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© Keith and Ann Johnson 1978, 1980, 1986, 1991, 2001, 2006, 2011

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accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This edition published in 2011 by: Nelson Thornes Ltd, Delta Place, 27 Bath Road, CHELTENHAM, GL53 7TH, United Kingdom

ISBN 978 1 4085 0922 7 11 12 13 14 15 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Page make-up by Tech-Set with additional typesetting by Fakenham Photosetting

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Website:
The website at www.physicsforyou.co.uk gives you details of exactly which pages
in this book you need to study for your particular GCSE examination course.
Make sure you visit this website and print out the correct sections.
They will show you:
• which topics you need to learn for your particular examination, and
• which page numbers to read in this book.

‘What is the use of a book,’ thought Alice, ‘without pictures or conversations ?’

Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

Albert Einstein

There is no higher or lower knowledge, but one only, flowing out of experimentation.
Leonardo da Vinci

I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been
only a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a
smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay
all undiscovered before me.
Sir Isaac Newton
Introduction
Physics For You is designed to introduce you
to the basic ideas of Physics, and show you how
these ideas can help to explain the world in which
we live.
This book is based on successful earlier editions
of the same name, but new pages and extra
questions have been added to cover the latest
requirements of the new GCSE Examinations.
Physics For You has been designed to be
interesting and to help you to pass your exams,
whether you are using it for a Physics course or
as part of a Core Science or Additional Science
course.
The book is carefully laid out so that each new
idea is introduced and developed on a single page
or on two facing pages. Words have been kept to
a minimum and as straightforward as possible.
Pages with a red band in the top corner are the
more difficult pages and may be left out at first.
Throughout the book there are many simple
experiments for you to do. A safety sign: !
means your teacher should give you further
advice (for example, to wear safety glasses).
Each important fact or new formula is printed in
heavy type or is in a box. There is a summary of
important facts at the end of each chapter.
At the back of the book there is advice for you
on practical work, key skills, ideas and evidence
in science, careers, revision and examination
techniques, as well as help with mathematics.
Questions at the end of a chapter range from
simple fill-in-a-missing-word sentences (useful for
writing notes in your notebook) to more difficult
questions that will need some more thought.
In calculations, simple numbers have been used to
keep the arithmetic as straightforward as possible.
At the end of each main topic you will find a
section of further questions taken from actual
GCSE examination papers.
Throughout the book, cartoons and rhymes are
used to explain ideas and ask questions for you to
answer. In many of the cartoons, Professor Messer
makes a mistake because he does not understand
Physics very well. Professor Messer does not think
very clearly, but I expect you will be able to see his
mistakes and explain where he has gone wrong.
Here I would like to thank my wife, Ann, for her
constant encouragement and her help with the
many diagrams and cartoons.
I hope you will find Physics interesting as well as
useful. Above all, I hope you will enjoy Physics
For You.
Keith Johnson
Professor Messer gets in messes,
Things go wrong when he makes guesses.
As you will see, he’s not too bright,
It’s up to you to put him right.
3
 Contents
Basic ideas
1 How Science works 6
2 Units 8
3 Energy 10
The small . . . 4 Molecules 16

Heat (thermal energy)

5 Expansion 21
6 Thermometers 26
7 The Gas Laws 29
8 Measuring Heat 35
9 Conduction, Convection, Radiation 40
Physics at work: Keeping warm 43
10 Changing State 53
Further questions on heat 60

Seven atoms in a uranyl microcrystal, photographed Mechanics

with an electron microscope and false colour added.
They are magnified 100 million times. 11 Pushes and Pulls 64
12 Density 74
13 Pressure 77
14 More about Forces 82
Physics at work: Friction 83
. . . and the large. Physics at work: Parachutes 89
15 Turning Forces 90
16 Work, Energy and Power 97
Physics at work: Supplying electricity 105
17 Machines 116
18 Velocity and Acceleration 122
Physics at work: Sport 134
19 Momentum 136
Further questions on mechanics 140

Earth Physics and Astronomy

20 The Earth and beyond 146
Physics at work: Satellites 154
The Andromeda galaxy. It contains about Physics at work: Space travel 160
100 000 million stars, and the distance across Further questions on astronomy 163
it is over 100 000 light-years (10 21 metres).

4
Waves: Light and Sound Nuclear Physics

21 Waves 166 39 Radioactivity 338

22 Light 171 Physics at work: Radioactive dating 352
23 Reflection 176 Further questions on radioactivity 353
24 Curved Mirrors 181 Physics at work: Medical physics 356
25 Refraction 184
Physics at work: Fibre optics 192
Physics at work: Lasers 193 Extra sections
26 Lenses 194
27 Optical instruments 198
28 Colour 206 How Science works 358
Physics at work: Electromagnetic waves 212 Doing Your Coursework 366
Physics at work: Telescopes in space 215
Physics at work: Mobile phones 216
Physics at work: Analogue and digital 218 How scientists work 370
Ideas changing over time 371
29 Sound 224 Famous Names 376
Physics at work: Ultrasonic echoes 228 History of Inventions 378
Further questions on waves 236

Key Skills 380

Electricity and Magnetism
Revision Techniques 382
30 Static Electricity 241 Revision Programme 384
Physics at work: Static electricity 246 Revision Checklist 385
31 Circuits 248
32 Heating Effect of a current 264 Examination Technique 386
Physics at work: Circuit-breakers 272
33 Chemical Effect of a current 273
Further questions on Electricity (1) 276 Careers using Physics 388
34 Magnetism 280
Physics at work: Magnets 284 Check your Maths 390
35 Magnetic Effect of a current 286
Physics at work: Using electromagnets 288 Answers 392
36 Electromagnetic Induction 296
Physics at work: In your home 306 Index 396

37 Electron beams 308

Physics at work: In the office 314
38 Electronics 316
Physics at work: Radio 331
Further questions on Electricity (2) 332
Revision details at www.physics for you.co.uk

5
chapter 1

How Science works

The main purpose of this book is to help you gain
scientific knowledge and understanding.
But you also need to know ‘How Science works’,
and how scientists work.
You will learn a lot of this by planning and then
doing your own experiments and investigations,
to collect data (see the opposite page).

