WAEC Physics Syllabus

i. Fundamental quantities and units

ii. Derived quantities and units

i. Concept of position as a location of point-rectangular coordinates.

ii. Measurement of distance

iii. Concept of direction as a way of locating a point–bearing

iv. The distinction between distance and displacement

i. The distinction between mass and weight

i. Concept of time as an interval between physical events

ii. Measurement of time

i. Volume, density and relative density

ii. Pressure in fluids

iii. Equilibrium of bodies

iv. Archimedes’ principle

v. Law of flotation

i. Types of motion: Random, rectilinear, translational, Rotational, circular, orbital, spin, Oscillatory.

ii. Relative motion

iii. Cause of motion

iv. Types of force:

a) Contact force

b) Non-contact force(field force)

v. Solid friction

vi. Viscosity (friction in fluids)

vii. Simple ideas of circular motion

i. Concept of speed as a change of distance with time

ii. Concept of velocity as a change of displacement with time

iii. Uniform/non-uniform speed/velocity

iv. Distance/displacement-time graph

(i) Depreciation/ Amortization

(ii) Annuities

(iii) Capital Market Instruments

(i) Formulating algebraic expressions from given situations

( ii ) Evaluation of algebraic expressions

( i ) Expansion

(ii ) Factorization

(iii) Binary Operations

(i) Linear equations in one variable

(ii) Simultaneous linear equations in two variables.

(i) Change of subject of a formula/relation

(ii) Substitution

(i) Solution of quadratic equations

(ii) Forming quadratic equation with given roots.

(iii) Application of solution of quadratic equation in practical problems.

(i) Interpretation of graphs, coordinate of points, table of values, drawing quadratic graphs and obtaining roots from graphs.

( ii ) Graphical solution of a pair of equations of the form: y = ax\(^{2}\) + bx + c and y = mx + k *

(iii) Drawing tangents to curves to determine the gradient at a given point.

(i) Solution of linear inequalities in one variable and representation on the number line.

∗(ii) Graphical solution of linear inequalities in two variables.

∗(iii) Graphical solution of simultaneous linear inequalities in two variables.

Operations on algebraic fractions with:

(i) Monomial denominators

( ii ) Binomial denominators

(i) Use of Pythagoras theorem, sine and cosine rules to determine lengths and distances.

(ii) Lengths of arcs of circles, perimeters of sectors and segments.

(iii) Longitudes and Latitudes.

(i) Triangles and special quadrilaterals – rectangles, parallelograms and trapeziums

(ii) Circles, sectors and segments of circles.

(iii) Surface areas of cubes, cuboids, cylinder, pyramids, righttriangular prisms, cones andspheres.

(i) Volumes of cubes, cuboids, cylinders, cones, right pyramids and spheres.

(ii) Volumes of similar solids

(i) Angles at a point add up to 360°.

(ii) Adjacent angles on a straight line are supplementary.

(iii) Vertically opposite angles are equal.

(i) Alternate angles are equal.

(ii)Corresponding angles are equal.

(iii)Interior opposite angles are supplementary

(iv) Intercept theorem.

(i) The sum of the angles of a triangle is 2 right angles.

(ii) The exterior angle of a triangle equals the sum of the two interior opposite angles.

(iii) Congruent triangles.

( iv ) Properties of special triangles – Isosceles, equilateral, right-angled, etc

(v) Properties of special

quadrilaterals – parallelogram, rhombus, square, rectangle, trapezium.

( vi )Properties of similar triangles.

( vii ) The sum of the angles of a polygon

(viii) Property of exterior angles of a polygon.

(ix) Parallelograms on the same base and between the same parallels are equal in area.

(i) Chords.

(ii) The angle which an arc of a circle subtends at the centre of the circle is twice that which it subtends at any point on the remaining part of the circumference.

(iii) Any angle subtended at the circumference by a diameter is a right angle. (iv) Angles in the same segment are equal.

(v) Angles in opposite segments are supplementary.

(vi)Perpendicularity of tangent and radius.

(vii)If a tangent is drawn to a circle and from the point of contact a chord is drawn, each angle which this chord makes with the tangent is equal to the angle in the alternate segment.

(i) Bisectors of angles and line segments

(ii) Line parallel or perpendicular to a given line.

(iii )Angles e.g. 90°, 60°, 45°, 30°, and an angle equal to a given angle.

(iv) Triangles and quadrilaterals from sufficient data.

Knowledge of the loci listed below and their intersections in 2 dimensions.

(i) Points at a given distance from a given point.

(ii) Points equidistant from two given points.

(iii)Points equidistant from two given straight lines.

(iv)Points at a given distance from a given straight line

(i) Concept of the x-y plane.

(ii) Coordinates of points on the x-y plane.

(i) Sine, Cosine and Tangent of acute angles.

(ii) Use of tables of trigonometric ratios.

(iii) Trigonometric ratios of 30°, 45° and 60°.

(iv) Sine, cosine and tangent of angles from 0° to 360°.

(v)Graphs of sine and cosine.

(vi) Graphs of trigonometric ratios

(i) Calculating angles of elevation and depression.

(ii) Application to heights and distances.

(i) Bearing of one point from another.

(ii) Calculation of distances and angles

(i) Differentiation of algebraic functions.

(i) Differentiation of algebraic functions.

(ii) Integration of simple Algebraic functions.

(i) Frequency distribution

( ii ) Pie charts, bar charts, histograms and frequency polygons

(iii) Mean, median and mode for both discrete and grouped data.

(iv) Cumulative frequency curve (Ogive).

(v) Measures of Dispersion: range, semi inter-quartile/interquartile range, variance, mean deviation and standard deviation.

(i) Experimental and theoretical probability.

(ii) Addition of probabilities for mutually exclusive and independent events.

(iii) Multiplication of probabilities for independent events.

(i) Vectors as a directed line segment.

(ii) Cartesian components of a vector

(iii) Magnitude of a vector, equal vectors, addition and subtraction of vectors, zero vector, parallel vectors, multiplication of a vector by scalar.

(i) Reflection of points and shapes in the Cartesian Plane.

(ii) Rotation of points and shapes in the Cartesian Plane.

(iii) Translation of points and shapes in the Cartesian Plane.