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