AQA GCSE Physics Paper 2 Study Guide 2025/2026:
Ace Your Exams on the First Try
Displacement Acceleration Momentum Examples of
scalars - Speed Distance Mass Temperature Time What
are contact forces? - Forces that act when two objects
are touching What are non-contact forces? - Forces that
act without the need for two objects to be touching
Examples of contact forces - Friction Air resistance
Tension in ropes Normal contact force Examples of non-
contact forces - Magnetic force Gravitational force
Electrostatic force What is mass? - The amount of
material an object is made of It is the same value
everywhere Measured using a mass balance What is
weight? - The force acting on an object due to gravity It
depends on the strength of the gravitational field at the
location of the object Measured using a calibrated
spring balance - newtonmeter Equation for Weight -
Weight (N) = Mass (kg) x Gravitational Field Strength
(N/kg) W=mg What is weight directly proportional to? -
Mass What are free body diagrams? - Diagrams that
show all the forces acting on an object What is the
minimum number of forces acting on an object in real
situations? - At least 2 forces What is the resultant force?
- The single force that replaces multiple forces acting at
a single point How is work done? - When a force moves
an object through a distance, energy is transferred and
work is done on the object Equation for 'Work Done' -
Work done (J) = Force (N) x Distance (m) W=Fs What is
1J equal to? - 1Nm What could happen when you apply
a force to an object? - It may stretch, compress or bend
,What happens when an object is inelastically deformed?
- The object won't return to its original shape and length
after the force has been removed Equation for Force 1 -
Force (N) = Spring Constant (N/m) x Extension (m) F=ke
What is extension directly proportional to? - The force
applied F∝e The stiffer the spring... - ...The greater the
spring constant What is the limit of proportionality? -
The point at which extension is no longer directly
proportional to force Equation for 'Moments' - Moment
of a force (Nm) = Force (N) x Distance (m) M=Fd What is
a moment? - The turning effect of a force When will an
object not turn? - When the object is balanced - the
total anticlockwise moment equals the total clockwise
moment about a pivot What affects the size of a
moment? - 1) The size of the force applied - a larger
force will produce a larger moment 2) The perpendicular
distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force
- any angle smaller than 90° will result in a smaller
distance, thus a smaller moment What do levers do? -
They increase the distance from the pivot at which the
force is applied Do levers make it easier or harder to do
work? - Easier to do work What are gears and what do
they do? - Circular discs with 'teeth' around their edges
Their teeth interlock so that turning one causes another
to turn in the opposite direction They are used to
transmit the rotational effect of a force from one place
to another What is pressure? - The force per unit area
Equation for Pressure - Surface of a fluid - Pressure (Pa)
= Force normal to a surface (N) / Area of that surface
(m²) p=F/A What is the pressure of a fluid? - A force is
exerted normal (at right angles) to any surface in
,contact with the fluid What is density? - A measure of
the 'compactness' of a substance Equation for Pressure -
Liquid - Pressure (Pa) = Height of the column of liquid
(the depth)(m) x Density of the liquid (kg/m³) x
Gravitational field strength (N/kg) p=hρg What is
upthrust? - The force exerted on the bottom of the
object is larger than the force acting on the top of the
object - the resultant force upwards on an object when
it is submerged in water What is upthrust equal to? -
The weight of fluid that has been displaced by the object
Why do objects float? - The upthrust of the object is
equal to the object's weight, thus the force balances It
has a low density Why do objects sink? - The object's
weight is more than the upthrust It has a high density
Low density - If an object is less dense than the fluid it is
placed in, it weighs less than the equivalent volume of
fluid It will displace a volume of fluid that is equal to its
weight before it is completely submerged High density -
If an object is denser than the fluid it is placed in, it will
be unable to displace enough fluid to equal its weight,
therefore its weight will be larger How do submarines
make use of upthrust? - To sink, large tanks are filled
with water to increase the weight of the submarine so
that it is more than the upthrust To float, the tanks are
filled with compressed air to reduce the weight so that it
is less than the upthrust What is atmospheric pressure?
