Revision of classwork should take place on a regular basis throughout the course, “a little and often”, rather than leaving it all until immediately before a test or exam. This is a much more efficient way to learn, will give you a much better understanding of Physics, rather than a surface knowledge of the facts , and will allow you to retain information for a longer period of time.

We would recommend at least 15 minutes 3 times a week of pure revision. If you are studying for longer than this make sure you take regular breaks.

Research shows that we learn best when we are actively involved in learning.  Simply reading your Summary Notes or a textbook is, for most people, not an effective way to learn and can be an inefficient use of your time.

Make sure you make good use of your time!

Have a look at The Learning Scientists website for some ideas about how to revise effectively.

Watch the video How to Mind Map with Tony Buzan for advice on how to make effective use of mind maps

BBC Bitesize National 4 Physics - a variety of notes, activities and quizes to support the National 4 Physics course, provided by the BBC.

Flash Learning - an interactive textbook covering the whole of the National 4 Physics course (requires a subscription)

• BrightRED Study Guide: National 4 Physics - BrightRED Study Guides (Paperback)  by Paul Van der Boon  (RRP £10.99)

SQA National 5 Physics Course Specification -  this document provides details of all the content to be covered in the National 5 Physics course (see pages 5-13) as well as information about how the course is assessed.

SQA National 5 Physics Past Papers - past papers and marking instructions for recent SQA National exams.

You should also check out the resource produced by Chris Davie (a former Bearsden Academy pupil and now a Physics teacher) that has condensed all the N5 Physics SQA past papers and marking instructions into a single document that is searchable by topic area.  This document can be found at http://bit.ly/N5pastpapers

SQA National 5 Physics Relationships Sheet - this sheet lists all the relationships (formulae/equations) required for National 5 Physics. Candidates do not need to memorise all the relationships, as a copy of this sheet is provided in tests and exams. Candidates do, however, need to know the quantities represented by the symbols in the relationships and when the relationships can be applied to solve problems.

SQA National 5 Physics Data Sheet - this sheet provides data relating to various physical quantities (speed of sound in different materials, gravitation field strength on different planets etc.) that can be used to solve numerical problems. Again, candidates are not required to memorise this data, as a copy of this sheet is provided in tests and exams (usually on the inside cover). Candidates should, however, be familiar with the range of information provided on this sheet.

BBC Bitesize National 5 Physics - a variety of notes, activities and quizzes to support the National 5 Physics course, provided by the BBC.

There are also many good resources produced by Physics teachers throughout Scotland.  These include:

fizzics with Mr McKenzie
Marshallsay Physics
Mrs Physics
Mr Mallon’s Physics Channel (YouTube)
Mr Smith’s Physics online (YouTube)
Baldragon Physics (Twitter)
Wallage High School Physics

A number of textbooks for National 5 Physics are commercially available, including:

• National 5 Physics Student Book - Student Book (Paperback) by Steven Devine, David McLean, Ian Mitchell & Stephen Smith (Leckie & Leckie) (RRP £16.99)
• National 5 Physics with Answers: Second Edition (Paperback) by Arthur E. Baillie (Hodder Gibson) (RRP £17.99)

A number of revision guides for National 5 Physics are commercially available, including:

• BrightRED Study Guide: National 5 Physics - BrightRED Study Guides (Paperback) by Paul Van der Boon  (RRP £12.99)

• National 5 Physics - How to Pass - National 5 Level (Paperback) by Hugh McGill & Paul Chambers (Hodder Gibson) (RRP £11.99)
• National 5 Physics Success Guide - Success Guide (Paperback) by John Taylor (Leckie & Leckie) (RRP £11.99)
• Revision Questions for National 5 Physics by Campbell White (Chemcord) (RRP £8.00)
• Numerical Questions for National 5 Physics by Lyn Robinson (Chemcord) (RRP £8.00)

Published copies of SQA past papers and specimen papers are also commercially available, including:

• National 5 Physics Specimen and Past Papers with Answers (Paperback) by SQA (RRP £9.99)

• National 5 Physics Practice Exam Papers - Practice Papers for SQA Exams (Paperback) by Michael Murray (Leckie & Leckie) (RRP £9.99)
• National 5 Physics: Practice Papers for SQA Exams by Paul Van der Boon (Hodder Gibson) (RRP £8.99)

All of the above publications should be available in any good bookshop, or are available to purchase online.

Summary Notes (in pdf format) for each of the six course topics can be accessed using the following links:

N5 Dynamics - Summary Notes
N5 Space – Summary Notes
N5 Electricity - Summary Notes
N5 Properties of Matter - Summary Notes
N5 Waves - Summary Notes
N5 Radiation - Summary Notes