Practical Certificate Physics - James O. Chukwu (PhD)

The Practical Certificate Physics is an all-encompassing text that takes a student from early foundation Physics lessons to the first year Physics in the university (college). It covers the standard physics syllabus in most countries.  This book will enable students excel in the Cambridge Certificate Physics Examinations, the West African School Certificate Physics Examinations, the Kenya National Certificate Physics Examinations, Bangladesh Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSC), All India Secondary School Examinations (AISSE), and the London School Certificate Physics Examinations. Questions like those of Middle school, High School, JAME, WASC, JSC, SAT, and ACT, worked problems, and examples are reviewed in the text.

No level of knowledge in physics is assumed. For instance, the first chapter presents physical quantities, their measurement and units.  Here, all the WASC, SSC, AISSE, JSC, SAT, ACT, and Cambridge Standards are enumerated. These standards include labelling of axis and heading in the table of values as is currently being observed and practiced in physic experiments. In areas where chemical names are involved, such as cells and electrolysis, the IUPAC nomenclature is used.  Some of the current terminology, apparatus, and definitions in areas of optics, mechanics, and SHM are also presented.

The book highlights new topics such as simple harmonic motion (SHM), projectiles, fluid in motion, nature in light, capacitors, alternating current technology, and quantum mechanics, which are the requirements of the senior secondary certificate. The physics of Touch Screen Technology (TST), and GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) are presented.  More rigorous example questions are illustrated in the passages.  Objective type questions are used where they make the discussion more informative.

The author recognizes the fact that students most often are required to run experiments and analyze graphs they may not be familiar with. For this reason, most experiments which students are likely to encounter are analyzed as they occur in the chapters, with the most modern but simple apparatus.  The experiments also serve as a guide to teachers in preparing experiments for students’ practice and examination. The book meets all the requirements of the examination. The intention for writing the Practical Certificate Physics is to prepare a tool that deconstructs the euphoria students have about Physics and provide them with approaches to study and understand the concepts in the subject. If this is achieved, students will not only pass their examination, but will become problem solvers and inventors.