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Els <3
28/11/2025
Physics
Physics paper one knowledge checklist
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28 Nov 2025
•
GCSE AQA Physics Paper 1 Topics Checklist
Els <3
@ayoitsmeellie
1 / 5
Energy Storage and Changes
Ever wondered how a roller coaster works or why your phone battery runs out? It's all about energy changes in systems. A system can be anything from a single object to a whole group of things working together.
You'll need to master several key equations here. Kinetic energy tells you how much energy something has when it's moving. Gravitational potential energy shows the energy stored when you lift something up. Don't forget elastic potential energy in springs and the thermal energy equation for temperature changes.
Specific heat capacity is crucial - it's how much energy you need to heat 1kg of a material by 1°C. You'll investigate this in your first required practical, so make sure you understand the method and can calculate results confidently.
Quick Tip: Energy is never created or destroyed, just moved around - this principle will help you solve most energy problems!
Power and Energy Efficiency
Power is simply how fast energy gets transferred - measured in watts . Two machines might use the same total energy, but the one that does it faster has more power.
The big idea here is conservation of energy - energy never disappears, but it often gets "wasted" as heat or sound. Think about your laptop getting warm or a car engine making noise. Efficiency calculations show you what percentage of energy actually does useful work.
Thermal conductivity affects how quickly heat escapes from buildings. Thicker walls with better insulation mean less energy waste. Your second required practical tests different insulating materials - perfect exam material.
Energy resources split into renewable (wind, solar, hydro) and non-renewable (fossil fuels, nuclear). Each has advantages and disadvantages you'll need to evaluate, considering environmental impact, reliability, and cost.
Exam Focus: Efficiency questions are common - remember it's useful energy out divided by total energy in, often expressed as a percentage.
Electrical Circuits and Safety
Electric current is the flow of charge around a circuit - no complete circuit means no current. The key equation V = IR (Ohm's law) links potential difference, current, and resistance together.
Different components behave differently. Ohmic conductors follow Ohm's law perfectly, but lamps, diodes, and thermistors have curved I-V graphs. LDRs change resistance with light levels. Your practicals will involve investigating these characteristics.
Series circuits have the same current everywhere but split the voltage. Parallel circuits have the same voltage across each branch but split the current. Adding resistors in series increases total resistance; adding them in parallel decreases it.
Mains electricity safety is vital knowledge. The live wire (230V) is dangerous even when switches are off. The neutral wire and earth wire protect us from electrocution. Understanding three-pin plugs could literally save your life.
Safety First: Never assume a circuit is safe just because it's switched off - the live wire can still be at 230V!
Atomic Structure and Radioactivity
Atoms contain protons, neutrons, and electrons, but our understanding has evolved through experiments. Isotopes have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, affecting their stability.
Radioactive decay produces alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays, each with different penetrating power and ionising ability. Alpha is stopped by paper, beta by aluminium, and gamma needs thick lead. This affects their uses and dangers.
Half-life is the time for half the radioactive nuclei to decay. This concept helps predict how dangerous radioactive materials will be over time. You'll need to balance nuclear equations and calculate activity in Becquerels.
Nuclear fission splits heavy nuclei and can create chain reactions in power stations. Nuclear fusion joins light nuclei together - it powers the sun but is incredibly difficult to control on Earth. Both processes release enormous amounts of energy compared to chemical reactions.
Remember: Background radiation is everywhere - from space, rocks, and human activities. It's completely natural and usually harmless at low levels.
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4.9/5
App Store
4.8/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
GCSE AQA Physics Paper 1 Topics Checklist
Els <3
@ayoitsmeellie
This checklist covers the essential physics topics you'll need to master for AQA Paper 1, focusing on energy, electricity, and atomic structure. Think of it as your roadmap to exam success - each topic builds on the last to give... Show more
Energy Storage and Changes
Ever wondered how a roller coaster works or why your phone battery runs out? It's all about energy changes in systems. A system can be anything from a single object to a whole group of things working together.
You'll need to master several key equations here. Kinetic energy tells you how much energy something has when it's moving. Gravitational potential energy shows the energy stored when you lift something up. Don't forget elastic potential energy in springs and the thermal energy equation for temperature changes.
Specific heat capacity is crucial - it's how much energy you need to heat 1kg of a material by 1°C. You'll investigate this in your first required practical, so make sure you understand the method and can calculate results confidently.
Quick Tip: Energy is never created or destroyed, just moved around - this principle will help you solve most energy problems!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Power and Energy Efficiency
Power is simply how fast energy gets transferred - measured in watts . Two machines might use the same total energy, but the one that does it faster has more power.
The big idea here is conservation of energy - energy never disappears, but it often gets "wasted" as heat or sound. Think about your laptop getting warm or a car engine making noise. Efficiency calculations show you what percentage of energy actually does useful work.
Thermal conductivity affects how quickly heat escapes from buildings. Thicker walls with better insulation mean less energy waste. Your second required practical tests different insulating materials - perfect exam material.
Energy resources split into renewable (wind, solar, hydro) and non-renewable (fossil fuels, nuclear). Each has advantages and disadvantages you'll need to evaluate, considering environmental impact, reliability, and cost.
Exam Focus: Efficiency questions are common - remember it's useful energy out divided by total energy in, often expressed as a percentage.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Electrical Circuits and Safety
Electric current is the flow of charge around a circuit - no complete circuit means no current. The key equation V = IR (Ohm's law) links potential difference, current, and resistance together.
Different components behave differently. Ohmic conductors follow Ohm's law perfectly, but lamps, diodes, and thermistors have curved I-V graphs. LDRs change resistance with light levels. Your practicals will involve investigating these characteristics.
Series circuits have the same current everywhere but split the voltage. Parallel circuits have the same voltage across each branch but split the current. Adding resistors in series increases total resistance; adding them in parallel decreases it.
Mains electricity safety is vital knowledge. The live wire (230V) is dangerous even when switches are off. The neutral wire and earth wire protect us from electrocution. Understanding three-pin plugs could literally save your life.
Safety First: Never assume a circuit is safe just because it's switched off - the live wire can still be at 230V!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
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Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Atomic Structure and Radioactivity
Atoms contain protons, neutrons, and electrons, but our understanding has evolved through experiments. Isotopes have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, affecting their stability.
Radioactive decay produces alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays, each with different penetrating power and ionising ability. Alpha is stopped by paper, beta by aluminium, and gamma needs thick lead. This affects their uses and dangers.
Half-life is the time for half the radioactive nuclei to decay. This concept helps predict how dangerous radioactive materials will be over time. You'll need to balance nuclear equations and calculate activity in Becquerels.
Nuclear fission splits heavy nuclei and can create chain reactions in power stations. Nuclear fusion joins light nuclei together - it powers the sun but is incredibly difficult to control on Earth. Both processes release enormous amounts of energy compared to chemical reactions.
Remember: Background radiation is everywhere - from space, rocks, and human activities. It's completely natural and usually harmless at low levels.
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Most popular content: Power
Most popular content in Physics
Most popular content
Chemistry paper 1 aqa
This is the aqa exam board for triple highwe
Chemistry10
Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.
Students love us — and so will you.
4.9/5
App Store
4.8/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user