IB Physics Topics

Motion, displacement, velocity, acceleration and the equations of uniform motion.

Newton's laws, free-body diagrams, linear momentum, impulse, collisions and circular motion.

Work done, kinetic and potential energy, conservation of energy, efficiency and power.

Torque, rotational equilibrium, moment of inertia, Newton's second law for rotation, angular momentum and rotational kinetic energy. HL only.

Reference frames, Galilean and special relativity, Lorentz transformations, time dilation, length contraction and spacetime diagrams. HL only.

Molecular structure of phases, density, temperature scales, internal energy, specific heat capacity, latent heat, conduction, convection, radiation, black body radiation, the Stefan-Boltzmann law, Wien's displacement law, and luminosity.

The solar system, black body radiation, the greenhouse effect, the enhanced greenhouse effect and climate change.

Kinetic theory of ideal gases, pressure, the equation of state, Boyle's law, Charles' law, Gay-Lussac's law, pressure-volume diagrams, and internal energy of a monatomic ideal gas.

The first and second laws of thermodynamics, work done in thermodynamic processes, isobaric, isovolumetric, isothermal and adiabatic processes on PV diagrams, cyclic processes, thermal efficiency, the Carnot cycle, and entropy.

EMF and potential difference, charge carriers, current, resistance, Ohm's law, IV characteristics, series and parallel circuits, power, resistivity, thermistors, LDRs, internal resistance and potential dividers.

SHM definitions, the defining equation, energy, graphs and examples including pendulums and springs. HL extends to phase angle and algebraic energy methods.

Transverse and longitudinal waves, wave properties, the wave equation and a comparison of sound and electromagnetic waves.

Reflection, refraction, diffraction and superposition for SL. HL adds single-slit diffraction patterns, double-slit modulation and diffraction gratings.

Formation of standing waves, nodes and antinodes, harmonics in strings and pipes, resonance, natural frequency and damping.

The Doppler effect for sound and electromagnetic waves, red shift, applications in astronomy and medicine. HL adds solving problems for source/observer velocity.

Kepler's laws, Newton's law of gravitation, orbital mechanics and field strength. HL extends to gravitational potential, equipotential lines and escape speed.

Electric charges, Coulomb's law, field lines, magnetic field patterns and current-carrying conductors. HL extends to electric potential, equipotential surfaces and field-potential relationships.

Force on charges and currents in electric and magnetic fields, circular motion of charged particles, velocity selectors, and forces between current-carrying wires.

Magnetic flux, Faraday's law, Lenz's law, induced EMF in moving conductors and rotating coils, and AC generators. HL only.

Rutherford's scattering, atomic structure, emission and absorption spectra, energy levels and photon emission. HL extends to nuclear radius, density and the Bohr model.

The photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality, de Broglie wavelength, electron diffraction and Compton scattering. HL only.

Isotopes, mass defect, binding energy, nuclear stability, alpha, beta and gamma decay, half-life and activity. HL extends to the decay constant and exponential decay equations.

Energy release in spontaneous and neutron-induced fission, chain reactions, nuclear reactor components and the management of radioactive waste.

Nuclear fusion in stars, stellar equilibrium, the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, stellar parallax, Wien's law, luminosity and stellar spectra.