Students will be required to demonstrate the following mathematics skills in GCSE Physics assessments.
Questions will target maths skills at a level of demand appropriate to each subject. In Foundation Tier papers questions assessing maths requirements will not be lower than that expected at Key Stage 3 (as outlined in Mathematics Programmes of Study: Key Stage 3 by the DfE, document reference DFE-00179-2013). In Higher Tier papers questions assessing maths requirements will not be lower than that of questions and tasks in assessments for the Foundation Tier in a GCSE Qualification in Mathematics.
| 1 | Arithmetic and numerical computation |
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| a | Recognise and use expressions in decimal form |
| b | Recognise and use expressions in standard form |
| c | Use ratios, fractions and percentages |
| d | Make estimates of the results of simple calculations |
| 2 | Handling data |
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| a | Use an appropriate number of significant figures |
| b | Find arithmetic means |
| c | Construct and interpret frequency tables and diagrams, bar charts and histograms |
| f | Understand the terms mean, mode and median |
| g | Use a scatter diagram to identify a correlation between two variables |
| h | Make order of magnitude calculations |
| 3 | Algebra |
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| a | Understand and use the symbols: =, <, <<, >>, >, ∝ , ~ |
| b | Change the subject of an equation |
| c | Substitute numerical values into algebraic equations using appropriate units for physical quantities |
| d | Solve simple algebraic equations |
| 4 | Graphs |
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| a | Translate information between graphical and numeric form |
| b | Understand that y = mx + c represents a linear relationship |
| c | Plot two variables from experimental or other data |
| d | Determine the slope and intercept of a linear graph |
| e | Draw and use the slope of a tangent to a curve as a measure of rate of change |
| f | Understand the physical significance of area between a curve and the x-axis and measure it by counting squares as appropriate |
| 5 | Geometry and trigonometry |
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| a | Use angular measures in degrees |
| b | Visualise and represent 2D and 3D forms including two dimensional representations of 3D objects |
| c | Calculate areas of triangles and rectangles, surface areas and volumes of cubes |
Mathematical skills references are taken from the DfE subject criteria. Where there is a break in a sequence, the 'missing' references are criteria not applicable to GCSE Physics and have been deliberately omitted from this list.