How scientists work

The purpose of Science is to find out how the Universe works.
We are trying to explain the world in which we live.
We do experiments and investigations to observe and collect
evidence, rather like detectives investigating a crime.
‘Practical skills are important’
From the evidence scientists try to form a theory or
‘thought-model’, to explain the evidence.
(For example, the kinetic theory of molecules on page 16.)
A good theory or model is one which can be used to make
a prediction, which we can test by experiment.
If the experiment contradicts it, then the theory is modified As Albert Einstein said:
or changed to a new theory that fits the facts ...until new “No amount of experimentation can
evidence disproves this theory, and so on. ever prove me right; but a single
In this way, human understanding of our world has experiment may prove me wrong.”
developed step by step. This is how Science works.
The history of Science shows how scientific ideas have
changed step by step (see pages 371–379).

In the modern world, scientists usually work in teams and

share their ideas with other teams, by publishing them in
books or on the internet (see page 370 for more details).
It is vital that their evidence is reliable and valid. It is then for
society as a whole to make decisions based on that evidence.
For example, what to do about global warming (see page 107).

Of course there are many questions that Science cannot answer Science can explain how we
see a flower, ...but it cannot
yet (eg. how to cure all cancers). And there are questions that explain why it looks beautiful.
Science can never attempt to answer (eg. religious questions).

The opposite page gives a summary of the key words used in Physics investigations.
There are more details about How Science works on pages 358–365.

6
Read through the box below, and discuss any difficult words in
your group or with your teacher. See also the Glossary below.
Make sure that you understand all of the words.
The main steps
Science is a powerful tool for answering certain questions. in an investigation
To do this we need to plan an investigation to collect data.
We can do this by observing and measuring. Usually we Plan your
are trying to find a link between 2 variables. investigation
When planning an investigation we always try to make it a
fair test. We need to ensure that the data we collect are
reliable and valid. As well as the primary data that we Observe and
collect, we can also use secondary data. measure the data

For some investigations we can use ICT, either to take

measurements (using a sensor) or to model the situation. Present your data
in tables, charts
When we have collected data, we need to present it clearly, or line-graphs
in order to see any patterns in the data. We can use
tables, bar-charts and line-graphs to display the data.
Analyse the data,
On a line-graph we can draw a line of best fit. This lets us and try to
see any anomalous data that do not fit the pattern. draw a conclusion
The line of best fit may allow us to draw a conclusion.
We should always evaluate our work. This means: Evaluate the data
– evaluating the investigation to see if it could be improved, and the investigation
– evaluating our data to see if they are reliable and valid.

Glossary
Data : a series of measurements, used as evidence.
Variables These are things that you can vary or change For example: Variables
during your investigation. There are 3 main types: When you stretch an elastic band,
G independent (or input) variable. This is the thing that - the independent variable is the force
you decide to change. that you apply,
G dependent (or outcome) variable. This is the variable that - the dependent variable is the length of
the elastic (which you can measure).
changes as a result. It is the variable that you measure.
G control variables. These are all the variables that must not
For example: Reliable
change, so that it is a fair test. Measuring the time of a pendulum
more than once, and taking an average,
Reliable evidence is data that we can trust. If someone else gives you more reliable data.
did the same experiment would they find the same evidence ?
Your evidence will be more reliable if you repeat the readings.
For example: Valid
Valid evidence is data that measures what you intended, and Measuring the volume of food is not valid
evidence of the amount of energy in it.
is directly relevant to your investigation.
Secondary evidence is data collected by someone else. For example: Secondary data
You may find it in a book or on the internet, but you should Data on road safety published by a car
always check to see if it is reliable and valid. manufacturer ...but it may be biassed.

7
chapter 2

Length
Length is measured in a unit called the metre
(often shortened to m).
A door knob is usually about 1 metre from the
ground; doorways are about 2 m high.
We often use centimetres (100 cm = 1 metre)
or millimetres (1000 mm = 1 metre).

Experiment 2.1
a) Look at a metre rule. Which marks are centi-
metres and which are millimetres ?
b) It is useful to know the length of your hand-
span. Mine is 22 cm (0.22 m); what is yours ?
c) Use the metre rule to measure
– the length of your foot
– your height.
Write down your answers in mm and also in m.

To measure short lengths very accurately we

can use vernier calipers or a micrometer.

When measuring in Physics we try to do it as

accurately as we can.
Professor Messer is trying to measure the length
of a block of wood with a metre rule but he has
made at least six mistakes.
How many mistakes can you find ?

Experiment 2.2
Measure the length of a block of wood taking
care not to make any of the Professor’s mistakes.

8
 Mass
If you buy a bag of sugar in a shop, you will find In Maths and in Physics, a ‘k’
the mass of sugar marked on the bag. It is written Means a thousand of whatever you say
in grams (g) or in kilograms (kg). ‘Kilo’ always For grams and for metres
means a thousand, so 1 kilogram = 1000 grams. And even, for teachers,
The size of their annual pay.
The mass of this book is about 1 kilogram.
People often get confused between mass and weight,
but they are not the same (see pages 65 and 68).

