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HSC Physics Mastery Pack
Advanced mechanics, electromagnetism, the nature of light and the universe — full HSC papers with worked solutions.
HSC Physics exam: Thu 5 Nov, 9:25am — 26 days away
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Gravitational Fields and Orbital Mechanics
Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation
Every object with mass exerts an attractive gravitational force on every other object with mass. Newton quantified this observation in his Law of Universal Gravitation:
F = GMm / r²
where:
- F = gravitational force (N)
- G = Universal Gravitational Constant = 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N m² kg⁻²
- M = mass of the larger body (kg)
- m = mass of the smaller body (kg)
- r = centre-to-centre separation between the two bodies (m)
Several features are worth noting for HSC purposes:
- The force is always attractive — gravitational repulsion does not exist.
- The force obeys an inverse-square law: doubling the separation reduces F by a factor of 4; tripling it reduces F by a factor of 9.
- The force acts equally on both bodies (Newton's Third Law pair): Earth pulls the Moon with the same magnitude force as the Moon pulls Earth.
- r is measured from centre to centre, not surface to surface. For a satellite orbiting at height h above Earth's surface (radius RE), use r = RE + h.
Worked Example 1 — Force between Earth and Moon
Given: MEarth = 5.972 × 10²⁴ kg, MMoon = 7.342 × 10²² kg, r = 3.844 × 10⁸ m.
Step 1 — Write the formula: F = GMm / r²
Step 2 — Substitute values:
F = (6.674 × 10⁻¹¹) × (5.972 × 10²⁴) × (7.342 × 10²²) / (3.844 × 10⁸)²
Step 3 — Numerator: 6.674 × 5.972 × 7.342 = 6.674 × 43.82 ≈ 292.4; combine powers: 10⁻¹¹ × 10²⁴ × 10²² = 10³⁵; numerator ≈ 2.924 × 10³⁷
Step 4 — Denominator: (3.844)² = 14.776; (10⁸)² = 10¹⁶; denominator ≈ 1.478 × 10¹⁷
Step 5 — Divide: F ≈ 2.924 × 10³⁷ / 1.478 × 10¹⁷ ≈ 1.978 × 10²⁰ N
Result: F ≈ 1.98 × 10²⁰ N (consistent with the accepted value of ~1.98 × 10²⁰ N). Units check: N m² kg⁻² × kg × kg / m² = N. ✓
Gravitational Field Strength
Rather than always computing forces between pairs of masses, physicists use the concept of a gravitational field. A field exists at every point in space around a massive object; it describes the force that would act on a unit mass placed at that point.
The gravitational field strength g at a distance r from the centre of mass M is:
g = GM / r²
Units: N kg⁻¹ (equivalent to m s⁻²). At Earth's surface, g ≈ 9.8 N kg⁻¹.
Key relationships:
- The force on a mass m placed in the field is F = mg, which — when expanded — returns F = GMm/r².
- g decreases with the square of distance from the centre: moving from Earth's surface to twice Earth's radius reduces g to one-quarter.
- g is a vector directed towards the centre of the source mass.
Worked Example 2 — Field strength at altitude
The International Space Station orbits at approximately h = 4.00 × 10⁵ m above Earth's surface. Calculate the gravitational field strength at that altitude.
Given: G = 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ N m² kg⁻², ME = 5.972 × 10²⁴ kg, RE = 6.371 × 10⁶ m.
Step 1 — Find orbital radius: r = RE + h = 6.371 × 10⁶ + 4.00 × 10⁵ = 6.771 × 10⁶ m
Step 2 — Apply formula: g = GM/r² = (6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ × 5.972 × 10²⁴) / (6.771 × 10⁶)²
Step 3 — Numerator: 6.674 × 5.972 = 39.85; combine powers: 10⁻¹¹⁺²⁴ = 10¹³; numerator ≈ 3.985 × 10¹⁴
Step 4 — Denominator: (6.771)² = 45.85; (10⁶)² = 10¹²; denominator ≈ 4.585 × 10¹³
Step 5 — g ≈ 3.985 × 10¹⁴ / 4.585 × 10¹³ ≈ 8.69 N kg⁻¹
Result: g ≈ 8.69 N kg⁻¹ at ISS altitude. This is about 89% of the surface value — astronauts are not weightless because gravity is absent; they are in continuous free-fall around Earth (apparent weightlessness).
