A-LEVEL PHYSICS PAPER 2 (AQA) (LATEST
2025/2026) STUDY GUIDE WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
What is internal energy? - ✔✔-The sum of the potential and kinetic
energies of a system.
How can you increase the thermal energy of a system? - ✔✔-We can
increase it by heating up or doing work on the object.
Explain the energy changes that occur during a change of state. - ✔✔-
During change of state the potential energy of the particles change but
the kinetic energies doesn't change.
What equation can be used to determine the energy required to change
the temperature of a substance? - ✔✔-Q = mcT
Q-J
,m - kg
c - JK-1
T-K
Give the equation to work out the energy for change of state. - ✔✔-Q =
ml
What is the ideal gas equation? - ✔✔-pV = nRT
p - Pa
R - is the molar gas constant, 8.31 Jmol-1K-1
n - is the number of mols
T-K
V - m^3
What is the first law of thermodynamics? - ✔✔-U = Q-W
Where Q is the heat added to a system and W is the work done by the
system
What is the specific heat capacity of a substance? - ✔✔-the energy
required to raise the temperature of 1kg of a substance by 1K.
, What is the time constant? - ✔✔-The time it takes for the charge in a
capacitor to fall to 37% of the initial value given by RC.
A capacitor is considered fully discharged after 5 time constants.
What is an ideal gas? - ✔✔-A gas that: the gas molecules don't interact
with each other; the molecules are thought to be perfectly spheres.
What is Boyle's law? - ✔✔-Pressure is inversely proportional to volume
providing temperature is constant.
In an ideal gas, how would increasing the volume change the
temperature of the gas, while the pressure remains constant? - ✔✔-As
you increase the volume, you also increase the temperature.
Explain how increasing the temperature of a balloon while keeping the
volume the same will increase the pressure. - ✔✔-As the temperature
increases, the average kinetic energy increases.
Therefore the particles are travelling at a higher speed on average.
There are also more frequent collisions.
Which means the particles would exert a a greater force.
Which would cause an increased rate of change of momentum.
Therefore increasing pressure.
2025/2026) STUDY GUIDE WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS
What is internal energy? - ✔✔-The sum of the potential and kinetic
energies of a system.
How can you increase the thermal energy of a system? - ✔✔-We can
increase it by heating up or doing work on the object.
Explain the energy changes that occur during a change of state. - ✔✔-
During change of state the potential energy of the particles change but
the kinetic energies doesn't change.
What equation can be used to determine the energy required to change
the temperature of a substance? - ✔✔-Q = mcT
Q-J
,m - kg
c - JK-1
T-K
Give the equation to work out the energy for change of state. - ✔✔-Q =
ml
What is the ideal gas equation? - ✔✔-pV = nRT
p - Pa
R - is the molar gas constant, 8.31 Jmol-1K-1
n - is the number of mols
T-K
V - m^3
What is the first law of thermodynamics? - ✔✔-U = Q-W
Where Q is the heat added to a system and W is the work done by the
system
What is the specific heat capacity of a substance? - ✔✔-the energy
required to raise the temperature of 1kg of a substance by 1K.
, What is the time constant? - ✔✔-The time it takes for the charge in a
capacitor to fall to 37% of the initial value given by RC.
A capacitor is considered fully discharged after 5 time constants.
What is an ideal gas? - ✔✔-A gas that: the gas molecules don't interact
with each other; the molecules are thought to be perfectly spheres.
What is Boyle's law? - ✔✔-Pressure is inversely proportional to volume
providing temperature is constant.
In an ideal gas, how would increasing the volume change the
temperature of the gas, while the pressure remains constant? - ✔✔-As
you increase the volume, you also increase the temperature.
Explain how increasing the temperature of a balloon while keeping the
volume the same will increase the pressure. - ✔✔-As the temperature
increases, the average kinetic energy increases.
Therefore the particles are travelling at a higher speed on average.
There are also more frequent collisions.
Which means the particles would exert a a greater force.
Which would cause an increased rate of change of momentum.
Therefore increasing pressure.