Experiment 2.3 ! ‘kilo’ is not the only prefix:

Lift some masses labelled 1 kg, 2 kg, 5 kg and 1 g.
Mega (M) = 1 million = 1 000 000

kilo (k) = 1 thousand = 1 000

Time 1
centi (c) = 1 hundredth = 
In Physics, time is always measured in seconds 100
(sometimes shortened to s). 1
milli (m) = 1 thousandth = 
You can count seconds very roughly, without a 1000
watch, by saying at a steady rate: ONE (thousand) 1
micro (Ȗ) = 1 millionth = 
TWO (thousand) THREE (thousand) FOUR . . . 1 000 000
1
nano (n) = 1 thousand-millionth = 
Experiment 2.4 ! 1 000 000 000
Use a stopclock or stopwatch to measure the
time for a complete swing of a pendulum (see
page 99) or the beating of your heart.
What is the time for 100 of your heartbeats ?
What is the time for one heartbeat ? Approximate Events
By how much does it change if you run upstairs ? length of time
in seconds
All the other units you will meet in this book are
1018 Expected lifetime of the Sun
based on the metre, the kilogram and the second.
1017 Age of the Earth
They are called SI units.
1015 Time since the dinosaurs lived
1013 Time since the earliest human
Very large and small numbers 1010 Time since Isaac Newton lived
109 Average human life span
For very large or very small numbers, we some-
107 A school term
times use a shorthand way of writing them, by
105 One day
counting the number of zeros (see also page 391).
100 One second
For example: 102 Time for sound to cross a room
a) 1 million = 1 000 000 (6 zeros) = 106 107 Time for an electron to travel
down a TV tube
b) 2 million = 2 000 000 = 2  106 108 Time for light to cross a room
c) 0.000 001 = 
1
(1 millionth) = 10 6 1011 Time for light to pass through
1 000 000
spectacles
In this shorthand way, write down: 1022 Time for some events inside
one thousand, one thousandth, 10 million, atoms
one hundredth, 3 million, 30 thousand.

9
chapter 3

I wish I could find some use for all that energy !

Energy can exist in different forms, as you can see in the cartoon.

People get their energy from the chemical energy in their food.
Cars run on the chemical energy in petrol. A firework in the cartoon
has chemical energy which it transforms to thermal energy (heat)
and light and sound energy when it explodes.
Some forms of energy are called potential energy.
One kind of potential energy is the elastic energy (also called
strain energy) stored in the stretched elastic of a catapult.
The bucket over the door also has some stored potential energy,
called gravitational potential energy. When the bucket falls
down, this gravitational energy is transferred to movement energy.
The moving pellets from the catapult and the moving people all have
movement energy, called kinetic energy.
The television set is taking in electrical energy and transferring it
to thermal energy and light and sound energy.
Another form of energy is nuclear energy, which is used in nuclear
power stations.
These forms of energy are shown in the diagram on the opposite
page (see also page 98).

10
The connecting lines on the diagram show the different ways
that energy can be changed from one form to another.
See if you can decide what the energy changes are in the following objects.
For example:
A firework changes chemical energy to thermal energy, light and sound energy.
Copy and complete these sentences.

1. A TV set changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.

2. A match changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.
3. A light-bulb changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.
4. A catapult changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.
5. A falling bucket changes . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.
6. An electric fire changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.
7. A human body changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.
8. A microphone changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.
9. An atomic bomb changes . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.
10. A car engine changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . energy to ......... energy.

You can learn more about energy changes and transfers in chapter 16.

11
Energy changes
In the diagram on the previous page (page 11), one energy change has
been labelled ‘electric fire’. Copy out the diagram into your book and
then add the correct label to every arrow. Use words from the following
list: coal fire, electric fire, steam engine, atom bomb (on four arrows),
car engine, battery, loudspeaker, dynamo, very hot object, friction,
bow and arrow, falling parachutist, cricket ball rising in the air,
vibrations, microphone, thermocouple, solar cell, solar panel,
plants, glow-worm, fluorescent lamp, girl landing on a trampoline,
hanging a weight on a spring, an arm muscle tightening, sound-
absorbing material, electroplating. Taking in chemical energy

Saving money
Method Payback times*
Energy costs money and we use large amounts of
energy/money each day. Lagging the hot- Less than a month
There are several ways of saving energy/money in water cylinder
your home (and making your home more comfort- Draught excluders A few weeks
able at the same time). The table shows the time
taken before they have paid for themselves and Lagging the loft About 3 years
start to show a ‘profit’. (see page 43).

How well is your home insulated ? Wall cavity 4 –7 years

How well is your school insulated ? Write a list of insulation
recommendations. Double glazing About 10 years
Energy is measured in units called joules. in windows
The joule is a small unit. To lift this book through
*all these times are
a height of 10 cm needs about 1 joule. shorter if you get a
When you walk upstairs you use over 1000 joules. government grant

The diagram below shows the energy (in joules)

involved in different events.
(Remember: 105 = number with 5 zeros = 100 000
and 105 =  1
100 000 )


energy from kinetic energy

of a bullet
uranium atom

kinetic energy of energy needed moonlight on energy to lift energy from 1k day’s work for
an alpha-particle to lift a hair your face for this book from a completely for 1 hour a woodcutter
through 1 mm 1 second burnt match (1 kW h)

10 –13 10 –11 10 –9 10 –7 10 –5 10 –3 10 –1 1 10 10 3 10 5 10 7

1J 1 kJ

12
 The energy crisis
We are only just beginning to realise fully that our planet Earth is a
spaceship with limited food and fuel (and we are taking on more
passengers each year as the population increases).
Our supplies of energy cannot last for ever.
Oil and natural gas will be the first to disappear. If the whole world
used oil at the rate it is used in America and Europe, our oil supplies
would end in about 4 years! They are non-renewable. Power stations are wasteful (see p. 104).
The overall efficiency (from power
As it is, the world’s oil supplies might last for about 40 years. station to your home) is about 25 %.
How old will you be then ? In what ways will your life be different Three-quarters of the energy is
entirely wasted! The wasted energy
without oil (and therefore without petrol and plastics) ? could be used to heat nearby homes.