- A. 1.64 s
- B. 2.34 s
- C. 3.28 s
- D. 4.67 s
Show the worked answer
Answer: C
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HSC Physics exam: Thu 5 Nov, 9:25am — 26 days away
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All 20 practice exams
- Exam 1 — Advanced Mechanics (projectile, circular/banked, orbital gravitation) — the emphasised strand; Electromagnetism (motor torque, transformers/induction, parallel-conductor force + Lenz's law); The Nature of Light (special relativity, photoelectric effect, Planck graph analysis)
- Exam 2 — Electromagnetism (motor effect, induction, transformers, charged-particle motion) — primary emphasis; Advanced Mechanics (projectile motion); The Nature of Light (photoelectric effect)
- Exam 3 — The Nature of Light (emphasis): photoelectric effect, relativity, spectroscopy/diffraction — 21 marks plus extended response; Advanced Mechanics: projectile, orbital, banked circular motion — 18 marks; Electromagnetism: motor torque/back emf, transformers and AC transmission — 15 marks
- Exam 4 — From the Universe to the Atom (emphasis, 25 marks); Advanced Mechanics (18 marks); Electromagnetism (21 marks)
- Exam 5 — Advanced Mechanics (projectile motion, circular/banked motion, gravitation and orbits, energy) — emphasised; Electromagnetism (DC motors, parallel conductors, electromagnetic induction and transformers); The Nature of Light (photoelectric effect, special relativity)
- Exam 6 — Electromagnetism (33 marks, 41%) — motor effect, transformers, charged particles in fields, electromagnetic induction (Faraday/Lenz), AC generators; Advanced Mechanics (15 marks) — projectile motion, circular orbital motion and gravitation; The Nature of Light (14 marks) — special relativity, photoelectric effect graph analysis
- Exam 7 — Nature of Light (38/80 marks): photoelectric effect, special relativity, polarisation/diffraction, wave-particle duality, EMR models (Maxwell-Hertz-Planck-Einstein); Advanced Mechanics (12 marks): projectile motion, banked circular motion; Electromagnetism (14 marks): force between parallel conductors, ideal transformers and transmission losses
- Exam 8 — From the Universe to the Atom (emphasis, 41/80 marks); Advanced Mechanics — projectiles & circular motion; Electromagnetism — motor force & transformers
- Exam 9 — Advanced Mechanics (projectile, circular & banked-track, gravitation/Kepler) — emphasised weighting; Electromagnetism (transformers, parallel-conductor force, motor/Faraday-Lenz); The Nature of Light (photoelectric effect, EMR spectrum graph interpretation, special relativity)
- Exam 10 — Electromagnetism (motor effect, transformers, induction, charged particles) — heavily weighted; Advanced Mechanics (projectile, orbital, banked circular motion); The Nature of Light (photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality)
- Exam 11 — Nature of Light (photoelectric, spectroscopy, special relativity, wave-particle models) - ~41% weighting as the contextual emphasis; Calculation rigour: every numerical item shown formula -> substitution -> answer with units, recomputed and verified; Data/graph interpretation (photoelectric stopping-voltage vs frequency graph yielding Planck's constant and work function)
- Exam 12 — Advanced Mechanics (projectile, circular & orbital motion); Electromagnetism (motor effect, induction, transformers); The Nature of Light (EM spectrum, photoelectric effect, special relativity)
- Exam 13 — Advanced Mechanics (projectile, circular/banked, orbital & gravitation, synthesis) — 36/80; Electromagnetism (motor effect, transformers/induction, charged particles in fields) — 20/80; Nature of Light (photoelectric effect, quantum model) — 8/80
- Exam 14 — Electromagnetism (emphasis): motor effect, force between parallel conductors, transformers, charged particles in fields, EM induction & generators (30 marks); Advanced Mechanics: projectile motion, circular motion and satellite orbits (13 marks); The Nature of Light: special relativity (time dilation, length contraction) and the photoelectric effect with graphing (15 marks)
- Exam 15 — The Nature of Light (heaviest weighting — photoelectric effect, special relativity, blackbody radiation and spectra); Advanced Mechanics (projectile motion, circular/banked motion, orbital mechanics and Kepler's laws); Electromagnetism (charged particles in fields, transformers, electromagnetic induction, DC motors)
- Exam 16 — From the Universe to the Atom (heaviest weighting); Advanced Mechanics; Electromagnetism
- Exam 17 — Advanced Mechanics (projectile, circular/banked, gravitation, Kepler, 2D momentum) — emphasised, 34 marks; Electromagnetism (motor torque, back-emf, charged particle in B-field, transformer, Faraday/Lenz) — 22 marks; The Nature of Light (photoelectric effect, special relativity / time dilation) — 15 marks
