SL and HL Topic by topic
DP
Physics.
Teaching resources for IB Diploma Programme Physics, built topic by topic. Anything that is higher level only is marked in terracotta, here and on every slide.
Theme · Space, time and motion
A
A.1 · Slide deck
Kinematics
Displacement, velocity and acceleration, motion graphs, the four equations of motion, projectiles, and the effects of fluid resistance.
A.2 · Slide deck
Forces and momentum
Newton’s laws and free-body diagrams, the contact and field forces, momentum and impulse, collisions and explosions, and circular motion. HL adds calculations on collisions in two dimensions.
A.3 · Slide deck
Work, energy and power
Work done by a force, kinetic, gravitational and elastic potential energy, conservation of mechanical energy and the work done by resistive forces, power, efficiency, Sankey diagrams and the energy density of fuels.
A.4 · Slide deck
Rigid body mechanics
Torque and rotational equilibrium, the equations of angular motion, moment of inertia, Newton’s second law for rotation, angular momentum and its conservation, angular impulse, and the kinetic energy of rotating and rolling bodies.
A.5 · Slide deck
Galilean and special relativity
Reference frames, the Galilean and Lorentz transformations, velocity addition, simultaneity, time dilation, length contraction, the space–time interval, muon decay and space–time diagrams.
Theme · The particulate nature of matter
B
B.1 · Slide deck
Thermal energy transfers
The molecular model, the kelvin and internal energy, specific heat capacity and latent heat, conduction and convection, and black-body radiation: the Stefan–Boltzmann law, apparent brightness and Wien’s law.
B.2 · Slide deck
Greenhouse effect
Emissivity, albedo and the solar constant, the energy balance of a planet, how greenhouse gases absorb infrared, a one-layer model of the atmosphere and the enhanced greenhouse effect.
B.3 · Slide deck
Gas laws
Pressure and the mole, the three gas laws and the ideal gas equation, pressure–volume diagrams, the kinetic theory, molecular speeds, internal energy and real gases.
B.4 · Slide deck
Thermodynamics
The first law and the work done by a gas, isovolumetric, isobaric, isothermal and adiabatic changes, entropy and the second law, heat engines and the Carnot cycle.
B.5 · Slide deck
Current and circuits
Current and potential difference, cells and emf, resistance, resistivity and Ohm’s law, power, series and parallel circuits, potential dividers, internal resistance, thermistors, LDRs and potentiometers.
Theme · Wave behavior
C
C.1 · Slide deck
Simple harmonic motion
The defining equation, period and frequency, the mass on a spring and the simple pendulum, and energy changes. HL adds the equations of the motion, phase angle and energy calculations.
C.2 · Slide deck
Wave model
Transverse and longitudinal traveling waves, the wave equation, graphs of displacement against position and time, sound waves and the electromagnetic spectrum.
C.3 · Slide deck
Wave phenomena
Wavefronts and rays, Snell’s law and total internal reflection, diffraction, superposition and Young’s double slit. HL adds single-slit diffraction, the modulated double-slit pattern and diffraction gratings.
C.4 · Slide deck
Standing waves and resonance
How standing waves form, nodes and antinodes, the harmonics of strings and of open and closed pipes, natural and driving frequency, resonance and damping.
C.5 · Slide deck
Doppler effect
Wavefront diagrams for a moving source and a moving observer, red and blue shift, spectral lines, radar and medical uses. HL adds the equations for sound.
Theme · Fields
D
D.1 · Slide deck
Gravitational fields
Kepler’s laws, Newton’s law of gravitation, field strength and field lines. HL adds potential, equipotentials, orbital and escape speed, and the energy of a satellite.
D.2 · Slide deck
Electric and magnetic fields
Charge and Coulomb’s law, charging by friction, contact and induction, Millikan’s experiment, electric field lines and parallel plates, and the magnetic fields of magnets, wires, coils and solenoids. HL adds electric potential and equipotentials.
D.3 · Slide deck
Motion in electromagnetic fields
Charged particles in uniform electric and magnetic fields, circular paths and the charge-to-mass ratio, crossed fields, the force on a current-carrying conductor and the force between parallel wires.
D.4 · Slide deck
Induction
Magnetic flux and Faraday’s law, Lenz’s law and energy, the emf across a moving conductor, a coil moving through a field, self-induction, and the alternating emf of a rotating coil.
Theme · Nuclear and quantum physics
E
E.1 · Slide deck
Structure of the atom
The Geiger–Marsden–Rutherford experiment, nuclear notation, energy levels and spectra. HL adds nuclear radius, closest approach and Bohr’s hydrogen.
E.2 · Slide deck
Quantum physics
The photoelectric effect, the de Broglie wavelength and electron diffraction, and Compton scattering.
E.3 · Slide deck
Radioactive decay
Isotopes, the strong nuclear force, mass defect and binding energy, alpha, beta and gamma decay with neutrinos, activity, half-life and background radiation. HL adds stability, nuclear energy levels, the beta spectrum and the exponential decay law.
E.4 · Slide deck
Fission
Spontaneous and neutron-induced fission, the energy released from binding energies and from masses, chain reactions, the moderator, control rods, heat exchanger and shielding of a power plant, and the products of fission and their storage.
E.5 · Slide deck
Fusion and stars
Fusion and the temperature and density it needs, the balance inside a star, how mass decides a star’s life, the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram and lines of constant radius, stellar parallax and stellar radii.