100+ Free IB Physics SL Practice Questions

A: Space, time and motion

Kinematics — displacement, velocity, acceleration; suvat equations; motion graphs (gradient and area under the curve); projectile motion split into horizontal constant velocity and vertical motion under g = 9.81 m/s^2; Newton's three laws; momentum p = mv and impulse F.dt = dp; conservation of momentum in elastic and inelastic collisions and in explosions; work-energy theorem; KE = (1/2)mv^2, GPE = mgh, EPE = (1/2)kx^2; power P = W/t = Fv; efficiency

B: The particulate nature of matter

Kinetic theory of gases; ideal gas equation pV = nRT and pV = NkT; mean square speed of molecules; temperature as a measure of average molecular kinetic energy; thermal energy transfer Q = mc.dT and Q = mL for change of state; internal energy as sum of molecular KE and PE; first law of thermodynamics dU = Q + W; informal second law (entropy increases); pressure-volume work

C: Wave behaviour

Transverse vs longitudinal waves; v = f.lambda, T = 1/f; superposition and interference (constructive and destructive, path difference); standing waves on strings and in open and closed air columns with boundary conditions; Doppler effect for sound; refraction n1 sin(theta1) = n2 sin(theta2), n = c/v; critical angle and total internal reflection; diffraction; single-slit diffraction; double-slit interference dy = lambda.D/d; diffraction gratings d sin(theta) = n.lambda; polarisation and Malus's law

D: Fields

Gravitational fields — Newton's law F = Gm1m2/r^2, field strength g = GM/r^2; orbital motion T^2 = (4 pi^2 / GM) r^3; circular motion — centripetal acceleration a = v^2/r = r.omega^2, centripetal force F = mv^2/r; electric fields — Coulomb's law F = kq1q2/r^2, field E = F/q = kQ/r^2, potential V = kQ/r; magnetic fields — force on a current-carrying conductor F = BIL, force on a moving charge F = qvB; right-hand rule; circular motion of charged particle qvB = mv^2/r

E: Nuclear and quantum physics

Atomic structure — protons and neutrons in the nucleus, electrons in shells; nuclear notation A-Z X; isotopes; alpha, beta and gamma decay equations conserving nucleon and proton number; antimatter and positron emission; binding energy per nucleon, mass-energy E = mc^2; fission and fusion; chain reactions and reactor moderation/control; half-life from graphs or tables; absorbed and equivalent dose; photoelectric effect hf = phi + KEmax, threshold frequency, evidence for the photon model; wave-particle duality; de Broglie wavelength lambda = h/p; quantum atom — discrete energy levels and emission and absorption line spectra