Singapore · SEABSyllabus
Physics syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Singapore Physicssyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Atomic and Nuclear Physics
Module overview →- What does the half-life of a radioactive source mean, and how do we use it in calculations?Define half-life and use it to calculate remaining activity or the number of undecayed nuclei7 min answer →
- What is radioactivity, and how do alpha, beta, and gamma emissions differ?Describe alpha, beta, and gamma radiation and compare their nature, penetration, and ionising power8 min answer →
- What is inside an atom, and how do we describe a nucleus using proton and nucleon numbers?Describe the nuclear model of the atom and use proton number, nucleon number, and isotopes7 min answer →
- How is radioactivity used safely and beneficially, and what are its dangers?Describe uses of radioactivity, its dangers to living cells, and safe handling and storage7 min answer →
Electricity and D.C. Circuits
Module overview →- What are current, voltage, and resistance, and how does Ohm's law connect them?Define current, potential difference, and resistance, and apply Ohm's law in calculations8 min answer →
- How do we calculate electrical power and energy, and how is a household circuit kept safe?Apply the relationships for electrical power and energy and describe fuses, earthing, and circuit safety8 min answer →
- How do current, voltage, and resistance behave differently in series and parallel circuits?Analyse series and parallel circuits, including combining resistances and sharing current and voltage8 min answer →
- What is electric charge, and how do objects become charged by friction?Describe positive and negative charge, charging by friction, and the forces between charges7 min answer →
Energy, Work and Power
Module overview →- What are the main forms of energy, and what does it mean to say energy is conserved?List the main forms of energy, describe energy transfers, and state the principle of conservation of energy7 min answer →
- How do we calculate the kinetic energy of a moving object and the potential energy of a raised one?Apply the relationships for kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy and use energy conservation8 min answer →
- What is power, and how do we measure how efficiently a device uses energy?Define power, apply power equals work over time, and calculate efficiency as useful output over input7 min answer →
- What does it mean, in physics, to do work, and how is work related to energy?Define work done, apply work equals force times distance, and link work to the transfer of energy7 min answer →
Forces and Dynamics
Module overview →- How do we combine several forces into a single resultant, and what role does friction play?Find the resultant of forces acting in a line, and describe the effects of friction on motion7 min answer →
- How do Newton's three laws connect force, mass, and the motion of an object?State and apply Newton's three laws of motion, including the relationship F equals ma8 min answer →
- How does a force make an object turn, and when is a balanced object in equilibrium?Define the moment of a force, apply the principle of moments, and state the conditions for equilibrium8 min answer →
- What kinds of force act on everyday objects, and how do we represent them on a diagram?Identify common forces such as weight, normal contact force, friction, and tension, and draw free-body diagrams7 min answer →
Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Module overview →- How can a changing magnetic field generate a voltage, and how do generators and transformers use this?Describe electromagnetic induction and explain the a.c. generator and the transformer8 min answer →
- Why does a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field experience a force, and how does a motor use this?Describe the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field and explain the d.c. motor8 min answer →
- What are magnetic poles and fields, and how do magnetic materials behave?Describe magnetic poles and fields, the laws of magnetic force, and magnetic and non-magnetic materials7 min answer →
- How does an electric current produce a magnetic field, and how do we make an electromagnet?Describe the magnetic field of a current in a wire and a solenoid, and how an electromagnet works7 min answer →
Mass, Weight, Density and Pressure
Module overview →- What is density, and how do we measure it for solids and liquids?Define density, apply the relationship density equals mass over volume, and describe how to measure it7 min answer →
- How is the pressure of a gas measured, and what is atmospheric pressure?Describe how a manometer and a mercury barometer measure gas and atmospheric pressure7 min answer →
- What is the difference between the mass of an object and its weight?Distinguish mass from weight, relate weight to gravitational field strength, and explain why weight varies with location7 min answer →
- What is pressure, and how does the pressure in a liquid change with depth?Define pressure, apply pressure equals force over area, and calculate the pressure due to a liquid column8 min answer →
Measurement and Kinematics
Module overview →- How do we choose the right instrument to measure a length or a time interval accurately?Select and use rules, vernier calipers, micrometers, and stopwatches, and reduce errors such as parallax and zero error7 min answer →
- How do distance-time and velocity-time graphs describe motion, and what happens to a body in free fall?Interpret distance-time and velocity-time graphs and describe free fall and the effect of air resistance on a falling body8 min answer →
- How do physicists describe the world using a small set of base quantities, units, and prefixes?State the SI base quantities and their units, use standard prefixes, and distinguish scalars from vectors7 min answer →
- What is the difference between speed, velocity, and acceleration, and how are they calculated?Define speed, velocity, and acceleration, and calculate them for objects moving in a straight line7 min answer →
Thermal Physics
Module overview →- How does the kinetic particle model explain the properties of solids, liquids, and gases?Describe the kinetic particle model and use it to explain the states of matter and changes of state7 min answer →
- Why does the temperature stay constant while ice melts or water boils, even though heat is still being supplied?Describe melting, boiling, and evaporation, and explain latent heat using the particle model8 min answer →
- What does temperature measure, and how is a thermometer calibrated?Explain temperature as a measure of average particle energy and describe how a liquid-in-glass thermometer is calibrated7 min answer →
- Why do materials expand when heated, and why do different materials need different amounts of heat to warm up?Explain thermal expansion and apply the specific heat capacity relationship to heating calculations8 min answer →
Waves, Light and Sound
Module overview →- What is a wave, and how are its speed, frequency, and wavelength related?Define wave terms such as amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and period, and apply the wave equation8 min answer →
- How does light bounce off mirrors and bend when it passes between materials?State the laws of reflection and refraction, define refractive index, and describe total internal reflection8 min answer →
- What makes up the electromagnetic spectrum, and how do sound waves travel?Describe the electromagnetic spectrum and its uses, and explain how sound waves are produced and travel8 min answer →
- How does a converging lens form an image, and what kind of image does it produce?Describe how a thin converging lens forms images and use ray diagrams and the focal length8 min answer →