in joules (J).

20. Convert between the Celsius and Kelvin temperature scales.

    $T(\text{K}) = T(^{\circ}\text{C}) + 273$. For example $0\,^{\circ}\text{C} = 273\,\text{K}$ and absolute zero $0\,\text{K} = -273\,^{\circ}\text{C}$.

21. Using the kinetic model, explain what happens to gas particles as temperature increases.

    The particles gain kinetic energy and move faster on average, colliding with the container walls more frequently and with greater force, which tends to increase pressure (or volume).

22. State the pressure–volume (Boyle's) law for a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature.

    Pressure is inversely proportional to volume: $pV = \text{constant}$, so $$p_1 V_1 = p_2 V_2.$$

23. State the pressure–temperature (Gay-Lussac's) law for a fixed mass of gas at constant volume.

    Pressure is directly proportional to absolute (kelvin) temperature: $\dfrac{p}{T} = \text{constant}$, so $$\frac{p_1}{T_1} = \frac{p_2}{T_2}.$$

24. State the volume–temperature (Charles's) law for a fixed mass of gas at constant pressure.

    Volume is directly proportional to absolute (kelvin) temperature: $\dfrac{V}{T} = \text{constant}$, so $$\frac{V_1}{T_1} = \frac{V_2}{T_2}.$$

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