DP Physics (last assessment 2024)

Syllabus sections

Core
Topic 1: Measurements and uncertainties
1.1 – Measurements in physics
1.2 – Uncertainties and errors
1.3 – Vectors and scalars
Topic 2: Mechanics
2.1 – Motion
2.2 – Forces
2.3 – Work, energy, and power
2.4 – Momentum and impulse
Topic 3: Thermal physics
3.1 – Thermal concepts
3.2 – Modelling a gas
Topic 4: Waves
4.1 – Oscillations
4.2 – Travelling waves
4.3 – Wave characteristics
4.4 – Wave behaviour
4.5 – Standing waves
Topic 5: Electricity and magnetism
5.1 – Electric fields
5.2 – Heating effect of electric currents
5.3 – Electric cells
5.4 – Magnetic effects of electric currents
Topic 6: Circular motion and gravitation
6.1 – Circular motion
6.2 – Newton’s law of gravitation
Topic 7: Atomic, nuclear and particle physics
7.1 – Discrete energy and radioactivity
7.2 – Nuclear reactions
7.3 – The structure of matter
Topic 8: Energy production
8.1 – Energy sources
8.2 – Thermal energy transfer
Option A: Relativity
Option A: Relativity (Core topics)
A.1 – The beginnings of relativity
A.2 – Lorentz transformations
A.3 – Spacetime diagrams
Option A: Relativity (Additional higher level option topics)
A.4 – Relativistic mechanics (HL only)
A.5 – General relativity (HL only)
Option B: Engineering physics
Option B: Engineering physics (Core topics)
B.1 – Rigid bodies and rotational dynamics
B.2 – Thermodynamics
Option B: Engineering physics (Additional higher level option topics)
B.3 – Fluids and fluid dynamics (HL only)
B.4 – Forced vibrations and resonance (HL only)
Option C: Imaging
Option C: Imaging (Core topics)
C.1 – Introduction to imaging
C.2 – Imaging instrumentation
C.3 – Fibre optics
Option C: Imaging (Additional higher level option topics)
C.4 – Medical imaging (HL only)
Option D: Astrophysics
Option D: Astrophysics (Core topics)
D.1 – Stellar quantities
D.2 – Stellar characteristics and stellar evolution
D.3 – Cosmology
Option D: Astrophysics (Additional higher level option topics)
D.4 – Stellar processes (HL only)
D.5 – Further cosmology (HL only)
Additional higher level (AHL)
Topic 9: Wave phenomena
9.1 – Simple harmonic motion
9.2 – Single-slit diffraction
9.3 – Interference
9.4 – Resolution
9.5 – Doppler effect
Topic 10: Fields
10.1 – Describing fields
10.2 – Fields at work
Topic 11: Electromagnetic induction
11.1 – Electromagnetic induction
11.2 – Power generation and transmission
11.3 – Capacitance
Topic 12: Quantum and nuclear physics
12.1 – The interaction of matter with radiation
12.2 – Nuclear physics