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IB Physics›Physics SL
Revision Notes

IB Physics SL

Clear, student-friendly revision notes for IB Physics Standard Level — from motion and energy all the way to the atomic world, each with worked examples and exam pointers for Papers 1, 2 and 3.

Physics SL · Revision Notes

Table of Contents

Click any topic to expand and view all the notes inside.

1

Motion, Forces & Energy

How objects move and the forces, momentum and energy behind that motion.

36 notes▾

Describing Motion

8▾
Distance vs Displacement→ Speed vs Velocity→ Acceleration→ The Equations of Motion→ Graphs of Motion→ Projectiles→ Resistance in Fluids→ Terminal Velocity→

Forces & Momentum

18▾
Drawing Free-Body Diagrams→ Newton’s First Law→ Newton’s Second Law→ Newton’s Third Law→ Contact Forces→ Forces at a Distance→ Friction→ Hooke’s Law→ Stoke’s Law→ Buoyancy→ Conservation of Momentum→ Impulse & Momentum→ Force & Rate of Momentum→ 1D Collisions & Explosions→ Angular Velocity→ Centripetal Force→ Centripetal Acceleration→ Non-Uniform Circular Motion→

Work, Energy & Power

10▾
Conservation of Energy→ Energy Flow (Sankey) Diagrams→ Calculating Work Done→ Kinetic Energy→ Gravitational PE→ Elastic PE→ Mechanical Energy Conservation→ Power & Energy→ Efficiency→ Energy Density→
2

Matter, Heat & Electricity

Heat flow, the warming of our planet, the behaviour of gases and electric circuits.

39 notes▾

Heat & Thermal Transfer

15▾
States of Matter→ Density→ Measuring Temperature→ Temperature & Particle Energy→ Internal Energy→ Thermal Equilibrium→ Changing State→ Specific Heat Capacity→ Latent Heat→ Thermal Conduction→ Thermal Convection→ Thermal Radiation→ Brightness & Luminosity→ Stefan-Boltzmann Law→ Wien’s Law→

Climate & the Greenhouse Effect

5▾
Albedo & Emissivity→ The Solar Constant→ Greenhouse Gases→ The Greenhouse Effect→ Energy Balance Calculations→

The Behaviour of Gases

7▾
Gas Pressure→ The Mole & Amount of Substance→ Gas Laws→ Ideal Gas Equation→ Kinetic Theory→ Deriving the Kinetic Theory Equation→ Average Molecular Kinetic Energy→

Electric Current & Circuits

12▾
Reading Circuit Diagrams→ Electric Current→ Potential Difference→ Conductors & Insulators→ Resistance→ Resistivity→ I–V Characteristics→ Series & Parallel Circuits→ Power in Circuits→ Sources of EMF→ EMF & Internal Resistance→ Variable Resistors→
3

Oscillations & Waves

Repeating motion, how waves travel and behave, and shifting frequencies.

25 notes▾

Oscillations & SHM

5▾
Describing Oscillations→ Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)→ Period of a Mass-Spring System→ Period of a Simple Pendulum→ Energy in SHM→

Modelling Waves

4▾
Wave Properties→ Transverse & Longitudinal Waves→ Sound Waves→ The EM Spectrum→

How Waves Behave

7▾
Wavefronts & Rays→ Reflection, Refraction & Transmission→ Diffraction→ Refraction→ Superposition→ Interference→ Young’s Double Slit→

Standing Waves & Resonance

6▾
Standing Waves→ Nodes & Antinodes→ Standing Wave Boundary Conditions→ Harmonics in Strings & Pipes→ Resonance→ Damping→

The Doppler Effect

3▾
The Doppler Effect→ Doppler Effect for Light→ Redshift of Galaxies→
4

Force Fields

Invisible fields of force and how charges and masses move through them.

17 notes▾

Gravity & Its Field

4▾
Newton’s Law of Gravitation→ Gravitational Field Strength→ Mapping Gravitational Fields→ Kepler’s Laws→

Electric & Magnetic Fields

7▾
Electric Charge→ Millikan’s Oil-Drop Experiment→ Static Charge→ Coulomb’s Law→ Electric Field Strength→ Mapping Electric Fields→ Magnetic Fields→

Charges Moving in Fields

6▾
Force on a Current-Carrying Wire→ Force Between Parallel Wires→ Force on a Moving Charge→ Charges in Magnetic Fields→ Charges in Electric Fields→ Charges in Combined Fields→
5

The Atomic & Nuclear World

Inside the atom — decay, splitting and joining nuclei, and the life of stars.

25 notes▾

Atomic Structure

4▾
Rutherford’s Gold-Foil Experiment→ Nuclear Notation→ Emission & Absorption Spectra→ Photon Energy→

Radioactivity & Decay

8▾
Isotopes & Decay→ Background Radiation→ Alpha, Beta & Gamma Radiation→ Decay Equations→ Activity & Half-Life→ Uses of Radioactivity→ Mass Defect & Binding Energy→ Binding Energy per Nucleon→

Nuclear Fission

5▾
Spontaneous & Induced Fission→ Energy from Fission→ Chain Reactions→ How a Nuclear Reactor Works→ Managing Radioactive Waste→

Fusion & the Stars

8▾
Fusion in Stars→ Energy from Fusion→ How Stars Form→ The Life Cycle of a Star→ The HR Diagram→ Stellar Spectra→ Stellar Parallax→ Finding Stellar Radii→
6

Practical Skills Toolkit

The hands-on methods, tech and maths every physics experiment relies on.

13 notes▾

Skill Set 1: Experimental Technique

2▾
Safety, Ethics & the Environment→ Measuring Variables→

Skill Set 2: Using Technology

2▾
Using Tech to Collect Data→ Using Tech to Process Data→

Skill Set 3: Maths for Physics

9▾
Maths Skills for Physics→ Scalars & Vectors→ Adding & Resolving Vectors→ Scale Diagrams→ Base & Derived Units→ Dimensional Analysis→ Handling Uncertainties→ Graphing Skills→ Uncertainties from Graphs→
7

The Scientific Inquiry Cycle

Working like a scientist, from first question to final evaluation.

8 notes▾

Stage 1: Explore & Design

3▾
Exploring a Problem→ Designing an Investigation→ Controlling Variables→

Stage 2: Collect & Process Data

3▾
Collecting Data→ Processing Data→ Interpreting Results→

Stage 3: Conclude & Evaluate

2▾
Drawing Conclusions→ Evaluating the Method→

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