IB Physics Syllabus: Every Learning Objective for SL and HL

Here is something I tell every student I work with: if it is not in the syllabus, it cannot come up in the exam. That sounds obvious. But most students waste enormous amounts of time studying things that will never be tested, and completely miss things that come up every single year.

This page gives you every single learning objective from the current IB Physics syllabus (first examined 2025), organised by theme and topic. Each topic heading links to the free GradePod tutorial page for that topic, where you will find the concept video, past paper walkthrough, and a checklist you can tick off as you go.

The syllabus is not your enemy. It is your blueprint. Work to it, and nothing in the exam should surprise you.

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Course Overview

The current IB Physics syllabus is organised into five themes, each divided into topics. Some topics have additional HL content within them. Five topics are HL only.

Theme	SL Hours	HL Hours
A. Space, Time and Motion	27	42
B. The Particulate Nature of Matter	24	32
C. Wave Behaviour	17	29
D. Fields	19	38
E. Nuclear and Quantum Physics	23	39
Practical Work	20	40
Collaborative Sciences Project	10	10
Scientific Investigation	10	10
Total	150	240

The teaching hours tell you a lot about the relative importance of each theme. Theme A gets the most time at both levels. That weighting shows up in the exams. If you are planning your revision and need to prioritise, start with A and D. For a full topic-by-topic priority breakdown, read my guide on how to study IB Physics.

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Theme A: Space, Time and Motion

A.1 Kinematics

1. Define displacement, velocity and acceleration
2. Explain the difference between distance and displacement
3. Calculate instantaneous and average values of velocity, speed, and acceleration
4. Recognise situations where acceleration is uniform and non-uniform
5. Understand that the equations of motion are only valid for uniformly accelerated motion
6. Solve problems using the equations of motion
7. Define a projectile and resolve into vertical and horizontal components
8. Solve projectile motion problems for horizontal, oblique, and below-horizontal projections (assuming negligible or absent air resistance, close to the Earth’s surface with acceleration g)
9. Describe the effects of air resistance on the trajectory path, time of flight, velocity, acceleration, and terminal speed of a projectile

A.2 Forces and Momentum

1. State Newton’s three laws of motion
2. Solve translational equilibrium problems using Newton’s First Law
3. Identify force pairs using Newton’s Third Law
4. Describe forces as interactions between bodies
5. Draw free-body diagrams and analyse them to find the resultant force on a system in one and two dimensions
6. Understand the nature of the following contact forces: normal, frictional, elastic, viscous drag, buoyancy
7. Understand the nature of the following field forces: gravitational, electric, magnetic
8. Define linear momentum and understand that it remains constant unless the system is acted upon by a resultant external force
9. Define impulse as a resultant external force applied to a system and recall that impulse equals the change in momentum
10. Derive Newton’s Second Law from the definition of net force as the rate of change of momentum, when mass is constant
11. Solve problems using momentum and impulse for collisions and explosions (1D for SL, 2D for HL)
12. Understand the scenarios of elastic and inelastic collisions and explosions
13. State that bodies undergoing circular motion travel at constant speed but still experience acceleration directed radially towards the centre
14. Draw a vector diagram to illustrate that acceleration of a particle moving at constant speed in a circle is directed towards the centre
15. Recognise the direction of velocity, acceleration and force vectors for an object in circular motion
16. Understand and solve problems involving centripetal force, centripetal acceleration, period, frequency, angular displacement, linear speed and angular velocity

A.3 Work, Energy and Power

1. State the principle of conservation of energy
2. Recall that work done by a force is equal to the energy transferred in the system
3. Sketch and analyse energy transfers on Sankey diagrams
4. Determine work done using W = Fscosθ, including cases where a resistive force acts and where force and distance are not parallel
5. Recall and solve problems using the fact that mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy in the absence of frictional forces
6. Solve problems using appropriate relationships for work done and energy transferred where mechanical energy is conserved
7. Define power as the rate of work done or rate of energy transfer, and solve problems involving power
8. Define efficiency in terms of energy transfer or power, and solve problems involving efficiency
9. Define and solve problems involving the energy density of a fuel source

A.4 Rigid Body Mechanics (HL only)

1. Describe the torque of a force about an axis
2. State that bodies in rotational equilibrium have a resultant torque of zero
3. State that an unbalanced torque applied to an extended rigid body will cause angular acceleration
4. Describe the rotation of a body in terms of angular displacement, angular velocity and angular acceleration
5. Calculate position, angular displacement, angular speed and angular acceleration using the equations of motion for uniform angular acceleration
6. Define and perform calculations using the moment of inertia, I
7. Calculate using Newton’s second law for rotation: τ = Iα
8. Calculate angular momentum for an extended body rotating with an angular speed
9. Understand that angular momentum remains constant unless the body is acted upon by a resultant torque
10. Explain how a resultant torque will cause angular impulse
11. Calculate the kinetic energy of rotational motion

