AS Unit 1
Motion, Energy and Matter
- Basic physics, kinematics and dynamics
- Energy concepts and solids under stress
- Using radiation to investigate stars, and particle and nuclear structure
1 hour 30 minutes80 marks20% of A level
WJEC AS Physics, memorised in year one.
Everything the AS examines and nothing from the second year. Drill the 17 topics you are actually sitting in Wales this summer.
- AS of 1420QS
- 17 topics
- 132 subtopics
WJEC AS-Level Physics 1420QS
Basic Physics
Kinematics
Dynamics
Energy Concepts
Solids Under Stress
Using Radiation to Investigate Stars
Particles and Nuclear Structure
Topic overviewQuarks, leptons and hadronsThe four interactions and conservation lawsThe first generation of quarks and leptonsAntiparticles and annihilationBaryons, antibaryons and mesonsDeducing quark compositions from chargeBeta decay and quark flavour changeTesting a reaction against the conservation rules
Conduction of Electricity
Resistance
Topic overviewCalculating resistance from resistivityPotential difference, Ohm's law and powerResistivity, temperature and superconductivityThe volt: energy transferred per unit chargeCurrent–voltage characteristics of non-ohmic componentsMeasuring resistance and resistivity in the laboratoryThe heating effect of a current and choosing a power equationThermistors and how a semiconductor's resistance falls with temperatureConductance, conductivity and comparing materials
D.C. Circuits
Topic overviewKirchhoff's laws, and resistors in series and parallelPotential dividers, emf and internal resistanceCells, resistivity, power and energyWorking out currents and potential differences in resistor networksSensor circuits with thermistors and LDRsInternal resistance, power transfer and short-circuit currentAmmeters, voltmeters and their effect on the circuit
The Nature of Waves
Wave Properties
Topic overviewEnergy transfer and the wave equationTransverse and longitudinal waves, path difference and intensityDiffraction and superpositionTwo-source interference and the diffraction gratingStationary wavesHow much a wave spreads at a gap or an obstacleCoherence and the conditions for observable interferenceYoung's double slit and λ = ay/DMeasuring wavelength with a diffraction gratingMeasuring the speed of sound with stationary waves
Refraction of Light
Photons
Topic overviewPhoton energy and the electronvoltThe photoelectric effectStopping potential and the Planck constantThe photoelectric effect and photon energiesLine spectra and energy levelsDemonstrating the photoelectric effectThe electromagnetic spectrum and typical photon energiesElectron diffraction and the de Broglie relationshipRadiation pressure
Lasers
Mathematical Requirements (Appendix C)
Topic overviewSignificant figures and arithmetic meansUncertainty and how uncertainties combineAlgebraic symbols and proportionalityRearranging and solving equationsSmall angle approximationsTangents and instantaneous rates of changeAreas under curves and numerical methodsReading a tangent on a motion graphStraight-line graphs and y = mx + cWhat a gradient and an intercept representLinearising a relationship to find a constantLog plots of exponential decayChoosing what to plot to find a constantLogarithmic scales and orders of magnitudeWorking with base-ten logarithmsThe shapes of common graphsInverse and root relationships on a graphAreas, volumes and PythagorasGeometry applied to physical situationsSubstituting into physical equationsTrigonometry and right-angled trianglesResolving a force into componentsRadians, arc length and force diagramsRandom processes and translating between representationsMean values and periodic functionsSymbols for approximation and comparison
What WJEC AS Physics covers, and what it leaves out
WJEC AS Physics is the first year of the 1420QS course and a qualification in its own right, examined in 2 units, AS Unit 1 and AS Unit 2. This page holds only what the AS examines: 17 topics across 132 subtopics, 1,851 active recall questions, starting with Basic Physics, Kinematics and Dynamics. The 15 topics kept back for the second year are not shown, so nothing here is content you have not been taught yet.
Starting the second year? The full WJEC A-Level Physics page adds the A2 topics on top of everything here.
WJEC GCE AS and A Level Physics, qualification code 1420QS. Read the WJEC specification ↗
How it is assessed
AS Unit 2
Electricity and Light
- Conduction of electricity, resistance and d.c. circuits
- The nature and properties of waves, and refraction
- Photons and lasers
1 hour 30 minutes80 marks20% of A level
The full specification
17 topics, 132 subtopics. Open any topic to see what is inside it.