- A layer of air that surrounds Earth It's created on a
surface when air molecules collide with the surface
What is atmospheric pressure inversely proportional to?
- Altitude (height above Earth) If the altitude increases,
dense What else happens when altitude increases? -
, There are fewer air molecules above a surface as the
height increases, therefore the weight of the air above it
(which contributes to atmospheric pressure) decreases
What is distance? - How far an object has moved What
is displacement? - It measures the distance and
direction in a straight line from an object's starting point
to its finishing point What is speed? - How fast you're
going What is velocity? - Speed (how fast you're going)
in a given direction Equation for Speed - Distance
Travelled (m) = Speed (m/s) x Time (s) s=vt What is the
typical speed of a person walking? - 1.5m/s What is the
typical speed of a person running? - 3m/s What is the
typical speed of a person cycling? - 6m/s What is the
typical speed of a car? - 25m/s What is the typical speed
of a train? - 55m/s What is the typical speed of a plane?
- 250m/s What factors affect speed? - Fitness of the
person Age of the person Distance travelled Terrain
Climate Gender of the person What factors affect wind
speed? - Temperature Atmospheric pressure Any large
buildings or structures nearby e.g. forests reduce wind
speed travelling through them What is acceleration? -
The change in velocity in a certain amount of time
Equation for Acceleration - Acceleration (m/s²) = Change
in Velocity (m/s) / Time (s) a=Δv/t What is deceleration?
- Negative acceleration - when something slows down,
the change in velocity is negative What is constant
acceleration? - Uniform acceleration - acceleration due
to gravity is uniform for objects in free fall 9.8m/s² near
the Earth's surface Equation for Uniform Acceleration -
Final velocity² (m/s) - Initial velocity² (m/s) = 2 x
Acceleration (m/s²) x Distance (m) v²-u²=2as Distance-
Ace Your Exams on the First Try
Displacement Acceleration Momentum Examples of
scalars - Speed Distance Mass Temperature Time What
are contact forces? - Forces that act when two objects
are touching What are non-contact forces? - Forces that
act without the need for two objects to be touching
Examples of contact forces - Friction Air resistance
Tension in ropes Normal contact force Examples of non-
contact forces - Magnetic force Gravitational force
Electrostatic force What is mass? - The amount of
material an object is made of It is the same value
everywhere Measured using a mass balance What is
weight? - The force acting on an object due to gravity It
depends on the strength of the gravitational field at the
location of the object Measured using a calibrated
spring balance - newtonmeter Equation for Weight -
Weight (N) = Mass (kg) x Gravitational Field Strength
(N/kg) W=mg What is weight directly proportional to? -
Mass What are free body diagrams? - Diagrams that
show all the forces acting on an object What is the
minimum number of forces acting on an object in real
situations? - At least 2 forces What is the resultant force?
- The single force that replaces multiple forces acting at
a single point How is work done? - When a force moves
an object through a distance, energy is transferred and
work is done on the object Equation for 'Work Done' -
Work done (J) = Force (N) x Distance (m) W=Fs What is
1J equal to? - 1Nm What could happen when you apply
a force to an object? - It may stretch, compress or bend
,What happens when an object is inelastically deformed?