Natural gas will last a bit longer – perhaps 60 years.

Coal will last longer – perhaps 300 years with careful mining.
nuclear 9% renewable 2%
Nuclear energy might help for a while – but it causes problems due
to the very dangerous radioactive waste that is produced (page 350).
Also, each power station lasts only about 30 years and is difficult to
dismantle because of the radioactivity.
COAL
We waste huge amounts of energy. It takes over 5 million joules of 17%
OIL
32%
energy to make one fizzy-drink-can and we throw away 700 million
of them each year! Making paper and steel uses particularly large
amounts of energy, but very little is recycled.
NATURAL
GAS
We must find new ways of obtaining energy. The Sun’s energy is 40%

free but it is not easy to capture it. Governments are looking for
new sources of energy (see next page). They will probably not give
enough energy for the future. Our main hope is that the H-bomb
fusion process (page 156) will eventually be controlled.
Energy sources of Britain at present.
What will happen when the
fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) run out ?

13
 Renewable sources of energy Source of energy Original source
Some sources of energy are renewable. They are not Solar Sun
used up like coal or oil. Biomass Sun
Physicists and engineers are working hard to develop Wind Sun
better machines to use these sources of energy. Waves Sun
Hydro-electric Sun
Tides Moon
Solar energy Geothermal Earth

The Earth receives an enormous amount of energy

directly from the Sun each day, but we use very
little of it. Some homes have solar panels on the
roof (see page 50). In hot countries solar ovens
can be used for cooking (see page 48) and for
producing electricity in solar thermal towers.
Space ships and satellites use solar cells to
convert sunlight into electricity. You may have
seen calculators powered by solar cells.
Covering part of the Sahara Desert with solar cells
would produce energy but would be very expensive.
To equal the power of one modern power station
you would need 40 square kilometres of solar cells.

Biomass
gas
Some of the sunlight shining on the Earth is trapped
by plants, as they grow. We use this biomass
when we eat plants or when we burn wood. methane gas

In Brazil they grow sugar cane and then use the

digester
sugar to make alcohol (‘bio-ethanol’).
manure and
The alcohol is then used in cars, instead of petrol. rotting plants
Rotting plants can produce a gas called methane
which is the same as the ‘natural gas’ we use for
cooking. If the plants rot in a closed tank, called a
digester, the gas can be piped away and used as
fuel for cooking. This is often used in India.

Wind energy
This energy also comes from the Sun, because winds
are caused by the Sun heating different parts of
the Earth unequally.
Modern ‘wind-generators’ are very efficient but
it takes about 2000 very large wind turbines to
provide as much electricity as one modern power
station (and only if the wind is blowing).

14
Wave energy float rocks up and down

Waves are caused by the winds blowing across the sea.

They contain a lot of free energy.
ocean
waves pivot
One method of getting this energy is to use large floats
which move up and down with the waves.
The movement energy can be converted to electricity.
However, we would need about 20 kilometres of floats
to produce as much energy as one power station.

Hydro-electric energy
upper lake
Dams can be used to store rain-water, and then the
falling water can be used to make electricity (see
experiment 16.5 on page 101).
This is a very useful and clean source of energy for 400m large power
mountainous countries like Norway and China. station inside
the mountain
The same idea can be used to store energy from power
stations that cannot easily shut down. At night, when
demand is low, spare electricity can be used to pump
water up to a high lake. During the day, the water can
lower lake
be allowed to fall back down, to produce electricity
when it is needed. A pumped storage scheme in Scotland

Tidal energy
As the Moon goes round the Earth it pulls on the seas
so that the height of the tide varies.
If a dam is built across an estuary, it can have gates
which trap the water at high tide. Then at low tide,
the water can be allowed to fall back through the
dam and make electricity (see experiment 16.5).

Geothermal energy
The inside of the Earth is hot (due to radioactivity,
see chapter 39). In some parts of the world (like New
Zealand) hot water comes to the surface naturally. In
other countries cold water is pumped down very deep
holes and steam comes back to the surface. A tidal power station in France

Summary
Energy exists in several different forms:
chemical, electric, magnetic, kinetic, potential
(elastic and gravitational), sound, nuclear,
electromagnetic radiation (including light)
and thermal energy (internal energy or
heat).
Energy can be changed from one form to another.
Some sources of energy are non-renewable and
will be used up: coal, oil, gas, nuclear.
Other sources are renewable: solar, biomass,
wind, wave, hydro-electric, tidal and geothermal.
See also chapter 16, pages 103 –106.