01Basic Physics7 subtopicsOpen topic
02Kinematics6 subtopicsOpen topic
03Dynamics6 subtopicsOpen topic
04Energy Concepts6 subtopicsOpen topic
05Solids Under Stress6 subtopicsOpen topic
06Using Radiation to Investigate Stars5 subtopicsOpen topic
07Particles and Nuclear Structure8 subtopicsOpen topic
08Conduction of Electricity5 subtopicsOpen topic
09Resistance9 subtopicsOpen topic
- Calculating resistance from resistivity
- Potential difference, Ohm's law and power
- Resistivity, temperature and superconductivity
- The volt: energy transferred per unit charge
- Current–voltage characteristics of non-ohmic components
- Measuring resistance and resistivity in the laboratory
- The heating effect of a current and choosing a power equation
- Thermistors and how a semiconductor's resistance falls with temperature
- Conductance, conductivity and comparing materials
10D.C. Circuits7 subtopicsOpen topic
- Kirchhoff's laws, and resistors in series and parallel
- Potential dividers, emf and internal resistance
- Cells, resistivity, power and energy
- Working out currents and potential differences in resistor networks
- Sensor circuits with thermistors and LDRs
- Internal resistance, power transfer and short-circuit current
- Ammeters, voltmeters and their effect on the circuit
11The Nature of Waves6 subtopicsOpen topic
12Wave Properties10 subtopicsOpen topic
- Energy transfer and the wave equation
- Transverse and longitudinal waves, path difference and intensity
- Diffraction and superposition
- Two-source interference and the diffraction grating
- Stationary waves
- How much a wave spreads at a gap or an obstacle
- Coherence and the conditions for observable interference
- Young's double slit and λ = ay/D
- Measuring wavelength with a diffraction grating
- Measuring the speed of sound with stationary waves
13Refraction of Light6 subtopicsOpen topic
14Photons9 subtopicsOpen topic
- Photon energy and the electronvolt
- The photoelectric effect
- Stopping potential and the Planck constant
- The photoelectric effect and photon energies
- Line spectra and energy levels
- Demonstrating the photoelectric effect
- The electromagnetic spectrum and typical photon energies
- Electron diffraction and the de Broglie relationship
- Radiation pressure
15Lasers5 subtopicsOpen topic
16Mathematical Requirements (Appendix C)26 subtopicsOpen topic
- Significant figures and arithmetic means
- Uncertainty and how uncertainties combine
- Algebraic symbols and proportionality
- Rearranging and solving equations
- Small angle approximations
- Tangents and instantaneous rates of change
- Areas under curves and numerical methods
- Reading a tangent on a motion graph
- Straight-line graphs and y = mx + c
- What a gradient and an intercept represent
- Linearising a relationship to find a constant
- Log plots of exponential decay
- Choosing what to plot to find a constant
- Logarithmic scales and orders of magnitude
- Working with base-ten logarithms
- The shapes of common graphs
- Inverse and root relationships on a graph
- Areas, volumes and Pythagoras
- Geometry applied to physical situations
- Substituting into physical equations
- Trigonometry and right-angled triangles
- Resolving a force into components
- Radians, arc length and force diagrams
- Random processes and translating between representations
- Mean values and periodic functions
- Symbols for approximation and comparison
How you work through it
Pick the mode that fits the time you have.
Try three questions
No account needed. Answer from memory first.
Your recallNot started
Key term
Express the newton, the joule and the watt in base SI units.
Key term
How is the turning effect of a force measured?
Key term
Why does the tension in a washing line become very large as the line is pulled more nearly horizontal?
Spaced Repetition Schedule
How reviews are timed
Levo will automatically distribute all of your progress into a spaced repetition calendar. Once you’ve answered, it’s scheduled for you on the next day in the spaced repetition schedule. Over time, the gaps between your recall get bigger, from a day to three years, reinforcing memorisation over a long period of time.
Interval sequence
- 1 day
- 3 days
- 7 days
- 14 days
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 4 months
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- 1 year
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What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material
Physics revision questions
Common questions about revising WJEC AS-Level Physics. Tap any to open it.
What is on WJEC AS Physics?
17 topics across 132 subtopics, examined in AS Unit 1 and AS Unit 2. They are all listed on this page, and each one opens to the subtopics inside it. The full topic list is Basic Physics, Kinematics, Dynamics, Energy Concepts, Solids Under Stress, Using Radiation to Investigate Stars and more.
Does AS Physics count towards the full A level?
Yes. In Wales the AS units are marked as a standalone AS qualification and also carry forward into the full WJEC A level, which is why the first year matters more here than it does in England. Check the current weighting on the 1420QS specification, as it is set by the board rather than by us.
What is the difference between AS and A level Physics?
AS is the first-year units only. The A level adds 15 further topics, among them Circular Motion, Vibrations, Kinetic Theory, and expects you to connect them back to the AS material. Work the AS content here, then move up to the full A level page when you start the second year.
When do you sit WJEC AS Physics?
Normally at the end of Year 12, in the summer series. That gives you one year to memorise 1,851 questions' worth of material, which is roughly 10 questions a day across an academic year if you start in September.
How should you revise for AS Physics?
By retrieval, not rereading. Cover the answer, pull it from memory, then check. Levo runs that loop across all 17 AS topics and brings each question back on a spaced schedule, so what you learn in September is still there in June.
Is it worth revising AS content again for the A level?
Yes, and it is the mistake most students make. The second-year papers assume the first year, and in Wales the AS marks usually count towards the final grade as well. Keeping the AS material on a spaced schedule through Year 13 costs far less time than relearning it.
How many questions are there for WJEC AS Physics?
1,851, written from the 1420QS subject content and grouped into 132 subtopics so you can work one small area at a time rather than a whole topic at once.
Can you use Levo for just the AS year?
Yes. Pick your subject, choose the AS topics on the topic screen, and every mode — the 3-step method, Cram, Blank Blitz, Build It and Test It — works only that material. Add the second-year topics when you get to them.
Every question in Physics, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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