GCSE Physics Edexcel 2027
Preparing for Pearson Edexcel GCSE Physics 2027? Edexcel rewards students who keep their working tidy, interpret data confidently, and explain physics ideas step by step. If you practise the Edexcel style regularly, especially questions that build from recall into application and calculation, you can collect marks quickly across both papers. On this page you’ll find the full topic overview and practical exam strategies for top grades.
Exam content
The Pearson Edexcel GCSE Physics 1PH0 specification for 2027 covers 15 main topic areas:
Key concepts of physics covers the mathematical and measurement skills used throughout the course. You need to work confidently with standard units, prefixes such as kilo, milli, micro and nano, conversions between units, significant figures and standard form.
These skills can appear alongside any area of Physics, so always check units before using an equation and give answers to an appropriate number of significant figures. Topic 1 can be assessed on both Paper 1 and Paper 2.
Tier note
Pearson does not identify any content within this topic as Higher Tier only.
Motion and forces covers scalar and vector quantities, distance, displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration. You’ll interpret distance-time and velocity-time graphs, use equations to describe motion and study Newton’s laws, mass, weight and gravitational field strength.
You’ll also study reaction time, thinking distance, braking distance and stopping distance. Questions can combine calculations with explanations about road safety, forces and changes in motion, so make sure you understand what values such as gradients and areas on graphs physically represent.
Higher Tier only
- Explain why an object moving in a circular orbit at constant speed still has a changing velocity.
- Explain centripetal force as the resultant force acting towards the centre of circular motion.
- Understand inertial mass.
- Use momentum and conservation of momentum in collisions.
- Use force as the rate of change of momentum.
- Interpret the area under a velocity-time graph where required.
- Estimate forces involved in large decelerations.
This topic covers gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, energy stores and transfers, conservation of energy, efficiency and energy resources. You need to explain how energy is transferred when systems change and why some energy becomes less useful because it is dissipated to the surroundings.
You’ll also compare renewable and non-renewable energy resources and consider patterns in how energy is used. Questions can involve both calculations and evaluation of different energy choices.
Higher Tier only
- Explain how the efficiency of an energy transfer can be increased.
Waves covers the properties and behaviour of transverse and longitudinal waves. You need to understand frequency, wavelength, amplitude, period and wave speed and use the relationship between wave speed, frequency and wavelength.
You’ll also study reflection, refraction, transmission and absorption. Standalone Physics includes additional sound content, including the human ear, ultrasound, infrasound and their uses. The wave practical investigates the speed, frequency and wavelength of waves.
Higher Tier only
- Calculate depth or distance using wave travel time and wave speed.
- Explain how absorption, transmission, reflection and refraction can vary with wavelength.
- Explain how vibrations in solids are converted to sound waves and how this relates to the human ear.
- Understand ultrasound and infrasound and explain uses such as sonar, foetal scanning and exploration of the Earth’s core.
This topic covers reflection, refraction, total internal reflection, colour and lenses, as well as the full electromagnetic spectrum. You need to know the order of the electromagnetic waves and understand how wavelength, frequency and potential hazard change across the spectrum.
You’ll study the uses and dangers of radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays. Standalone Physics also goes further into lenses, thermal radiation and the balance between radiation absorbed and emitted by objects.
Higher Tier only
- Explain how different materials absorb, transmit, refract or reflect electromagnetic waves differently depending on wavelength.
- Explain changes in the speed of electromagnetic waves in different materials.
- Explain thermal equilibrium in terms of radiation absorbed and emitted.
- Explain how an object’s temperature changes when the power it absorbs and radiates are unequal.
- Explain the balance of incoming and outgoing radiation affecting the Earth’s temperature.
- Understand that radio waves can be produced by and induce oscillations in electrical circuits.
Radioactivity covers atomic and nuclear structure, isotopes, alpha, beta and gamma radiation, background radiation, radioactive decay and half-life. You need to compare the penetration and ionising abilities of different types of radiation and understand contamination, irradiation, risks and precautions.
Standalone Physics also includes the development of the atomic model, beta-plus decay, radioactive tracers and PET scanning, nuclear power, fission, chain reactions and fusion. Make sure you understand the difference between content marked Physics-only and content that is genuinely Higher Tier only.
Higher Tier only
- Calculate the overall decline in radioactive emission, expressed as a ratio, after a given number of half-lives.
Astronomy is content studied in standalone GCSE Physics rather than Combined Science. You’ll study the Solar System, planets and satellites, gravitational fields, orbital motion and how ideas about the Solar System have changed.
The topic also covers the Big Bang and Steady State theories, red-shift, cosmic microwave background radiation, the life cycle of stars and the development of methods used to observe the Universe.
Tier note
All of Topic 7 is Physics-only content, but Pearson does not identify any of it as Higher Tier only. Foundation and Higher students studying standalone Physics therefore both study Astronomy.
This Paper 2 topic develops your understanding of energy transfers through forces. You need to understand work done, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, power, efficiency and the conservation and dissipation of energy.
Make sure you can connect forces and movement to energy changes. For example, work done by a force transfers energy, while power describes how quickly that energy is transferred.
Tier note
Pearson does not identify any content within this topic as Higher Tier only.