15
Index
A
absolute temperature 27, 31
absolute zero 27, 31, 34
a.c. 268, 298–9, 317
a.c. generator 298–300
acceleration 122–5, 127, 130–1
acceleration due to gravity
128–9, 131
accuracy 362
acoustics 234
air bag 138
air resistance 87, 89
alpha-particle 340–2, 345, 350
alpha-particle scattering 342
alternating current 268, 298–9,
317
AM (amplitude modulation) 331
ammeter 250
ampere 250, 260
ampère-hour 115
amplifier 322, 325
amplitude 167, 231
analogue 218–9, 306
AND gate 326–9
anode 273–4, 308
asteroids 152
atmospheric pressure 57, 80
atomic mass 343
atomic structure 342
atoms 342–3, 372
B change of state 53–7
background radiation 340, 350
balance 75
spring 66–7
balloon, hot-air 45
barometer, mercury 80
battery 115, 252, 260
Becquerel, Henri 338, 350, 372
bell, electric 288
beta-particle 340–1, 345
Big-Bang theory 158, 373
bi-metallic strip 23, 25, 272
biomass 14
biometrics 356
black hole 157, 372
boiling 57
and impurities 57
and pressure 57
396
Boyle’s Law 29, 33, 34
braking 79, 83
bridges 22, 73
Brownian movement 18
C compact disc (CD, DVD) 218, 306,
314
calorific value 35 computer 314
camera, lens 195–6, 198–9 concave mirror 48, 181–2
pinhole 174 conduction, of electricity 243, 249
capacitor 245, 317, 325 of heat 40–3
car, brakes 79, 83 conductors 41, 243, 249
cooling system 44 conservation of energy 98, 102,
driving mirror 182 371
engine 114–15, 116 continental drift 373
headlamp 183 convection 38, 40, 44–5, 51, 264
ignition system 304 convex mirror 181–3
safety 69, 83, 138 copper, refining of 275
starter motor 289, 292 coulomb 245, 260–1
carbon capture 107 critical angle 187
careers 388–9 CRO (oscilloscope) 232, 310–11, 317
cathode 273–4, 308, 316 crumple zones 69, 138
cathode-ray oscilloscope 310–11 current : voltage graphs 259, 316
cathode rays 309 curved mirrors 181–3
CD-ROM 218, 306, 314
cell, dry 252, 260
Celsius (centigrade) 26, 27
centre of mass (gravity) 92–5, 134
D
centripetal force 70–1, 134, 148, 153 dating, radioactive 347, 352
chain reaction 348 deceleration 122
charges, law of force 241
decibel 230, 234
defects, of hearing 230, 234
Charles’ Law 30–1, 33, 34 of vision 202–3
chemical effect of a current 273–5 demagnetisation 281
circuit-breaker 269, 272, 295 density 74–6, 78, 147
circuits, parallel 251, 257, 261 depth of field or focus 199
ring main 268–70 diffraction 155, 169, 211, 226, 228
series 250, 256, 261 diffusion 19
circular motion 70–1, 134, 148, 153 digital 218–19, 306, 314, 326
clinical thermometer 27 diode 308, 316–17, 321, 331
cloud chamber 338 dispersion 206–7
collisions 137–8 displacement 126
colour-blindness 203, 221 distance–time graph 126
colours, primary 221, 307, 311 Doppler effect 158
secondary 221 dosemeter 214, 350
comets 152 double-glazing 43
communications 155, 192, 211, dynamo, a.c. 298–300
218–19, 314 bicycle 298
commutator 292 d.c. 300
E F H
ear 230 f-number 199 half-life 344, 352
Earth 48, 71, 146–55, 282 farad 245 heat, and temperature 26
earthing 268–70 Faraday, Michael 274, 297, 375, 377 energy 10, 35–8, 100–1
earthquakes 146–7 feedback 324 measurement of 35–8
electrocardiography (ECG) 356 fibre optics 189, 192, 218, 314 unit of 35–8, 97
echoes 226, 228–9 field, electric 244 heat exchanger 44, 348
eclipse 173 gravitational 131, 149, 153 heat pump 56
eddy currents 302 magnetic 282, 286–7, 290 heating effect of current 264
efficiency 102–3, 116 filter 220 hertz 167
of machines 102–3, 116, 118–19, 302 fission, nuclear 348 Hooke’s Law 66
Einstein, Albert 348, 372, 374, 376 Fleming’s left-hand rule 290 hot-water system 44
elastic (strain) energy 10, 98, 108 Fleming’s right-hand rule 296 hovercraft 82
elastic limit 66 floating 87 ‘how Science works’ 6–7, 358–70
electric bell 288 fluorescence 210, 212, 265 Hubble’s Law 158, 373
electric energy 10, 104–6, 261, 266–7 flux, magnetic 282 hybrid car 115
electric field 244 FM (frequency modulation) 331 hydraulic brakes 79
electric fire 38, 264 focal length, of lenses 194–5 hydroelectric power 15, 101, 105–6
electric force 17, 241 of mirrors 181 hydrogen bomb 13, 98, 156
electric lamp 103, 212, 259, 265 focus, principal 181, 194 hydrogen fuel cell 115
electric motor 290–3 force 65–71, 82–7, 97, 130, 136
electric power 111, 266 balanced 84–7, 89, 128
electricity, generating 104–6, 296–303
electricity meter 267–8
centripetal 70–1, 134, 148, 153
electric 17, 241
I
electrolysis 273–5 gravitational 65–7, 97, 131, 149, ideas and evidence 358–9, 370–9
electromagnet 281, 287–9 153 illusions, optical 201, 203
electromagnetic induction 296–303 moment of 90 images, curved mirror 181–2
electromagnetic waves 207–15 parallelogram of 86 in lenses 194–6, 198
electron 242, 249, 260–1, 308–12 free-body force diagram 87 plane mirror 178
electronics 316–29 freezing point 27, 54, 57 real 174, 195, 198
electroplating 274–5 frequency 167, 232 virtual 179
electroscope, gold-leaf 243, 338 friction 82–3, 89, 116, 134 immersion heater 50, 264
electrostatic induction 242 fuel cell 115 inclined plane 118
electrostatic precipitator 246 fuse 268–70 induced charges 242
e.m.f. 252 fusion (melting) 53 induced current 296–305
endoscope 192 nuclear 13, 98, 152, 156, 349 induction, electromagnetic 296–303
energy, and work 97, 99, 108 electrostatic 242
chemical 10, 35, 98 magnetic 283
electrical 10, 98, 104–6, 261, 266–7
heat (thermal) 10, 35–8, 98, 101
G inertia 68–9
infra-red rays 40, 46–51, 209, 211,
kinetic 10, 98–9, 109, 137, 224 galaxy 157–9 213, 214
light 10, 98, 101 gamma-rays 208, 210, 214, 341, 347 ink-jet printer 315
nuclear 10, 13, 98, 348–9 gas laws 29–34 insulation 12, 41–3, 51
potential 10, 98–9, 108–9 gases 16–18, 24, 29–34 internal combustion engine 114
renewable sources of 14, 103–6 gears 118 internal energy 26, 35–6
sound 10, 98, 224–34 Geiger 339, 342 inventions 378–9
unit of 35–8, 97–9, 110, 266–7 generator, a.c. 298–300 inverse square law 153, 214, 217, 341
energy crisis 13, 104–7, 349 d.c. 300 ion 244, 274, 338
energy transfers 11, 12, 98, 100–4 Van de Graaff 244 ionisation 244, 338, 346
energy transfer diagrams 102–4, 116 geo-stationary orbit 154, 155 ionosphere 211
equations of motion 127 global warming 107 isotope 343, 346
equilibrium 93 gold-leaf electroscope 243, 338
evaporation 56 gravitational field 131, 149, 153
examinations 386–7
expansion, of gases 24, 30
gravitational potential energy 11, 108
gravity 65–7, 85, 89, 128, 131, 153
J
of liquids 24 greenhouse effect 48, 106–7, 150 jet engine 114
of solids 21–3 grid system (national) 303 joule 12, 35–8, 97–9, 102–9, 261,
eye, human 200–3 guitar 305 266–7, 371

