Summary of changes This resource outlines the main changes that have been made to the assessment and subject content from our previous GCSE Physics (4403) to the new specification (8463). Our new specifications have been developed in line with the regulatory requirements provided by the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual. 4.1 Forces 4.1.1 their interactions 4.1.1.1 Scalar and vector quantities 4.1.1.2 Contact and non-contact forces 4.1.1.3 Gravity P2.1.4d Gravitational force 4.1.1.4 Resultant forces P2.1.1b, c Resultant forces P3.2.1a, b, c, d, e Centre of definition of force of gravity definition of centre of mass proportionality of weight and mass. free body diagrams component forces vector diagrams. Most content is Higher Tier only.
mass 4.1.2 Work done and energy transfer 4.1.2 Work done and energy transfer P2.2.1a, b, c, d Forces and energy definition of joule. 4.1.3 elasticity 4.1.3 Forces and elasticity P2.1.5a, b, c, d Forces and elasticity equation E e = 1 2 k e2 4.1.4 Moments, levers and gears (physics only) 4.1.4 Moments, levers and gears P3.2.2a, b, c, d, e Moments P3.2.2f Moments gears. Content no longer Higher Tier only. longer present in the new specification.
4.1.5 Pressure and pressure differences in fluids (physics only) 4.1.5.1 Pressure in a fluid 4.1.5.1.1 Pressure in a fluid 1 4.1.5.1.2 Pressure in a fluid 2 4.1.5.2 Atmospheric pressure P3.2.3c Hydraulics P3.2.3a, b Hydraulics pressure in a column of liquid differences in pressure in liquids floating and sinking. Content of Pressure in a fluid 2 is longer present in the new specification. 4.1.6 motion 4.1.6.1 Describing motion along a line 4.1.6.1.1 Distance and displacement 4.1.6.1.2 Speed P3.1.2c Ultrasound definitions of distance and displacement. scalar quantity typical values of speeds distance travelled in a specific time.
4.1.6.1.3 Velocity 4.1.6.1.4 The distance time relationship 4.1.6.1.5 Acceleration P2.1.2d motion P2.1.2b, c motion P2.1.2e, f, g, h Forces and motion P2.1.4b, c terminal velocity P2.1.4a terminal velocity velocity changes in circular motion Velocity changes in circular motion is Higher Tier only. Determining acceleration by drawing a tangent and measuring gradient is v 2 u 2 = 2 a s. longer present in the new specification. 4.1.6.2 Forces, accelerations and Newton s Laws of motion 4.1.6.2.1 Newton s First Law 4.1.6.2.2 Newton s Second Law 4.1.6.2.3 Newton s Third Law P2.1.1d, e Resultant forces P2.1.3a braking P2.1.2a motion P2.1.1a Resultant forces inertia. Some content is Higher Tier only. inertial mass. Some content is Higher Tier only. P3.2.4a, b, c Circular motion longer present in the new specification.
4.1.6.3 braking 4.1.6.3.1 Stopping distance 4.1.6.3.2 Reaction time 4.1.6.3.3 Factors affecting braking distance 1 4.1.6.3.4 Factors affecting braking distance 2 4.1.7 Momentum P2.1.3b, c braking P2.1.3d braking P2.1.3f braking P2.1.3e braking Some content is physics only. typical values for reaction times. relation between speed, braking force and deceleration. Some content is Higher Tier only. 4.1.7.1 Momentum is a property of moving objects 4.1.7.2 Conservation of momentum 4.1.7.3 Changes in momentum (physics only) P2.2.2a Momentum P2.2.2b Momentum
4.2 Energy 4.2.1 Energy changes in a system and the ways energy is stored before and after such changes 4.2.1.1 Energy stores and systems 4.2.1.2 Changes in energy 4.2.1.3 Energy changes in systems P2.2.1f, g energy elastic potential energy, E e = 1 2 k e2. 4.2.1.4 Work P2.2.1a, b energy 4.2.1.5 Power P2.2.1e energy P = W t. 4.2.2 Conservation and dissipation of energy 4.2.2.1 Energy transfers in a system 4.2.2.2 Efficiency P1.2.1a, b, c Energy transfers and efficiency P1.2.1d Energy transfers and efficiency rate of energy transfer preventing unwanted energy transfers.
