GAMSAT Guide/Science/Physics

The physics content of the GAMSAT seems to vary greatly - the 20% theory seemed from my experience to be a rather inflated estimate. Still common themes tend to emerge over the years - favourite areas seem to be relatively simple electrics (although I was confronted with a hideously difficult question looking at how to reduce voltage - so going beyond the simple basics may be a good idea!), gravity related areas, optics...

Physics Core Topics
The GAMSAT is designed to test year 12 physics topics.

Favourite Topics
These topics tend to recur.


 * Vectors & Kinematics
 * vectors and scalars, displacement, velocity, acceleration, linear motion, projectile motion.
 * Electric Fields
 * potential, field strength, Capacitance, combining capacitors, energy stored in a capacitor.
 * Lenses
 * convex, focal length, concave, magnification.

Additional Core Topics

 * Mechanics
 * moments, Newton's law of motion, friction and equilibrium
 * Work, Energy & Momentum
 * power, work, mechanical energy, kinetic and potential energy, conservation of momentum, internal energy, Ideal gases
 * Elastic properties of solids
 * Hooke's law, elasticity, stress, Young's modulus, strain
 * Current electricity
 * resistors in parallel and series, resistance, Ohm's law, current and drift velocity, emf and voltage
 * Magnetic Fields
 * field strength, force on a moving charge, fields due to currents
 * Waves
 * oscillations, resonance, wave measurements, superstition and interference, simple harmonic motion.
 * Refractive index
 * The photoelectric effect, work constant of metals
 * Radioactive decay
 * rate of decay and half life, emissions, stable and unstable nuclei
 * Sound
 * decibels, intensity, sound level

Other Topics
The above list has deliberately excluded some key year 12 topics, that are not commonly covered in the GAMSAT. These include:
 * quantum duality
 * particle accelerators
 * astrophysics

Personal Perspective
Some topics that came up in a single GAMSAT include:


 * Forces at rest
 * Force and Motion
 * Vibration, Waves and Sound
 * Gravitational and Electrical Fields
 * Currents and circuits
 * Electromagnetism
 * Thermal Physics
 * Particle Physics
 * Optics