397
K melting point 57
and impurities 57 P
and pressure 57 parachute 89, 128
Kelvin scale 27, 31
meteors 152 parallel circuits 251, 257, 261
Key Skills 376–7
microphone 289, 291, 297, 301 parallelogram of forces 86
kilogram 9, 68, 130
microscope 196 pascal 77
kilowatt-hour 267
microwaves 209, 211, 213, 216–17 pendulum 9, 99
kinetic energy 10, 98–9, 109, 137
microwave oven 213 penumbra 172–3
kinetic theory of gases 16, 34
mirage 189 period, periodic time 167
Kirchhoff’s Law 251
mirror, concave 48, 181–2 periscope 177
convex 181–2 persistence of vision 201
L plane 176–9
mobile phones 216–7, 314
PET scanning 357
photocopier 315
lamp, electric 103, 212, 259, 265 molecules 16, 18, 24, 26, 34, 41, 53, pitch of sound 232
laser 193, 306 56, 73, 80, 149, 225, 227, 283 plane mirror 176–9
laser printer 315 moments, principle of 90–1 planets 150–1, 152
latent heat, of fusion 53–4 momentum 136–8 plug, three-pin 270
of vaporisation 55 Moon 65, 71, 131, 149, 173 polarised waves 167
LDR 192, 319, 324, 329 motor, electric 290–3 pole, magnetic 280
LED 192, 265, 318 MRI imaging 357 positron 357
left-hand rule, Fleming’s 290 multiplexing 219 potential difference 252–3, 261
lenses 194–6, 198 potential divider 258, 318, 323, 329
Lenz’s Law 297 potential energy 10, 98–9, 108–9
levers 90, 117
light-dependent resistor 192, 319, 324
N potentiometer 258
power 110–11, 135, 266–7
light waves 169, 171, 207, 208 near Earth objects (NEOs) 152 power station 13–15, 101, 104–6, 349
light-year 157–8, 171 nebula 152, 157 pressure 77–81
lightning 227, 245 neutral point 282 atmospheric 80
lines of force (flux) 282, 286–7 neutron 342–3 pressure cooker 57
logic gates 326–9 neutron star 157 pressure gauges 80
longitudinal waves 146, 166, 225 newton 67, 130 pressure law 32–4
loudness 230, 232, 234 Newton, Sir Isaac 65, 69, 84, 130, principal focus 181, 194
loudspeaker 291 206, 372, 374, 376 prism, refraction by 207
Newton’s First Law 69–70, 128 totally reflecting 188
Newton’s Second Law 130–1, 136 projector, optical 196, 204
M Newton’s Third Law 84–5, 160 proton 242, 342–3
pulleys 119
noise 219, 234
machines 116–20 NOT gate 327 pulse oximetry 356
magnetic effect of a current 286 nuclear energy 10, 13, 98, 348
magnetic field 282, 286–7, 289
due to a coil, solenoid 287
magnetic induction 283
nuclear equations 345
nuclear fission 348–9 Q
nuclear fusion 13, 98, 152, 156, 349 quality of sound 233
magnetic line of force (flux) 282 nuclear reactor 104, 348–9
magnetic materials 283 nucleon 343
magnetism, Earth’s 282
induced 283
nucleus 242, 342
nuclide 343, 345, 346
R
theory of 283 radar 211, 311
magnification 195 radiation, alpha, beta 340, 345
magnifying glass 196 dangers of 214, 216–17, 350
mains, house circuit 265, 268–70
Maltese cross tube 309
O gamma 208, 210, 214, 341, 345, 347
infra-red 40, 46–51, 209–14
manometer 80 Øersted, Hans Christian 286 ultra-violet 208, 210, 212, 214
mantle, Earth’s 146 ohmic conductor 253, 259 X- 208, 210, 212, 214, 312
mass 9, 68, 130 Ohm’s Law 253–5, 259 radioactive dating 347, 352
critical 348 optical fibre 189, 192, 218, 314 radioactive decay 343–5, 352
mass number 343 OR gate 326–9 radioactivity 338–52
mathematics 390–1 oscilloscope 232, 310–11, 317 radionuclide (radioisotope) 343, 345–6
matter, three states of 17, 18 oximeter 356 radio telescope 159, 215
medical physics 346, 356–7 ozone layer 210, 214 radio waves 169, 209, 211, 314, 331