- The object won't return to its original shape and length
after the force has been removed Equation for Force 1 -
Force (N) = Spring Constant (N/m) x Extension (m) F=ke
What is extension directly proportional to? - The force
applied F∝e The stiffer the spring... - ...The greater the
spring constant What is the limit of proportionality? -
The point at which extension is no longer directly
proportional to force Equation for 'Moments' - Moment
of a force (Nm) = Force (N) x Distance (m) M=Fd What is
a moment? - The turning effect of a force When will an
object not turn? - When the object is balanced - the
total anticlockwise moment equals the total clockwise
moment about a pivot What affects the size of a
moment? - 1) The size of the force applied - a larger
force will produce a larger moment 2) The perpendicular
distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force
- any angle smaller than 90° will result in a smaller
distance, thus a smaller moment What do levers do? -
They increase the distance from the pivot at which the
force is applied Do levers make it easier or harder to do
work? - Easier to do work What are gears and what do
they do? - Circular discs with 'teeth' around their edges
Their teeth interlock so that turning one causes another
to turn in the opposite direction They are used to
transmit the rotational effect of a force from one place
to another What is pressure? - The force per unit area
Equation for Pressure - Surface of a fluid - Pressure (Pa)
= Force normal to a surface (N) / Area of that surface
(m²) p=F/A What is the pressure of a fluid? - A force is
exerted normal (at right angles) to any surface in
,contact with the fluid What is density? - A measure of
the 'compactness' of a substance Equation for Pressure -
Liquid - Pressure (Pa) = Height of the column of liquid
(the depth)(m) x Density of the liquid (kg/m³) x
Gravitational field strength (N/kg) p=hρg What is
upthrust? - The force exerted on the bottom of the
object is larger than the force acting on the top of the
object - the resultant force upwards on an object when
it is submerged in water What is upthrust equal to? -
The weight of fluid that has been displaced by the object
Why do objects float? - The upthrust of the object is
equal to the object's weight, thus the force balances It
has a low density Why do objects sink? - The object's
weight is more than the upthrust It has a high density
Low density - If an object is less dense than the fluid it is
placed in, it weighs less than the equivalent volume of
fluid It will displace a volume of fluid that is equal to its
weight before it is completely submerged High density -
If an object is denser than the fluid it is placed in, it will
be unable to displace enough fluid to equal its weight,
therefore its weight will be larger How do submarines
make use of upthrust? - To sink, large tanks are filled
with water to increase the weight of the submarine so
that it is more than the upthrust To float, the tanks are
filled with compressed air to reduce the weight so that it
is less than the upthrust What is atmospheric pressure?
- A layer of air that surrounds Earth It's created on a
surface when air molecules collide with the surface
What is atmospheric pressure inversely proportional to?
- Altitude (height above Earth) If the altitude increases,
dense What else happens when altitude increases? -
, There are fewer air molecules above a surface as the
height increases, therefore the weight of the air above it
(which contributes to atmospheric pressure) decreases
What is distance? - How far an object has moved What
is displacement? - It measures the distance and
direction in a straight line from an object's starting point
to its finishing point What is speed? - How fast you're
going What is velocity? - Speed (how fast you're going)
in a given direction Equation for Speed - Distance
Travelled (m) = Speed (m/s) x Time (s) s=vt What is the
typical speed of a person walking? - 1.5m/s What is the
typical speed of a person running? - 3m/s What is the
typical speed of a person cycling? - 6m/s What is the
typical speed of a car? - 25m/s What is the typical speed
of a train? - 55m/s What is the typical speed of a plane?
- 250m/s What factors affect speed? - Fitness of the
person Age of the person Distance travelled Terrain
Climate Gender of the person What factors affect wind
speed? - Temperature Atmospheric pressure Any large
buildings or structures nearby e.g. forests reduce wind
speed travelling through them What is acceleration? -
The change in velocity in a certain amount of time
Equation for Acceleration - Acceleration (m/s²) = Change
in Velocity (m/s) / Time (s) a=Δv/t What is deceleration?
- Negative acceleration - when something slows down,
the change in velocity is negative What is constant
acceleration? - Uniform acceleration - acceleration due
to gravity is uniform for objects in free fall 9.8m/s² near
the Earth's surface Equation for Uniform Acceleration -
Final velocity² (m/s) - Initial velocity² (m/s) = 2 x
Acceleration (m/s²) x Distance (m) v²-u²=2as Distance-
