A-level Physics (Advancing Physics)

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Welcome to the Wikibooks textbook on Physics, designed to contain everything you need to know for the OCR Physics B (Advancing Physics) specification[1]. All sorts of useful documents for this specification are available at http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as_alevelgce/physics_b_advancing_physics/documents.html .

All units are assumed to be SI units, unless stated otherwise. Diagrams can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Chapters are probably marked as 75% complete () because they are complete, but the author is not entirely happy with the correctness of the contents. Please look at these and check them!

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Contents 1 Contents 1.1 AS Exams 1.1.1 Physics in Action 1.1.1.1 Optics 1.1.1.2 Communication 1.1.1.3 Electricity 1.1.1.4 Material Structure 1.1.2 Understanding Processes 1.1.2.1 Waves 1.1.2.2 Quantum Physics 1.1.2.3 Mechanics 1.2 A2 Exams 1.2.1 Rise and Fall of the Clockwork Universe 1.2.1.1 Decay 1.2.1.2 Gravity 1.2.1.3 Mechanics 1.2.1.4 Astrophysics 1.2.1.5 Temperature 1.2.2 Field and Particle Pictures 1.2.2.1 Magnetic Fields 1.2.2.2 Electric Fields 1.2.2.3 Particle Physics 1.2.2.4 Nuclear Physics

[edit] Contents

[edit] AS Exams

[edit] Physics in Action

[edit] Optics

• Lenses
• Refraction

[edit] Communication

• Digital Storage
• Digital Processing
• Digitisation
• Signal Frequencies
• Bandwidth

[edit] Electricity

• Charge
• Current
• Voltage
• Power
• Resistance and Conductance
• Internal Resistance
• Potential Dividers
• Sensors
• Resistivity and Conductivity
• Semiconductors

[edit] Material Structure

• Stress, Strain & the Young Modulus
• Metals
• Polymers

[edit] Understanding Processes

[edit] Waves

• What is a wave?
• Phasors
• Standing Waves
• Young's Slits
• Diffraction
• Finding the Distance of a Remote Object

[edit] Quantum Physics

• Light as a Quantum Phenomenon
• Quantum Behaviour
• Electron Behaviour as a Quantum Phenomenon

[edit] Mechanics

• Vectors
• Graphs
• Kinematics
• Forces and Power (and Energy and Work Done)

[edit] A2 Exams

[edit] Rise and Fall of the Clockwork Universe

[edit] Decay

• Exponential Relationships
• Capacitors
• Radioactive Decay
• Half-lives

[edit] Gravity

• Gravitational Forces
• Gravitational Fields
• Gravitational Potential Energy
• Gravitational Potential

[edit] Mechanics

• Simple Harmonic Motion
• Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion
• Damping
• Resonance
• Conservation of Momentum
• Forces and Impulse in Collisions
• Rockets, Hoses and Machine Guns
• Circular Motion

[edit] Astrophysics

• Radar and Triangulation
• Large Units
• Orbits
• Doppler Effect
• Big Bang Theory

[edit] Temperature

• Heat and Energy
• Specific Heat Capacity
• Ideal Gases
• Kinetic Theory
• Boltzmann Factor

[edit] Field and Particle Pictures

[edit] Magnetic Fields

• Flux
• Induction
• Force
• Transformers
• Motors
• Generators

[edit] Electric Fields

• Electric Force
• Electric Field
• Electric Potential
• Electric Potential Energy

[edit] Particle Physics

• The Standard Model
• Quarks
• Bosons
• Leptons
• Millikan's Experiment
• Pair Production and Annihilation
• Particle Accelerators
• Cloud Chambers and Mass Spectrometers

[edit] Nuclear Physics

• Quantum Principles
• Radioactive Emissions
• Energy Levels
• Fission
• Fusion
• Binding Energy
• Risks, Doses and Dose Equivalents