398
RAM 314 sound, frequency 225, 228, 230–1 transformer 301–3
ratemeter 339 loudness of 232, 234 transistor 322–5
ray, cathode 309 pitch 232 transmutation of elements 345
light 171, 176 quality of 233 transverse waves 146, 166, 171
reaction time 83, 132 reflection of 226–7, 228–9 truth tables 326–9
reactor, nuclear 348–9 refraction of 239
real image 174, 195, 198 speed of 225, 227, 228
rectification 316–17
red-shift 158, 373
sound waves 169, 225
space travel 160–1
U
reed relay (switch) 320 spark counter 339 ultrasound (ultrasonic) 226, 228–9
reflection, law of 168, 177 specific heat capacity 37–8 ultra-violet rays 208, 210, 212, 214
of sound 226, 228–9 specific latent heat, of fusion 53–4 umbra 172–3
total internal 187–90, 192 of vaporisation 55–6 universe, expanding 158, 373
refraction 168, 184–7, 207, 239 spectacles 174, 196, 202–3 upthrust 87
refractive index 185–7 spectrum, electromagnetic 207–215 U-values 43
refrigerator 56 visible 206–7
relay, electromagnetic 289, 320–1 speed 122
reliability of evidence 7, 359, 361
renewable energy 14, 103–6
of light 171, 185, 208
of sound 227
V
residual current circuit-breaker (RCCB) speed–time graphs 89, 123–5, 135 vacuum flask 49
272 sports 134–5 validity of evidence 7, 359
resistance 249, 253–7, 259 spring balance 66–7 valve, diode 308
measurement of 255, 259 stability 93–5 variables 7, 360–4
resistors 255–7 standard atmospheric pressure 80 Van de Graaff generator 244
in parallel 257, 261 star 152, 156–7 vapour, water 56
in series 256, 261 static electricity 241–7 vectors 86
resonance 231 steam engine 100–1 velocity 122
resultant force 86–7, 89, 130 stopping distance 83 of electromagnetic waves 208
reverberation 234 strain (elastic) energy 10, 98, 108 of light 171, 185, 208
revision 382–5 stroboscope 135 of sound 227
rheostat 255 Sun 70, 148, 152, 156–7, 173 velocity–time graphs 89, 123–5, 135
right-hand rule, Fleming’s 296 Sun protection factor (SPF) 214 vibrations 224
ring main circuit 265, 268–70 supernova 157 volt 252, 261
ripple tank 167–9 switch, two-way 265 voltage divider 258, 318, 323, 329
road safety 69, 83, 138 synthesizer 233 voltameter 273
rocket engine 85, 138, 160 voltmeter 252
rocks, dating 347, 352 volume, measurement of 75
Rutherford, Lord 342, 372, 377
T
tape recorder 283, 307
W
S telecommunications 192, 218, 314
telephone 216, 218, 289, 314
watt 110, 266
wavelength 167
safety belts 69, 83, 138 telescopes 215 of electromagnetic waves 208–9
Sankey diagram 102–4, 116 television 169, 183, 209, 211, 221, of light 207, 208, 210
satellites 48, 153, 154–5, 211, 223 307, 309–11 of sound 225
scalars 86 temperature 26–7 waves 166–9, 207–11, 225, 311
scanning 211, 229, 312, 346, 357 terminal velocity 89, 128 weight 65, 67, 97, 131
seismic waves 146–7, 373 thermal energy 10, 26, 35–7, 98 weightlessness 68, 153, 160
semi-conductor 316 thermionic emission 308 wheel and axle 118
series circuits 250, 256, 261 thermistor 218, 259, 319, 323, 329 winds 14, 45, 103, 106
SETI, search for life 159 thermographs 50, 211, 212–13 wind turbine 14, 103, 106
shadows 172 thermometers 26–7, 218, 254, 319 work 97, 99, 110
Snell’s Law 185 thermos flask 49
solar cell 14, 103, 105, 115 thermostat, electric 23
solar heating 14, 48, 50, 156
solar system 150–1, 152
thinking distance 83
tides 15, 149
X
solenoid 287–9 transducers 318, 321 X-rays 208, 210, 212, 214, 312

