A level Physics topics: the full list

By The STEM-Tutor team · Updated October 2026

A level Physics is a big step up from GCSE. Here is the full topic list for AQA and Edexcel and how to revise it.

AQA A level Physics topics

1. Measurements and their errors
2. Particles and radiation
3. Waves
4. Mechanics and materials
5. Electricity
6. Further mechanics and thermal physics
7. Fields and their consequences
8. Nuclear physics
9. One option topic: Astrophysics, Medical physics, Engineering physics, Turning points in physics or Electronics

Edexcel A level Physics topics

• Working as a physicist
• Mechanics
• Electric circuits
• Materials
• Waves and the particle nature of light
• Further mechanics
• Electric and magnetic fields
• Nuclear and particle physics
• Thermodynamics
• Space
• Nuclear radiation
• Gravitational fields
• Oscillations

Cambridge International A level Physics

Cambridge International AS and A level Physics covers similar physics with its own syllabus and paper structure, including a practical paper. Check the current syllabus on the Cambridge International website for your exam year.

The practical endorsement

In England, A level Physics includes a separately reported practical endorsement, based on required practical activities done in school. Exam papers also test practical skills, so learn how each required practical works and how to analyse its data and uncertainties.

How to revise A level Physics

1. Keep your maths strong. Rearranging, logarithms and graphs come up everywhere.
2. Understand the definitions word for word. Many marks depend on precise wording.
3. Practise uncertainty and graph questions, which appear on every board.
4. Mix topics in practice. Exam questions often combine fields, energy and motion.
5. Finish with timed past papers and mark them with the official mark schemes.

Physics is a subject where understanding builds on itself, so steady effort through both years pays off far more than a last-minute push.

A quick example from each major area

Mechanics: momentum

A 2.0 kg trolley moving at 3.0 m/s hits and sticks to a stationary 1.0 kg trolley. Find their speed after the collision.

• Momentum before = 2.0 × 3.0 = 6.0 kg m/s.
• After: 3.0v = 6.0, so v = 2.0 m/s.

Materials: Hooke's law

A spring stretches 4.0 cm under a 2.0 N load. Find the spring constant and the energy stored.

• k = F/x = 2.0/0.040 = 50 N/m.
• E = ½Fx = ½ × 2.0 × 0.040 = 0.040 J.

Quantum: the photoelectric effect

Light of frequency 1.0 × 10¹⁵ Hz falls on a metal with work function 2.5 eV. Find the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons.

• Photon energy hf = 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ × 1.0 × 10¹⁵ = 6.63 × 10⁻¹⁹ J ≈ 4.14 eV.
• E_{k max} = 4.14 − 2.5 ≈ 1.6 eV.

Fields: gravitational field strength

Find g at the surface of a planet of mass 6.0 × 10²⁴ kg and radius 6.4 × 10⁶ m.

• g = GM/r² = 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ × 6.0 × 10²⁴ / (6.4 × 10⁶)² ≈ 9.8 N/kg.

Nuclear: radioactive decay

A sample has a half-life of 8 days. What fraction remains after 24 days?

• 24 days is three half-lives, so (½)³ = 1/8 remains.

Thermal: specific heat capacity

How much energy raises 0.50 kg of water from 20 °C to 80 °C? (c = 4200 J/kg K)

• Q = mcΔθ = 0.50 × 4200 × 60 = 126 kJ.

How the two years fit together

The first year covers the foundations: measurements and uncertainties, particles and quantum phenomena, waves, mechanics, materials and electricity. The second year builds on them with further mechanics such as circular motion and simple harmonic motion, thermal physics, gravitational, electric and magnetic fields, capacitors, and nuclear physics, plus an optional topic on some specifications, such as astrophysics, medical physics or engineering physics. Second-year topics lean heavily on first-year ideas: fields use the same thinking as forces, and capacitors use the same circuit rules as electricity. Keeping first-year topics fresh makes the second year much easier.

The maths you need

About 40% of the marks in A level Physics involve maths. You need to rearrange equations confidently, handle standard form and prefixes, use trigonometry to resolve vectors, interpret gradients and areas on graphs, and work with logarithms for exponential decay. If your maths is not secure, strengthening it is one of the fastest ways to improve your physics grade.

Common mistakes

• Treating the two years as separate courses; synoptic questions mix topics freely.
• Leaving the practical skills until the end of the course.
• Ignoring units and prefixes, such as forgetting that 1 nm is 10⁻⁹ m.

Practice questions

Try each one before opening the answer.

Frequently asked questions

Is A level Physics harder than A level Maths?

Many students find physics harder because it combines maths with physical understanding and practical skills. Taking both helps, since the maths overlaps.

Which board should I revise for?

Always use your own board's specification, formula sheet and past papers. The physics is largely the same, but the topic order, options and question styles differ.

Key takeaways

• The first year builds foundations; the second year extends them.
• Synoptic questions link topics across both years.
• Around 40% of marks involve maths.
• Practical skills are examined in the written papers.
• Use your own board's specification and past papers.

Where to go next

Explore each area in more depth.

• Electricity
• Waves
• Required practicals
• Formula sheet

Choosing an optional topic

Some specifications include an optional topic in the second year. Astrophysics suits students who enjoy telescopes, stars and cosmology. Medical physics covers imaging such as X-rays, ultrasound and MRI, and suits students interested in medicine. Engineering physics covers rotational dynamics and thermodynamics, and suits future engineers. Turning points in physics traces key experiments in the history of the subject. Your school usually chooses the option, but it helps to know what it involves and to revise it as carefully as the core content, since it carries real marks.

Building understanding, not just recall

A level Physics rewards students who can explain why, not just state what. When you learn a new idea, try to explain it in your own words, draw a diagram, and link it to something you already know. For example, electric fields and gravitational fields follow the same inverse square pattern, so learning one makes the other easier. These links are exactly what synoptic questions test.

Finally, keep a one-page summary for each topic with its key ideas, equations and a typical exam question. Before the exams, these summaries let you review the whole course in a few hours, and they show clearly which topics still need work. Update them as your understanding grows, so they always reflect what you know now.