Year 12
Side A1: Physical Quantities, Units and Measurement Techniques
Start Side A with course expectations, measurement routines, uncertainty, paper 3 preparation, and practical skill development.
Part of Year 12 CIE Physics 9702.
Topic Overview
What students will cover
This topic establishes the measurement and practical language used throughout Side A. You will move from basic quantities, units, and estimates into uncertainty, graph work, and the habits needed for Paper 3.
Follow the order carefully as you work. The same ideas return throughout the course whenever you judge data quality, calculate uncertainty, use gradients, or evaluate how a practical method could be improved.
Revision
Topic revision route
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Recall vocabulary
physical quantity
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SI unit
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base unit
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derived unit
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uncertainty
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percentage uncertainty
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systematic error
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random error
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gradient
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pendulum
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oscillation
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period
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practical
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measurement
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unit
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SI base unit
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prefix
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estimate
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Resource bank
- Lesson resources
- 9
- Topic resources
- 0
Open the relevant lesson first, then use its linked slides, worksheets, simulations, or practice tasks.
Syllabus CIE 9702 coverage in this topic
9 points across 4 lessons
Show details
CIE 9702 coverage in this topic
9 points across 4 lessons
1.1.1
understand that all physical quantities consist of a numerical magnitude and a unit
1.1.2
make reasonable estimates of physical quantities included within the syllabus
1.2.1
recall the following SI base quantities and their units: mass (kg), length (m), time (s), current (A), temperature (K)
1.2.2
express derived units as products or quotients of the SI base units and use the derived units for quantities listed in this syllabus as appropriate
1.2.3
use SI base units to check the homogeneity of physical equations
1.2.4
recall and use the following prefixes and their symbols to indicate decimal submultiples or multiples of both base and derived units: pico (p), nano (n), micro (μ), milli (m), centi (c), deci (d), kilo (k), mega (M), giga (G), tera (T)
1.3.1
understand and explain the effects of systematic errors (including zero errors) and random errors in measurements
1.3.2
understand the distinction between precision and accuracy
1.3.3
assess the uncertainty in a derived quantity by simple addition of absolute or percentage uncertainties
Lessons
Lesson sequence
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Lesson
01Intro to Course & Pendulum Practical
Introduce the Year 12 course structure and use a pendulum practical to set the standard for AS measurement work.
Lesson
02Physical Quantities, Units & Estimates
Use physical quantities, SI units, prefixes, and order-of-magnitude estimates with the precision expected in AS physics.
Lesson
03Errors and Uncertainties
Understand the language of random error, systematic error, precision, accuracy, and derived uncertainty at AS level.
Lesson
04PPQ Practice
Apply the A1 material through past paper style questions and mark-scheme comparison.
Lesson
05Intro to Paper 3
Understand how the practical paper rewards method, data handling, uncertainty, and evaluation.
Lesson
06Revision
Revision lesson for physical quantities, measurement, uncertainty, and the practical-paper expectations built into A1.
Lesson
07Test
Assessment checkpoint for Side A1.
Lesson
08Review
Review lesson for Side A1.