SCIENCE  

PHYSICS

1. Electricity and magnetism

static charge

a that an insulating material can be charged by friction;

b that there are forces of attraction between positive and negative charges, and forces of repulsion between like charges;

current in circuits

c how to measure current in series and parallel circuits;

d that the current in a series circuit depends on the number of cells and the number and nature of other components;

e that current is not 'used up' by components in circuits;

f that current is a flow of charge;

magnetic fields

g about magnetic fields as regions of space where magnetic materials experience forces;

h the field pattern produced by a bar magnet;

electromagnets

i that a current in a coil produces a magnetic field pattern;

 how electromagnets are constructed and used in devices, eg electric bells, relays.

2. Forces and motion

force and linear motion

a how to determine the speed of a moving object;

b the quantitative relationship between speed, distance and time;

c that unbalanced forces change the speed and/or direction of moving objects;

d that balanced forces produce no change in the movement of an object;

e ways in which frictional forces, including air resistance, affect motion, eg the effect of air resistance on a descending parachute, the effect of friction between a tyre and a road;

Pupils should be taught:

force and rotation

f that forces can cause objects to turn about a pivot;

g the principle of moments and its application to situations involving one pivot;

force and pressure

h the quantitative relationship between the force acting normally per unit area on a surface and the pressure on that surface;

i some applications of this relationship, eg the use of snow shoes, the effect of sharp blades.

3. Light and sound

the behaviour of light

a that, in a uniform medium, light travels in a straight line at a finite speed;

b how shadows are formed;

c that light travels much faster than sound;

d that non-luminous objects are seen because light scattered from them enters the eye;

e how light is reflected at plane surfaces;

f how light is refracted at the boundary between two different materials;

g that white light can be dispersed to give a range of colours;

h the effect of colour filters on white light;

i how coloured objects appear in white light and in other colours of light;

hearing

j that sound waves cause the ear drum to vibrate and that different people have different audible ranges;

k the effects of loud sounds on the ear;

vibration and sound

l that sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum;

m the link between the loudness of a sound and the amplitude of the vibration causing it;

n the link between the pitch of a sound and the frequency of the vibration causing it.

Pupils should be taught:

4. The Earth and beyond

the solar system

a that the apparent daily and annual movement of the Sun and other stars is caused by the movement of the Earth;

b the relative positions of the Earth, Sun and planets in the solar system;

c that gravitational forces determine the movements of planets around the Sun;

d that the Sun and other stars are light sources and that the planets and other bodies are seen by reflected light;

e that artificial satellites can be used to observe the Earth and to explore the solar system.

5. Energy resources and energy transfer

energy resources

a that there is a variety of energy resources, including oil, gas, coal, biomass, food, wind, waves and batteries;

b that the Sun is the ultimate source of most of the Earth`s energy resources;

c that electricity is generated using a variety of energy resources;

d that some of the Earth`s energy resources are renewable and some are not;

conservation of energy

e the distinction between temperature and the total energy contained in a body;

f that energy can be transferred and stored;

g that energy is conserved;

h that although energy is always conserved, it may be dissipated, reducing its availability as a resource.