This topic explores the relationship between health and disease, covering the causes of communicable and non-communicable diseases and how they are spread. It also examines the body's natural defence mechanisms, the development and use of medicines, and the impact of lifestyle factors on human health.
Forces are pushes or pulls that act between objects, causing them to change shape, speed, or direction. In WJEC GCSE Combined Science, you'll explore how forces affect motion, the difference between contact and non-contact forces, and how to calculate resultant forces. Understanding forces is essential for explaining everyday phenomena, from why a car accelerates to how a parachute slows a skydiver.
This topic builds on your knowledge of speed and motion from KS3 and introduces key equations like F = ma (Newton's second law) and the concept of balanced and unbalanced forces. You'll also learn about friction, air resistance, and weight as a special type of force. Mastering forces is crucial for later topics like energy transfers and electricity, as forces underpin many physical interactions.
In the WJEC exam, forces appear in multiple-choice, short-answer, and calculation questions. You'll need to interpret force diagrams, calculate resultant forces, and explain how forces affect motion. Practical skills are also tested, such as using a newton meter to measure force or investigating the effect of friction on a moving object. A solid grasp of forces will help you tackle questions on momentum, pressure, and even space physics.
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