A.5 Galilean and Special Relativity (HL only)

1. Define a reference frame and understand the concept of an inertial reference frame
2. Explain that Newton’s laws of motion are consistent in all inertial reference frames (Galilean relativity)
3. Understand that in Galilean relativity, position x’ and time t’ of an event are given by x’ = x - vt and t’ = t
4. Describe velocity addition for a Galilean transformation: u’ = u - v
5. Memorise the two postulates of special relativity
6. Calculate the motion of a particle at high speeds using the Lorentz transformation equations
7. Solve problems using the relativistic velocity addition equation
8. Calculate the invariant quantity of the space-time interval between two events
9. Define proper time interval and proper length
10. Solve problems involving time dilation
11. Compute length contraction
12. Explain the concept of relativity of simultaneity
13. Interpret space-time diagrams to represent the motion of particles
14. Calculate the angle between the world line of a moving particle and the time axis on a space-time diagram
15. Interpret muon decay experiments as evidence for time dilation and length contraction

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Theme B: The Particulate Nature of Matter

B.1 Thermal Energy Transfers

1. Explain the physical differences between solid, liquid and gaseous phases in terms of molecular structure and particle motion
2. Define density using ρ = m/V
3. Use Kelvin and Celsius temperature scales and convert between them: T/K = t/°C + 273
4. Understand that the average kinetic energy of ideal gas molecules is directly proportional to temperature in kelvin
5. Understand that internal energy is the total intermolecular potential energy plus the total random kinetic energy of the molecules
6. Know that temperature difference depends on thermal energy transfer between bodies from hot to cold
7. Explain in terms of molecular behaviour why temperature does not change during a phase change
8. Define and solve problems using specific heat capacity and specific latent heat of fusion and vaporisation
9. Describe on a molecular level how conduction, convection and radiation are mechanisms for thermal energy transfer
10. Perform calculations on the rate of kinetic energy transfer in conduction
11. Solve problems involving the Stefan-Boltzmann Law and Wien’s displacement law
12. Define luminosity and apparent brightness, and solve problems involving luminosity, apparent brightness and distance

B.2 Greenhouse Effect

1. State the conservation of energy
2. Define and solve problems using emissivity and albedo
3. Know that the Earth’s average albedo is 0.3, and that this varies depending on cloud formation and latitude
4. Define the solar constant S and explain why effective incident power on the Earth’s surface is S/4
5. Calculate equilibrium temperature using energy balance between incoming and outgoing radiation intensity, including albedo, emissivity and solar constants
6. Know that the four greenhouse gases are CH4, H2O, CO2 and N2O, each both man-made and naturally occurring
7. Explain how the Earth radiates thermal radiation as a black body, which is absorbed by greenhouse gases and then scattered in all directions, subsequently heating the Earth’s surface
8. Define enhanced greenhouse effect as an augmentation of the natural greenhouse effect due to human activities
9. State that burning of fossil fuels is a primary cause of the enhanced greenhouse effect
10. Explain how greenhouse gases cause the enhanced greenhouse effect by referring to molecular energy levels, absorbed infrared radiation, resonance and re-emission of radiation in all directions
11. Calculate energy balance problems involving energy exchanged between the surface and the atmosphere

B.3 Gas Laws

1. State the assumptions of the kinetic theory of ideal gases
2. Understand that a real gas approximates to an ideal gas at low pressure, moderate temperature and low density
3. Define and solve problems using pressure as P = F/A
4. Define the amount of substance, n
5. Solve problems using the equation of state for an ideal gas and gas laws
6. Know that gas laws are limited to constant volume, constant temperature, constant pressure and the ideal gas law
7. Explain how the ideal gas law is derived empirically from gas laws
8. Sketch and interpret changes of state on pressure-volume diagrams
9. Calculate changes in pressure due to collisions with the walls of a container
10. Calculate internal energy U of an ideal monatomic gas

B.4 Thermodynamics (HL only)

1. Describe the first law of thermodynamics as a statement of conservation of energy and solve related problems
2. Define the work done by or on a closed system
3. Calculate the change in internal energy for a system undergoing a change in temperature or volume
4. Describe the second law of thermodynamics in Celsius form, Kelvin form and as a consequence of entropy
5. Solve problems involving entropy changes
6. Understand isovolumetric, isobaric, isothermal and adiabatic processes
7. Solve problems for adiabatic processes for monatomic gases
8. Sketch and interpret cyclic processes used to run heat engines
9. Solve problems involving thermal efficiency
10. Define the Carnot cycle as a theoretical heat engine with maximum possible efficiency, and calculate Carnot efficiency