4.2.3 National and global energy resources 4.2.3 National and global energy resources Content drawn from 1.4.1 Generating electricity. knowledge of the main energy resources on Earth distinction between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources. 4.3 Waves 4.3.1 Waves in air, fluids and solids 4.3.1.1 Transverse and longitudinal waves 4.3.1.2 Properties of waves 4.3.1.3 Reflection of waves (physics only) P1.5.1a, b, c, f General properties of waves P1.5.1i, j General properties of waves P1.5.1g General properties of waves evidence for wave moving. definitions period formula: T = 1 f waves can be absorbed or transmitted at the boundary between two different materials. Diffraction and refraction no longer present in specification.
4.3.1.4 Sound waves (physics only) 4.3.1.5 Waves for detection and exploration (physics only) P3.1.2a, b, d Ultrasound seismic waves echo sounding. P1.5.1h General properties of waves longer present in the new specification. 4.3.2 Electromagnetic waves 4.3.2.1 Types of electromagnetic waves 4.3.2.2 Properties of electromagnetic waves 1 4.3.2.3 Properties of electromagnetic waves 2 P1.5.1c, d, e General properties of waves EM waves transfer energy from source to absorber. Most content is Higher Tier only. Radio waves Higher Tier only. 4.3.2.4 Uses and applications of electromagnetic waves P1.5.1k General properties of waves P3.1.1a, b X- rays infrared for cooking/cameras ultraviolet for lamps/tanning. 4.3.2.5 Lenses (physics only) P3.1.3b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i Lenses P3.1 Medical applications of physics (introduction)
4.3.2.6 Visible light (physics only) P1.5.2a, b, c Reflection P1.5.3a, b, c Sound 4.3.3 Black body (physics only) P3.1.1c X- rays P3.1.3a Lenses P3.1.4 a, b, c, d, e, f, g The eye P3.1.5a, b, c Other applications using light 4.3.3.1 Emission and absorption of infrared 4.3.3.2 Perfect black bodies and P1.1.1a, b Infrared definition of black body. Most content is Higher Tier only. P1.1.1c, d, e Infrared 4.4 Electricity 4.4.1 Current, potential difference and resistance
4.4.1.1 Standard circuit diagram symbols 4.4.1.2 Electrical charge and current 4.4.1.3 Current, resistance and potential difference 4.4.1.4 Resistors P2.3.2c Electrical circuits P2.3.2a Electrical circuits P2.3.2f, g, h, i Electrical circuits P2.3.2d, e, f, m, n, p, q Electrical circuits P2.3.2b, j, o Electrical circuits applications of thermistors applications of LDRs. 4.4.2 Series and parallel circuits 4.4.2 Series and parallel circuits P2.3.2k, l Electrical circuits equation Rtotal = R1 + R2. 4.4.3 Domestic uses and safety 4.4.3.1 Direct and alternating current P2.4.1a, b, c Household electricity
4.4.3.2 Mains electricity 4.4.3.3 Insulation, fuses and circuit breakers (physics only) P2.4.1d, e, f Household electricity P2.4.1g, h, i, j, k Household electricity detail on function of Earth, live and neutral wire. 4.4.4 Energy transfers 4.4.4.1 Power P2.4.2c Current, charge and power equation P = I 2 R 4.4.4.2 Energy transfers in everyday appliances P1.3.1a, b, c Transferring electrical energy P2.4.2d Current, charge and power Content no longer 4.4.4.3 The National Grid P1.4.2a, b, c The National Grid P1.3.1d Transferring electrical energy P2.4.2a, b Current, charge and power P1.4.1a, b, c, d, e, f Generating electricity 4.4.5 Static electricity (physics only)