- Exam 18 — Electromagnetism (emphasis, 31 marks): parallel-wire forces, transformers, charged particles in crossed/uniform fields, electromagnetic induction via Faraday's and Lenz's laws, and DC motor / back-EMF principles; Advanced Mechanics: projectile motion and circular/orbital satellite motion; The Nature of Light: photoelectric effect, special relativity (muon time dilation/length contraction) and wave-particle duality
- Exam 19 — The Nature of Light (special relativity, photoelectric effect, EM spectrum/Maxwell, blackbody radiation) — heaviest weighting per the exam's context flavour; Advanced Mechanics (projectile motion, uniform circular motion, gravitation and orbital mechanics); Electromagnetism (charged particles in fields, motor effect, Faraday/Lenz induction, ideal transformers)
- Exam 20 — From the Universe to the Atom (heavy emphasis: 40 of 80 marks); Calculation chains: formula to substitution to answer with units, every value recomputed; Photoelectric data/graph interpretation (Q25)
All 20 revision notes
- Gravitational Fields and Orbital Mechanics
- Gravitational Potential Energy and Escape Velocity
- Projectile Motion: Independence of Components
- Satellite Orbits: Speed, Period, and Energy
- Uniform Circular Motion and Centripetal Force
- AC Generators and Transformers
- Electric Fields and Charged Particle Motion
- Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law
- Magnetic Force on Moving Charges and Current-Carrying Conductors
- Torque on a Current Loop and the DC Motor
- Nuclear Reactions: Fission, Fusion, and Binding Energy
- Radioactive Decay and Half-Life Calculations
- Stellar Nucleosynthesis and the Hertzsprung–Russell Diagram
- The Bohr Model and Atomic Emission Spectra
- de Broglie Wavelength and Wave-Particle Duality
- Einstein's Postulates and Time Dilation
- Length Contraction and Relativistic Mass–Energy
- Maxwell's Prediction and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
- The Photoelectric Effect and the Photon Model
- Wave Behaviours of Light: Diffraction and Interference
Common questions about HSC Physics
Which syllabus does the HSC Physics exam follow?
The Physics Stage 6 Syllabus published in 2017, examined in the HSC from 2019 to 2027. Papers from 2018 and earlier in our index were set on the discontinued 2002 syllabus, which was organised into different modules, so their questions do not map cleanly onto what you are studying now.
What are the four HSC Physics modules?
Module 5 Advanced Mechanics, Module 6 Electromagnetism, Module 7 The Nature of Light and Module 8 From the Universe to the Atom. All four are examined in the HSC paper, and questions regularly cross module boundaries, for example combining circular motion with projectile motion or relativity with particle physics.
Are pre-2019 Physics past papers still worth using?
Only in parts. Projectile motion, gravitational fields, the motor effect and induction questions from the older papers remain good practice. Content unique to the discontinued syllabus, and the older paper's question styles, will waste your time, so prioritise papers from 2019 onwards and use earlier ones for extra drill on shared content.
How much of HSC Physics is calculation versus writing?
Both matter. In the questions we have mapped, multi-mark items frequently pair a calculation with an explanation of what the result means, and the largest questions are extended responses worth eight or nine marks that ask you to analyse or justify using evidence from named experiments. Practising written explanations is not optional.
Does HSC Physics scale up or down?
Physics scales up and sits alongside Chemistry near the top of the HSC sciences on scaled mark. Scaling is recalculated every year, so this describes a past cohort rather than the year you are sitting.
What is included in the HSC Physics Mastery Pack?
Original practice exams with answer guides, worked questions, digital flashcards and revision notes for Physics. Complete revision notes are also available free. Official past papers are free external links, not material we sell. Preview the sample note, worked question and contents here. Paid resources unlock with a one-time purchase from $20, with access while the platform operates.
Where can I buy HSC Physics notes and practice exams?
You can buy the Physics Mastery Pack here as a one-time purchase: original practice exams with answer guides, revision notes, worked questions and flashcards. Printed study guides, trial-exam packs and student note marketplaces are other options, and official NESA past papers are free — see the past-paper index for this subject.
Is the HSC Physics Mastery Pack a subscription?
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