B.5 Current and Circuits

1. Define emf and electric potential difference, V
2. Describe how chemical cells and solar cells are energy sources in circuits
3. Draw circuit diagrams with a variety of components
4. Recognise current as the rate of flow of charge
5. Know that charge carriers within a metal are electrons, but may be ions in other materials
6. Describe an ideal ammeter and ideal voltmeter, and understand that most practical meters do not meet these requirements
7. Explain the origin of electrical resistance and define resistance as R = V/I
8. State Ohm’s Law
9. Know the I/V characteristics of ohmic conductors and non-ohmic conductors (filament lamp and diode)
10. Solve problems involving potential difference, current, charge, power, resistivity and resistance in series and parallel circuits
11. Describe internal resistance in cells and solve problems using ε = I(R + r)
12. Describe how resistance varies in thermistors, light-dependent resistors and potentiometers
13. Describe practical uses of potential divider circuits

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Theme C: Wave Behaviour

C.1 Simple Harmonic Motion

1. Explain the two conditions necessary for an object to oscillate with simple harmonic motion
2. Recognise and use the defining equation for SHM, understanding the significance of the negative sign in a = -ω²x
3. Define time period T, frequency f, angular frequency ω, amplitude A, equilibrium position and displacement for a particle in SHM
4. Calculate time period T for a particle undergoing SHM, a mass-spring system and a simple pendulum
5. Describe the energy changes during one oscillation of an object undergoing SHM
6. Sketch and interpret graphs of SHM (displacement-time, velocity-time, acceleration-time and acceleration-displacement)
7. Understand and explain how phase angle φ is used to describe the state of a particle undergoing SHM (HL only)
8. Calculate properties of an SHM oscillator (HL only)
9. Describe the interchange of kinetic and potential energy during SHM, and solve problems using both graphical and algebraic methods (HL only)

C.2 Wave Model

1. Explain the motion of particles for both transverse and longitudinal waves
2. Sketch and interpret displacement-distance graphs and displacement-time graphs for transverse and longitudinal waves
3. Define wavelength, frequency, time period, wave speed and amplitude
4. Derive v = fλ and solve problems using this equation
5. Compare the nature of sound waves and electromagnetic waves

C.3 Wave Phenomena

1. Explain that waves travelling in two and three dimensions can be described through wavefronts and rays
2. Define wave behaviour at boundaries in terms of reflection, refraction and transmission
3. Describe and sketch wave diffraction around a body and through an aperture
4. Sketch incident, reflected and transmitted wavefronts/rays between media
5. Solve problems involving Snell’s law, critical angle and total internal reflection
6. Calculate the superposition of two waves or wave pulses
7. Describe the conditions necessary for double source interference
8. State the conditions for constructive and destructive interference in terms of path length difference
9. Understand the significance of Young’s double slit experiment and use s = λD/d
10. Describe single slit diffraction at normal incidence and the effect of changing slit width (HL only)
11. Determine the position of the first interference minimum in single slit diffraction (HL only)
12. Describe the diffraction pattern produced from monochromatic light through a single slit (HL only)
13. Describe the interference pattern produced by a double slit, including modulation by the single slit diffraction effect (HL only)
14. Sketch and interpret intensity graphs of double slit interference patterns (HL only)
15. Distinguish between the width of slits and separation of slits in accounting for their effects on intensity graphs (HL only)
16. Recognise that multiple slits and diffraction gratings create interference patterns by path difference, and use nλ = dsinθ (HL only)

C.4 Standing Waves and Resonance

1. Describe the conditions necessary for the formation of a standing wave
2. Draw diagrams and identify nodes and antinodes, relative amplitude and phase difference along a standing wave
3. Describe the formation of standing waves in terms of superposition in strings and pipes with all boundary conditions
4. Solve problems involving the frequency of a harmonic, length of the standing wave and wave speed
5. Explain and give examples of useful and destructive resonance, including natural frequency and amplitude of oscillation based on driving frequency
6. Graphically describe the variation of amplitude with driving frequency close to natural frequency
7. Describe the effects of light, critical and heavy damping on a system