4.4.5.1 Static charge P2.3.1a, b, c, d Static electricity sparking 4.4.5.2 Electric fields New topic P2.3.1e Static electricity 4.5 Magnetism and electromagnetism 4.5.1 Permanent and induced magnetism, magnetic forces and fields 4.5.1.1 Poles of a magnet 4.5.1.2 Magnetic fields 4.5.2 The motor effect 4.5.2.1 Electromagnetism P3.3.1a The motor effect information on solenoids. 4.5.2.2 Fleming s left-hand rule 4.5.2.3 Electric motors P3.3.1e The motor effect P3.3.1b The motor effect concept of magnetic flux density, equation F = B I L
4.5.2.4 Loudspeakers (physics only) 4.5.3 Induced potential, transformers and the National Grid (physics only) 4.5.3.1 Induced potential 4.5.3.2 Uses of the generator effect P3.3.1c The motor effect P3.3.2a Transformers 4.5.3.3 Microphones 4.5.3.4 Transformers P3.3.2a, b, c, d, g, h Transformers P3.3.1d The motor effect P3.3.2b, e, f, I, j, k Transformers 4.6 Particle model of matter 4.6.1 Changes of state and the particle model 4.6.1.1 Density of materials
4.6.1.2 Changes of state P1.1.2a, b Kinetic theory conservation of mass in state change. 4.6.2 Internal energy and energy transfers 4.6.2.1 Internal energy 4.6.2.2 Temperature changes in a system and specific heat capacity 4.6.2.3 Changes of heat and specific latent heat P1.1.3a Energy transfer by heating P1.1.4d Heating and insulating buildings concept of energy stores and systems. distinction between specific heat capacity and latent heat. P1.1.3b, c, d Energy transfer by heating P1.1.4 a, b, c Heating and insulating buildings 4.6.3 Particle model and pressure 4.6.3.1 Particle motion in gases
4.6.3.2 Pressure in gases (physics only) 4.6.3.3 Increasing the pressure of a gas (physics only) 4.7 Atomic structure 3.7.1 Atoms and isotopes 4.7.1.1 The structure of an atom (common content with chemistry) 4.7.1.2 Mass number, atomic number and isotopes (common content with chemistry) 4.7.1.3 The development of the model of the atom (common content with chemistry) P2.5.1a, b Atomic structure P2.5.1c, d, e Atomic structure relative dimension of nuclear radius compared to the whole atom. way of representing atoms isotopes. 4.7.2 Atoms and nuclear
4.7.2.1 Radioactive decay and nuclear 4.7.2.2 Nuclear equations 4.7.2.3 Half-lives and the random nature of radioactive decay 4.7.2.4 Radioactive contamination P2.5.2a, c, e Atoms and P2.5.2d Atoms and P2.5.2h Atoms and P2.5.2g Atoms and P2.5.2f Atoms and nuclei of atoms give out ionising as they change to become more stable definition of Becquerel definition of count rate extension of information on penetrating properties. randomness of radioactive decay. Some content is definitions of contamination and ir precautions against nuclear. 4.7.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background (physics only) 4.7.3.1 Background P2.5.2b Atoms and
4.7.3.2 Different half-lives of radioactive isotopes 4.7.3.3 Uses of nuclear 4.7.4 Nuclear fission and fusion (physics only) 4.7.4.1 Nuclear fission P2.6.1a, b, c, d, e Nuclear fission 4.7.4.2 Nuclear fusion P2.6.2a Nuclear fusion 4.8 Space physics (physics only) 4.8.1 Solar system; stability of orbital motions; satellites (physics only) 4.8.1.1 Our solar system 4.8.1.2 The life cycle of a star P2.6.2c, d Nuclear fusion P2.6.2e, f Nuclear fusion the solar system direct reference to our sun.
4.8.1.3 Orbital motion, natural and artificial satellites 4.8.2 Red-shift (physics only) P2.6.2b Nuclear fusion Some content is 4.8.2 Red-shift P1.5.4b, c Red-shift P1.5.4a, d, e Red shift