399
Photograph acknowledgements
AEA Technology: 346T, 350; Air Pictures: 169; Alex Segre/Alamy: 182TL;
Bettmann/Corbis: 377B; Blind Mobility Research Unit Nottingham: 228B; Bosch: 293;
BoxMag Rapid: 288; British Aerospace: 51BR, 189B; British Rail Research: 22; Burstein
Collection/Corbis: 371T; Photoshot/Bruce Coleman: 213TL; Camera Press: 376B; Castle
Associates: 234; Colorsport: 95TL, 108B, 134R, 135T, 135BR, 137; Corbis: 64BR Eddy
Lemaistre/Photo & Co, 138T Parrot Pascal, 215T, Jonathan Blair, 356B Lester Lefkowitz;
Corel (NT): 6 C418, 42L C127, 106 C94, 114T C62, 122 C494, 208C C285; Digital Vision
(NT): 4B, 150, 173, DV9, 82 DV13, 109 Karl Ammann DVAA, 128T DVXA, 149 DV6;
Elcomer Instruments: 284; Fischer Scientific: 255; Ford Motor Company Ltd: 89; Format
Photography: 389BL Brenda Prince, 389TL Maggie Murray; FLPA/Nigel Catlin: 361;
GEC: 300; Getty Images: 64TR, 70, 95BR, 108T, 125, 128B, 130, 135BL; 291 John Stanton;
iStock: 13, 42R, 47L, 71, 79, 114B, 116, 120, 138B, 182TC, 199C, 199B, 199A, 209D, 228T,
240ML, 240BL, 240T, 252T, 260, 297, 306B, 309, 314, 315T; Joel Finler Collection: 201;
John Bailey: 217T; Keith Johnson: 12, 64bl, 172, 174, 180, 188, 196, 199D, 199E, 220, 338T;
Last Resort Picture Library: 83B; Leyland DAF: 97; London Buses: 95BL; London Fire
Brigade: 213TR; Martyn Chillmaid: 49, 86, 105, 182TR, 184, 186, 204, 203, 209A, 213BC,
213BR, 229B, 232, 245, 250L, 250R, 252BL, 252BR, 275, 283, 302, 319T, 319B, 325, 327,
331, 339, 344; Mary Evans Picture Library: 47BR, 95TR; 373BL Alamy; Barnaby’s Picture
Library; MEMTEK: 231; NASA: 152, 153, 154, 158, 161T, 161BL, 161BR, 215B; National
Gallery London: 212 UML, 212 UMR; National Power: 15B; National Remote Sensing
Centre: 157T, 157B; Nokia: 216; OMRON: 27B; Ontario Science Centre: 244; PhotoDisc
(NT): 200 PD40, 208A PD54, 208B PD18, 208E PD2, 209B PD22, 389TR PD72;
Photolibrary: 146B; Racall: 311B; Ripley’s Believe It or Not!: 312B; Robert Harding
Picture Library: 45, 47TR; Rolls Royce: 389BC; Royal Astronomical Society: 151; RS
Components: 258; Sally & Richard Greenhill: 210B; Science and Society Picture Library:
338B, 345; Science Photolibrary: 4t Dr Mitsuo Ohtsuki, 14T, 311T, 312TL, 371B, 374BL,
375B, 376TR SPL, 14B, 50T, 103B, 115T Martin Bond, 27T Chris Priest & Mark Clarke,
46L, 51BL, 182B, 212B, 217B, 240MR, 347T, 250B Cordelia Molloy, 46R Martyn F
Chillmaid, 50BL Dr Ray Clarke & Mervyn Goff, 51TR Dr Ray Clark, 64TL Alex Bartel,
104T Kaj R. Svensson, 103T Tony Wood, 115M Peter Menzel, 127 Renee Lynn, 134L Jerry
Wachter, 156, 159T, 160, 213BL, 352T NASA, 159B Robin Scagell, 155T David Ducros,
155BL, 155BR, 146T NRSC Ltd, 166 Martin Dohrn, 173B George East, 182TL Francoise
Sauze, 189T Edelmann, 192 Steve Horrell, 193 Rosenfeld Images Ltd, 206 Simon Fraser,
207 Fred Burrell, 210T Martin Dohrn, 210M Phillipe Plailly, 211T Dr R. Clark & M.R.
Goff, 211B Agema Infrared Systems, 212TL Erich Schrempp, 212TC Phil Jude, 212lML,
212lMR, 267, 268R, 268C, 268L, 270, 374T, 375TL, 376TL Sheila Terry, 229T Saturn Stills,
229UM Cnri, 229LM Alexander Tsiaras, 306T Dr Jeremy Burgess, 312TR
Stammers/Thompson, 346BL 346BR Elscint, 347B Gianni Tortoli, 348T Hank Morgan,
356T David Parker, 356M James Prince, 357T Geof Tompkinson, 357B Hank Morgan, 358
Samuel Ashfield, 372T Adam Hart-Davis, 372B National Library Of Medicine, 374M
Emilio Segre Visual Archives/American Institute Of Physics, 374BR Sam Ogden, 375TR
Jean-Loup Charmet, 377TR Physics Today Collection/American Institute Of Physics,
389BL James King-Holmes, 389ML Volker Steger, 389 BR Physics Department/Imperial
College London, 389MC Mauro Fermariello, 389MR Maximilian Stock Ltd; Scottish
Power: 15T; Shell: 74; Spectrum Colour Library: 53; Stone/ Getty Images: 104B; The Print
Collector/Alamy: 377TL; Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images: 373BR; Topfoto.co.uk: 83T,
115B Rachel Epstein; Transport Research Laboratory: 69T USGS: 373T; Volvo: 69B;
Yamaha: 233; ZEFA: 135M, 212TR.
Every effort has been made to trace and contact all copyright holders, but if any have been
overlooked, the publisher will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first
opportunity.
Picture research by johnbailey@ntlworld.com and Sue Sharp
Illustrations by IFA Design Ltd, Tony Wilkins Illustration, Jordan Publishing Design, Jane
Cope and Ann Johnson

Thanks to Chris and Rachel Johnson for checking the answers section.
Acknowledgement is also made to the following Examining Groups for permission to reprint questions from their
examination papers. The questions are not necessarily from examinations for the current specification but are believed to
be relevant. The Examining Groups do not take responsibility for the answers provided.
AQA Assessment and Qualifications Alliance NIS Northern Ireland Schools Examinations Council
Edex Edexcel Foundation WAEC West African Examinations Council
OCR Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations WJEC Welsh Joint Education Committee
Cam IGCSE University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (Cambridge IGCSE Physics Paper 6 Nov 06 Q2;
Nov 08 Q2)
Edex IGCSE Edexcel IGCSE Examinations

Websites : www.physicsforyou.co.uk and www.physics4u.co.uk

From these you can download exactly which pages in this book you need to study for your particular examination course.

Other books by Keith Johnson

Advanced Physics for You Spotlight Science 7, 8 and 9
with Simmone Hewett, Sue Holt, and John Miller with Sue Adamson, Gareth Williams, Lawrie Ryan
This is written in the same friendly style as the GCSE This is a flexible and accessible science course for
book, and covers the core of AS and A-level Physics, KS3, for students at all attainment levels.
with over 200 worked examples. The Teacher’s Support Packs contain an enormous
amount of valuable support material to support
Timetabling: A Timetabler’s CookBook differentiation in your teaching and learning.
This book is a complete and practical guide for those There are 2 versions : the original ‘Spiral’ version and
staff responsible for timetabling in schools. the newer ‘Framework’ version.

400
) 3 " .