Every topic of Cambridge AS and A Level Physics 9702, one-to-one with the official document. AS Level covers topics 1 to 11 (Year 1). A Level extends with topics 12 to 25 (Year 2). Conceptual notes, derivations, and past-paper practice will follow topic by topic.
The whole 9702 syllabus as one star map. Open it and click any topic to jump straight to its concept map, or a sub-topic to dive in. All 25 topics are live.
Open the skill map →The language of physics. SI base units, prefixes, errors, and the scalar versus vector distinction. The chapter every student is tempted to skip and later regrets.
Motion described, not yet explained. The SUVAT equations, free fall, and projectile motion as two independent perpendicular motions.
Forces and the laws of motion. Momentum as the deeper formulation of Newton's Second Law. Elastic versus inelastic collisions in one and two dimensions.
Turning effects, equilibrium, and the first encounter with fluids. Archimedes' principle as a direct consequence of hydrostatic pressure.
Energy conservation as a unifying principle. The derivations of KE and GPE formulae that examiners love to ask candidates to produce.
Stress, strain, and the Young modulus. Where the abstract idea of "stiffness" gets a precise mathematical meaning. Elastic potential energy stored in stretched materials.
From progressive waves and the wave equation to the Doppler effect and polarisation. The first place AS Physics asks for proportional reasoning at speed.
When waves meet: stationary waves, diffraction, two-source interference, and the diffraction grating. The beautiful, counter-intuitive heart of AS waves.
Charge carriers, drift velocity, and the deep meaning of resistance. The classic I = Anvq equation that links macroscopic current to microscopic motion.
Kirchhoff's laws as direct consequences of conservation of charge and energy. Internal resistance, potential dividers, and the potentiometer.
The Standard Model in miniature. Alpha-scattering, antiparticles, neutrinos, and the quark composition of hadrons. The most modern topic on the AS syllabus.
Radians, angular speed, and the centripetal force that keeps planets orbiting and cars on banked curves. The first A2 topic, and the one that unlocks gravitational fields next.
Newton's law of gravitation, field strength, gravitational potential, and the analysis of circular orbits including geostationary satellites.
Thermal equilibrium and the Kelvin scale as truly fundamental. Specific heat capacity and specific latent heat in their A-level treatment.
The mole, Avogadro's constant, and the gas equations pV = nRT and pV = NkT. The kinetic theory derivation that turns pressure into a statement about molecular motion.
Internal energy as the sum of random molecular KE and PE. The first law as energy conservation extended to heat and work.
Simple harmonic motion defined by a = -ω²x. Energy interchange, damping, and resonance: the same physics that explains pendulums and earthquakes.
From uniform fields between parallel plates to Coulomb's law and the parallels with gravity. Electric potential as the bridge between fields and energy.
How much charge a system holds per unit potential. Energy stored as the area under a potential-charge graph. Exponential decay through the time constant τ = RC.
Forces on currents and moving charges. The Hall effect, fields around current-carrying wires, and the elegant unification of Faraday's and Lenz's laws.
Sinusoidal currents, root-mean-square values, and the rectification and smoothing circuits that turn a.c. into the d.c. that runs your phone.
Where physics broke and rebuilt itself. The photon, the photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality, and the discrete energy levels that explain line spectra.
Mass defect, binding energy per nucleon, and Einstein's E = mc². The exponential law of radioactive decay and its mathematical solution.
Ultrasound, X-rays, and PET scanning. The piezoelectric effect, CT image construction, and gamma-ray detection from positron annihilation.
From standard candles to Hubble's law. The most ambitious topic in the syllabus, asking students to measure the scale of the Universe itself.