This topic covers contact and non-contact forces, scalar and vector quantities, resultant forces and equilibrium. Standalone Physics also includes turning effects, moments, levers and gears.
Free-body diagrams are particularly important. You need to identify the forces acting on an object and understand how their sizes and directions determine whether there is a resultant force.
Higher Tier only
- Resolve forces using scale vector diagrams.
- Draw and use free-body force diagrams.
- Analyse situations involving several forces, including balanced forces and resultant forces.
Electricity and circuits covers current, charge, potential difference and resistance. You’ll work with series and parallel circuits, circuit diagrams and electrical components such as resistors, lamps, diodes, thermistors and LDRs.
You’ll also study current-potential difference characteristics, electrical energy and power, direct and alternating current, mains electricity and electrical safety. The core practical investigates potential difference, current and resistance and compares series and parallel circuits.
Higher Tier only
- Explain ways of reducing unwanted energy transfer through low-resistance electrical wires.
Static electricity is standalone Physics-only content. You’ll study charging by friction and the transfer of electrons, attraction and repulsion between charges, everyday electrostatic effects and earthing.
You also need to understand useful applications of static electricity, the dangers caused by sparks and electric fields around charged objects.
Tier note
All of Topic 11 is Physics-only, but Pearson does not identify any of it as Higher Tier only.
This topic covers permanent and induced magnets, magnetic materials and magnetic fields. You’ll learn how currents create magnetic fields, how solenoids work and how the strength of a magnetic field can change.
Higher Tier develops this into the motor effect, where a current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field experiences a force.
Higher Tier only
- Explain the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.
- Explain the interaction between magnetic fields.
- Use Fleming’s left-hand rule.
- Explain how the motor effect produces rotation in an electric motor.
Electromagnetic induction links magnetism to electricity and electrical generation. You’ll study the National Grid and how transformers are used to change voltages so electrical energy can be transmitted efficiently.
A large part of the induction content itself is Higher Tier only, so this topic has one of the clearest differences between the two tiers.
Higher Tier only
- Explain how relative movement between a magnet and conductor can generate a current.
- Explain the factors affecting the size and direction of an induced potential difference.
- Explain how the induced magnetic field opposes the change that produced it.
- Explain alternators and dynamos.
- Explain microphones, loudspeakers and headphones using electromagnetic effects.
- Explain transformer induction.
- Use the transformer turns-ratio equation.
- Use electrical equations to explain why high-voltage power transmission reduces energy losses.
The particle model covers solids, liquids and gases, density and changes of state. You’ll study specific heat capacity and specific latent heat and use equations to calculate energy changes during heating and changes of state.
The topic also includes gas pressure, absolute zero and the relationship between the motion of particles, temperature, pressure and volume. Standalone Physics goes further into the behaviour of gases when their volume or pressure changes.
Higher Tier only
- Explain why doing work on a gas can increase its temperature, such as when using a bicycle pump.
Forces and matter covers elasticity, springs and deformation. You need to understand Hooke’s law, spring constant, elastic potential energy and the difference between elastic and inelastic deformation. One of the mandatory core practicals investigates force, extension and work done with a spring.
Standalone Physics also includes atmospheric pressure and pressure in fluids. You’ll study why pressure changes with depth, the forces fluids exert on objects and why some objects float while others sink.
Higher Tier only
- Explain why liquid pressure varies with density and depth.
- Explain upthrust.
- Understand that upthrust equals the weight of fluid displaced.
- Explain how upthrust, weight and fluid density determine whether an object floats or sinks.
What to expect in the GCSE Physics exam 1PH0
Pearson Edexcel GCSE Physics is assessed through two written papers, available at Foundation and Higher Tier. Each paper is 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 100 marks and accounts for 50% of the qualification. Paper 1 assesses Topics 1–7, while Paper 2 assesses Topic 1 and Topics 8–15, so Topic 1 can appear on both papers. Calculators may be used in both examinations, and students must take both papers at the same tier. Foundation Tier targets grades 1–5 and Higher Tier targets grades 4–9.
For the 2027 exams, you will receive an equation sheet with both GCSE Physics papers. You do not need to memorise the equations provided, but you still need to recognise which equation to use, rearrange it where necessary and substitute values using the correct units. Pearson confirms that clean copies will be included with the 2027 papers.
This helps, but it does not replace fluency. The exam still rewards students who can choose the right equation quickly and rearrange it correctly.
Edexcel GCSE Physics includes eight mandatory core practicals. Your understanding of their methods, measurements, results, uncertainties and evaluation can be assessed in the written exams.
Edexcel questions often build in stages. You might start with a 1-mark recall, then do a calculation, then explain a result using physics. Treat each step as its own mini task. Secure the early marks fast, then slow down for the longer explanation and write it as a clear chain using because and therefore.
For practical questions, understand what is being measured and why. Be ready to explain the method, identify relevant variables and control conditions, interpret results, consider precision and uncertainty and suggest realistic improvements. Practical questions can test much more than simply naming variables, so make sure you understand how each investigation actually works.
Physics questions often combine several ideas, calculations and practical skills in one problem. Practise mixed questions so you become confident deciding which physical principle or equation to use first, then show each stage of your reasoning clearly.