C.5 Doppler Effect

1. Sketch and interpret the Doppler effect for sound and electromagnetic waves when there is relative motion between source and observer
2. Describe situations where the Doppler effect can be used (radars, red-shift of galaxies, ultrasound reflected from blood cells)
3. Recognise that electromagnetic waves require the approximation equation for the Doppler effect
4. Explain how shifts in spectral lines provide information about the motion of stars and galaxies
5. Solve problems involving the change in frequency or wavelength due to the Doppler effect to determine the velocity of the source or observer (HL only)

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Theme D: Fields

D.1 Gravitational Fields

1. State Kepler’s three laws of motion
2. Solve problems using Newton’s Law of Gravitation between two spherical masses
3. Recognise that when astronomical objects are in orbit, gravitational force equals centripetal force
4. Recall the definition of gravitational field strength
5. Determine the resultant gravitational field strength due to two bodies along the line joining them
6. Sketch gravitational field lines for a radial field surrounding point or spherical masses, and for a uniform field close to a massive body
7. Define gravitational potential energy and determine the potential energy of a point mass (HL only)
8. Recognise gravitational potential Vp as a scalar defined as work per unit mass bringing a test mass from infinity to point P (HL only)
9. Recognise the magnitude of the gravitational field as the rate of change of potential with distance (HL only)
10. Draw equipotential lines on gravitational fields and explain that moving between them requires work (HL only)
11. Define escape speed and solve problems involving the speed required to escape a gravitational field (HL only)
12. Describe the qualitative effect of atmospheric drag on the height and speed of an orbiting body (HL only)

D.2 Electric and Magnetic Fields

1. Know that there are positive and negative charges and predict the direction of forces between them
2. Solve problems using Coulomb’s Law
3. State the law of conservation of electric charge
4. Describe Millikan’s experiment as evidence for quantisation of charge
5. Describe how electric charge can be transferred by friction, electrostatic induction and contact, including grounding
6. Calculate the electric field strength of a uniform electric field
7. Sketch electrostatic field lines for radial fields, inside and outside a spherical conducting body, between two charges, and between charged parallel plates
8. Recognise that higher field line density represents larger electric field strength
9. Sketch magnetic field patterns around a bar magnet, a current-carrying wire, a singular coil and a solenoid
10. Determine the direction of magnetic field around a long straight current-carrying wire
11. Define electric potential energy and determine the potential energy for a system of two charged bodies (HL only)
12. Recognise electric potential as a scalar defined as work per unit charge bringing a test charge from infinity to point P (HL only)
13. Recognise the magnitude of electric field strength as the rate of change of potential with distance (HL only)
14. Draw equipotential surfaces and explain that moving between them requires work to be done on the charge (HL only)

D.3 Motion in Electromagnetic Fields

1. Describe the motion of a charged particle in a uniform electric field, a uniform magnetic field, and perpendicularly orientated electric and magnetic fields
2. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the force on a charge moving in a magnetic field
3. State that the magnetic force provides the centripetal force for a charged particle moving in a magnetic field
4. Calculate the charge-to-mass ratio for a charged particle by investigating its path in a uniform magnetic field
5. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field
6. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the force per unit length between current-carrying parallel wires

D.4 Induction (HL only)

1. Define magnetic flux
2. Recall and use Faraday’s Law
3. Calculate the emf induced by a straight conductor moving perpendicularly to a uniform magnetic field
4. Explain Lenz’s Law through conservation of energy
5. Explain how an emf is induced in a fixed coil in a changing magnetic field, and in an AC generator
6. Explain the operation of a basic AC generator, including the effect of generator frequency

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Theme E: Nuclear and Quantum Physics

E.1 Structure of the Atom

1. Describe Rutherford’s scattering experiment, including the three main observations and conclusions
2. Understand that the absorption and emission spectra for each element are unique
3. Explain how spectral lines are evidence for discrete energy levels
4. Describe how emission and absorption spectra are produced
5. Calculate the frequency or wavelength of released or absorbed photons using the energy difference between energy levels
6. Calculate the radius of a nucleus and recognise that nuclear densities are approximately the same for all nuclei (HL only)
7. Explain how the results of Rutherford’s experiment change when higher energy alpha particles are used (HL only)
8. Use energy conservation to calculate the distance of closest approach in head-on scattering and find approximate nuclear density (HL only)
9. Describe the discrete energy levels in the Bohr model for hydrogen and understand the quantisation of angular momentum (HL only)

E.2 Quantum Physics (HL only)

