Physical Processes

Curriculum Relevance

Science Key Stage 3

Sc4 Physical Processes

1. Electricity and magnetism

Circuits
a) How to design and construct series and parallel circuits, and how to measure current and voltage.
b) The current in a series circuit depends on the number of cells, the number and nature of other components and that current is not 'used up' by components.
c) Energy is transferred from batteries and other sources to other components in electrical circuits.

Magnetic fields
d) Magnetic fields as regions of space where magnetic materials experience forces, and that like magnetic poles repel and unlike poles attract.

2. Force and linear motion
c) Unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of movement of objects and that balanced forces produce no change in the movement of an object.
d) Ways in which frictional forces, including air resistance, affect motion (for example, streamlining cars, friction between tyre and road).

Force and rotation
e) Forces can cause objects to turn about a pivot.
f) The principle of moments and its application to situations involving one pivot.

3. Light and sound

Hearing
g) Sound causes the eardrum to vibrate and that different people have different audible ranges.

Vibration and sound
k) The relationship between the pitch of a sound and the frequency of the vibration causing it.

4. The Earth and beyond

The Solar System
a) How the movement of the Earth causes the apparent daily and annual movement of the Sun and other stars.
b) The relative positions of the Earth, Sun and planets in the Solar System.