If you are a student preparing for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC), then you are in the right place.
In this post, we will be discussing the WAEC Physics Syllabus for 2023/2024 and the recommended textbooks that you can use to prepare for the exam. As you may already know, physics is a fundamental science that deals with the study of matter, energy, and their interactions. The WAEC Physics Syllabus covers a wide range of topics in physics that will help you to develop a good understanding of the subject.
To download the WAEC Physics Syllabus for 2023/2024, you can visit the WAEC official website or click on this link [insert link]. The syllabus is a comprehensive guide that outlines the topics that you need to cover for the exam. It also provides information on the exam format, including the number of questions, the duration of the exam, and the weighting of each section.
In addition to the syllabus, it is important to have good textbooks to help you prepare for the exam. Some of the recommended textbooks for WAEC Physics include:
- New School Physics by M. W. Anyakoha
- Essential Physics for Senior Secondary School by P. N. Okeke
- Comprehensive Certificate Physics by Charles Parker and John Humphrey
- Exam Focus Physics by Adeniji A. A.
These textbooks cover all the topics in the WAEC Physics Syllabus and provide detailed explanations of concepts, diagrams, and work examples that will help you to understand the subject better. They also include practice questions and answers that you can use to test your knowledge and prepare for the exam.
The WAEC Physics Syllabus and the recommended textbooks are valuable resources that you can use to prepare for the exam. Make sure to study the syllabus and use the textbooks effectively to enhance your understanding of the subject. Good luck with your exam preparation!.
CHECK OUT: WAEC English Language Syllabus 2023/2024 (Read & Download PDF)
Aims & Objectives
- Gain a comprehensive comprehension of the fundamental concepts and practical applications of Physics;
- Cultivate scientific skills and a mindset necessary for pursuing further scientific endeavors
- Acknowledge the value and constraints of the scientific method to comprehend its relevance in other fields and everyday life
- Foster the abilities, attitudes, and skills that promote effective and secure practice
- Instill scientific attitudes like precision, accuracy, impartiality, honesty, proactivity, and creativity.
WAEC Physics Syllabus DOWNLOAD PDF
SCHEME OF EXAMINATION
Papers 1 and 2 are composite papers taken in a single sitting. Paper 1 consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, and candidates have 1 1/4 hours to complete it, with a total of 50 marks available. Paper 2 consists of two sections, A and B, which candidates have 1 1/2 hours to complete, with a total of 60 marks available.
Section A includes seven short-structured questions, and candidates must answer five of them for a total of 15 marks. Section B includes five essay questions, and candidates must answer any three of them for a total of 45 marks. Paper 3 is either a practical test for school candidates or an alternative to a practical work paper for private candidates.
Each version of the paper includes three questions, and candidates must answer any two of them in 2 3/4 hours, with a total of 50 marks available. The syllabus for the Physics exam requires candidates to participate in practical activities.
The exam covers various topics, as listed in the syllabus, and candidates will be expected to answer questions on these topics. While the notes in the syllabus indicate the scope of the questions that will be asked, they are not exhaustive. Questions will be set in SI units, but multiples or sub-multiples of the units may be used.
Part 1: Interaction of Matter, Space & Time
- Concepts of matter
- Fundamental and derived quantities and units
- Fundamental quantities and units
- Derived quantities and units
- Position, distance, and displacement
- Concept of position as a location of point-rectangular coordinates
- Measurement of distance
- Concept of direction as a way of locating a point-bearing
- The distinction between distance and displacement
- Mass and weight
- The distinction between mass and weight
- Time
- Concept of time as an interval between physical events
- Measurement of time
- Fluid at rest
- Volume, density, and relative density
- Pressure in fluids
- Equilibrium of bodies
- Archimedes’ principle
- Law of flotation
- Motion
- Types of motion: Random, rectilinear, translational, Rotational, circular, orbital, spin, Oscillatory
- Relative motion
- Cause of motion
- Types of force:
- Contact force
- Non-contact force(field force)
- Solid friction
- Viscosity (friction in fluids)
- Simple ideas of circular motion
- Speed and velocity
- Concept of speed as a change of distance with time
- Concept of velocity as a change of displacement with time
- Uniform/non-uniform speed/velocity
- Distance/displacement-time graph
- Rectilinear acceleration
- Concept of Acceleration/deceleration as increase/decrease in velocity with time
- Uniform/non-uniform acceleration
- Velocity-time graph
- Equations of motion with constant acceleration; Motion under gravity is a special case
- Scalars and vectors
- Concept of scalars as physical quantities with magnitude and no direction
- Concept of vectors as physical quantities with both magnitude and direction
- Vector representation
- Addition of vectors
- Resolution of vectors
- Resultant velocity using vector representation
- Equilibrium of forces
- Principle of moments
- Conditions for the equilibrium of rigid bodies under the action of parallel and non-parallel forces
- Centre of gravity and stability
- Simple harmonic motion
- Illustration, explanation, and definition of simple harmonic motion (S.H.M)
- Speed and acceleration of S.H.M.
- Period, frequency, and amplitude of a body executing S.H.M.
- Energy of S.H.M
- Forced vibration and resonance
- Newton’s laws of motion:
- First Law: Inertia of rest and inertia of motion
- Second Law: Force, acceleration, momentum, and impulse
- Third Law: Action and reaction
Part 2: Energy: Mechanical and Heat
- Energy
- Forms of energy
- World energy resources
- Conservation of energy
- Work, Energy and Power
- Concept of work as a measure of energy transfer
- Concept of energy as the capability to do work
- Work done in a gravitational field
- Types of mechanical energy
- Potential energy (P.E.)
- Kinetic energy (K.E)
- Conservation of mechanical energy
- Concept of power as the time rate of doing work
- Application of mechanical energy machines
- Levers, pulleys, inclined plane, wedge, screw, wheel and axle, gears
- Heat Energy
- Temperature and its measurement
- Effects of heat on matter e.g
- Rise in temperature
- Change of phase state
- Expansion
- Change of resistance
- Thermal expansion – Linear, area and volume expansivities
- Heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation
- The gas laws-Boyle’s law Charles’ law, pressure law and general gas law
- Measurement of heat energy
- Concept of heat capacity
- Specific heat capacity.
WAEC Physics Recommended Textbooks for 2023/2024
| Author(s) | Title | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ike, E. E | Essential Principles of Physics | Jos ENIC Publishers | 2014 |
| Ike, E. E | Numerical Problems and Solutions in Physics | Jos, ENIC Publishers | 2014 |
| Nelson, M | Fundamentals of Physics | Great Britain: Hart Davis Education | 1977 |
| Nelson, M and Parker Â… | Advanced Level Physics (Sixth Edition) | Heinemann | 1989 |
| Okeke, P. N and Anyakoha, M. W | Senior Secondary School Physics | Lagos, Pacific Printers | 2000 |
| Olumuyionwa A. and Ogunkoya O. O | Comprehensive Certificate Physics | Ibadan: University Press Plc. | 199 |