1. Describe a photon as a quantum of energy and momentum
2. Discuss the photoelectric effect and explain why classical wave theory cannot explain it. Define work function and threshold frequency
3. Solve problems about the photoelectric effect
4. Interpret graphs relating to the photoelectric effect: kinetic energy against frequency, current against voltage, stopping voltage against 1/λ
5. Recognise that matter can have wave-like properties (wave-particle duality)
6. Describe how electrons accelerated through graphite film can be diffracted, proving the wave nature of electrons
7. Calculate the de Broglie wavelength for particles
8. Explain how Compton scattering provides additional evidence for the particle nature of light
9. Calculate the shift in photon wavelength after scattering off an electron

E.3 Radioactive Decay

1. Define an isotope
2. Solve problems involving mass defect, binding energy and the atomic mass unit (1u = 931 MeV)
3. Define mass-energy equivalence using E = mc²
4. Recall the definition of binding energy
5. Sketch and understand the general shape of the graph for average binding energy per nucleon against nucleon number
6. Calculate the frequency or wavelength of photons released or absorbed using energy level differences
7. Define the strong nuclear force
8. Describe the properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiation, including changes to the nucleus, penetration, ionising ability and real-life contexts
9. Complete decay equations for radioactive decay
10. Recognise that there are two types of beta decay (β- and β+) and explain the existence of neutrinos and anti-neutrinos
11. Define activity, count rate and half-life in radioactive decay
12. Determine the half-life of a radioactive nuclide using a decay curve or integral calculations, including the effect of background radiation
13. Describe evidence for the strong nuclear force (HL only)
14. Understand the role of the neutron-to-proton ratio in the stability of nuclides (HL only)
15. State that the spectrum of alpha and gamma radiations provides evidence for discrete nuclear energy levels (HL only)
16. State the continuous spectrum of beta decay as evidence for the neutrino (HL only)
17. Define the decay constant (HL only)
18. Explain that the decay constant approximates only in the limit of sufficiently small λt (HL only)
19. Calculate the number of undecayed nuclei, activity and half-lives for arbitrary time intervals (HL only)

E.4 Fission

1. Describe how energy is released in spontaneous and neutron-induced fission
2. Calculate how much energy is released in a nuclear fission reaction
3. Describe the role of chain reactions in nuclear fission
4. Explain the role of control rods, moderators, heat exchangers and shielding in a nuclear power plant
5. Describe the properties of the products of nuclear fission and their management, including long-term storage

E.5 Fusion and Stars

1. Describe the equilibrium between radiation pressure and gravitation in stars
2. Describe fusion as the source of energy in stars, the conditions required and the basic fusion reactions in main-sequence stars
3. Calculate the energy released in fusion reactions
4. Sketch and interpret HR diagrams, including main sequence, red giants, supergiants, white dwarfs, the instability strip and lines of constant radius
5. Note that HR diagrams are labelled with luminosity on the vertical axis and temperature on the horizontal axis
6. Convert between astronomical units (AU), light years (ly) and parsecs (pc)
7. Use stellar parallax as a method to determine the distance to celestial bodies
8. Explain how surface temperature may be obtained from a star’s spectrum using intensity-wavelength graphs and Wien’s Displacement Law
9. Explain how the chemical composition of a star may be determined from its absorption spectrum
10. Calculate stellar radii using luminosity and surface temperature

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Practical Work

The SL course requires 20 hours of practical work. The HL course requires 40 hours.

There are no specific mandated experiments, but your practical programme must cover experimental skills and technology. Your teacher is responsible for designing practical work that meets IB requirements.

Experimental Techniques

You need to know which apparatus to use to measure mass, time, length, volume, temperature, force, electric current, electric potential difference, angle, and sound and light intensity. You should also understand possible systematic and random errors associated with each.

Technology

You should be able to use datalogging sensors and smartphone apps to collect data, and use spreadsheets, databases, computer modelling and video analysis to process it.

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How to Use This Syllabus Effectively

A list of objectives on its own will not get you a 7. What matters is what you do with it.

The most effective approach is to work through each topic systematically: watch the free tutorial video to build your understanding, then test that understanding against past paper questions. The teaching hours table at the top of this page tells you where to focus. Themes A and D combined account for over 50 hours of HL teaching. That weighting shows up in the exams.

For every topic above, the linked GradePod page gives you the free concept tutorial, the past paper walkthrough, and a checklist of the learning objectives so you can track exactly where you are.

If you want the complete structured practice system alongside the free tutorials, the GradePod Exam Pack gives you past paper questions sorted by topic with mark schemes, knowledge questions for every objective on this page, a revision note template, and a full mock exam.

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Get the GradePod Exam Pack for £39 →

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Sally Weatherly is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, author of 4 IB Physics books (two hit #1 on Amazon), and has been teaching IB Physics since 2004. GradePod has helped 30,000+ students since 2020.