IB Physics HL & SL Topic Prediction Guide

Ref	Theme	Topic / Subtopic	M19	M21	M22	M23	M24	M25★	Hrs SL/HL	HL only?	May 2026
IB PHYSICS — PAPER 1A MCQ TOPIC FREQUENCY \| May 2025 + Mapped Old Syllabus 2019–2024 \| SL & HL
Free preview: Theme A · Themes B–E locked below · HL-only topics greyed in SL view
THEME A: SPACE, TIME & MOTION — highest teaching hours, most MCQ questions per paper (free preview)
A.1	Space/Time	Kinematics — SUVAT equations, projectile motion, graphs of motion, relative velocity 🟡 mapped	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	9/14	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN
A.2	Space/Time	Forces & momentum — Newton's laws, free-body diagrams, impulse, conservation of momentum, circular motion 🟡 mapped	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★★	11/17	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN
A.3	Space/Time	Work, energy & power — work-energy theorem, conservation of energy, efficiency, power 🟡 mapped	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	7/11	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A.4	Space/Time	Rigid body mechanics — torque, moment of inertia, angular momentum, rolling HL 🟣 hrs proxy	—	—	—	—	—	✔★	0/8	HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL NEW
A.5	Space/Time	Special relativity — Lorentz factor, time dilation, length contraction, spacetime diagrams HL 🟣 hrs proxy	—	—	—	—	—	⚠	0/7	HL	⭐⭐⭐ HL NEW

Ref	Theme	Topic / Subtopic	M19	M21	M22	M23	M24	M25★	Hrs SL/HL	HL only?	May 2026
THEME B: PARTICULATE NATURE OF MATTER
B.1	Matter	Thermal energy transfers — conduction, convection, radiation, Stefan-Boltzmann, specific heat, latent heat	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	6/9	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
B.2	Matter	Greenhouse effect — energy balance, albedo, climate change, black body radiation, Wien's law	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	5/8	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN
B.3	Matter	Gas laws — ideal gas behaviour, Boyle's, Charles's, combined gas law, kinetic molecular theory	✔	✔	✔	—	✔	✔★	4/7	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐
B.4	Matter	Thermodynamics — internal energy, first/second law, entropy, Carnot engine, heat pumps HL	—	—	—	—	—	✔★★	0/9	HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN
B.5	Matter	Current & circuits — Ohm's law, resistance, series/parallel, Kirchhoff's laws, power in circuits	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	6/9	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN
THEME C: WAVE BEHAVIOUR
C.1	Waves	Simple harmonic motion — period, amplitude, displacement equations, energy, pendulum, mass-spring	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	5/8	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
C.2	Waves	Wave model — transverse/longitudinal, wave speed equation, reflection, refraction, Snell's law	✔	✔	—	✔	✔	✔★	4/6	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐
C.3	Waves	Wave phenomena — superposition, interference, diffraction, double-slit, single-slit, thin film (HL)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	7/11	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
C.4	Waves	Standing waves — harmonics in strings and pipes, nodes, antinodes, boundary conditions	✔	✔	✔	—	✔	✔★	4/6	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐
C.5	Waves	Doppler effect — observed frequency formula, sound & EM waves, red-shift, applications	✔	—	✔	✔	—	—	3/5	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐
THEME D: FIELDS — largest HL jump; D.2 is #1 priority topic
D.1	Fields	Gravitational fields — field lines, g, gravitational potential, orbital mechanics, Kepler's laws, escape velocity	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	7/12	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
D.2	Fields	Electric & magnetic fields — Coulomb's law, E-field, magnetic force on charges/wires, magnetic flux, transformers	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★★	9/16	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN
D.3	Fields	Motion in fields — charged particle motion in E & B fields, electric potential, equipotential surfaces	✔	✔	✔	✔	—	✔★	5/9	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐
D.4	Fields	Electromagnetic induction — Faraday's law, Lenz's law, EMF, AC generators, transformers HL	—	—	—	—	—	✔★★	0/8	HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN
THEME E: NUCLEAR & QUANTUM PHYSICS
E.1	Nuclear/Q	Structure of atom — nuclear model, atomic number, mass number, isotopes, binding energy, mass-energy	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	5/8	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐
E.2	Nuclear/Q	Quantum physics — photoelectric effect, photons, Compton scattering, de Broglie, wave-particle duality, Bohr model HL	—	—	—	—	—	✔★★	0/10	HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN
E.3	Nuclear/Q	Radioactive decay — alpha/beta/gamma, half-life, decay equations, activity, safety	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	6/9	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
E.4	Nuclear/Q	Fission — chain reactions, critical mass, reactors, enrichment, waste	✔	—	✔	—	✔	—	3/5	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐
E.5	Nuclear/Q	Fusion & stars — HR diagram, stellar evolution, luminosity, Wien's law, nuclear fusion reactions	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	5/8	SL&HL	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ref	Theme	Topic	M21	M22	M23	M24	M25★	Avg Marks	May 2026
IB PHYSICS — PAPER 2 EXTENDED RESPONSE TOPIC FREQUENCY \| May 2025 + Mapped Old Syllabus 2019–2024 \| SL & HL
Extended questions test depth and synthesis across themes \| HL questions demand higher command word responses \| SL: HL-only rows greyed
THEME A — Mechanics in Paper 2 (always large extended questions)
A.1–A.3	Mechanics	Kinematics + Forces + Energy combined — projectile + forces + energy conservation in one extended question	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	12–18	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN
A.4	Mechanics	Rigid body mechanics — moment of inertia, torque, angular momentum in extended context HL	—	—	—	—	✔★	8–12	⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL NEW
A.5	Relativity	Special relativity — time dilation, length contraction problems, spacetime diagrams HL	—	—	—	—	—	6–10	⭐⭐⭐ HL NEW
THEME B — Thermal & Circuits in Paper 2
B.1–B.3	Thermal	Thermal physics — heat transfer calculations, kinetic theory, gas law problems in extended context	✔	✔	—	✔	✔★	8–12	⭐⭐⭐⭐
B.4	Thermo	Thermodynamics — entropy, Carnot engine, P-V diagrams, efficiency calculations HL	—	—	—	—	✔★★	10–15	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN
B.5	Circuits	Circuit analysis extended — internal resistance, V-I characteristics, power dissipation, non-ohmic components	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	10–14	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THEME C — Waves in Paper 2 (Paper 2 loves standing waves + diffraction)
C.1	SHM	SHM extended — energy-displacement graphs, period derivation, resonance, damping	✔	✔	✔	—	✔★	8–12	⭐⭐⭐⭐
C.3+C.4	Waves	Diffraction + standing waves combined — double-slit fringe spacing, pipe harmonics, string modes	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	10–16	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THEME D — Fields in Paper 2 (electromagnetism = highest marks)
D.1	Gravity	Gravitational fields extended — orbital speed, escape velocity, gravitational potential calculations, satellites	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	10–14	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
D.2	EM Fields	Electromagnetism extended — magnetic force calculations, particle in field, transformer problems	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★★	12–18	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ CERTAIN
D.4	Induction	Electromagnetic induction — EMF calculations, Lenz's law application, AC generator, RMS values HL	—	—	—	—	✔★★	12–18	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN
THEME E — Nuclear & Quantum in Paper 2
E.3	Radioactive	Radioactive decay extended — decay series, half-life calculations, activity, uses in medicine	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	8–12	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
E.5	Stars	Stars & fusion — HR diagram classification, luminosity/temperature, stellar evolution, nuclear fusion energy	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔★	10–14	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
E.2	Quantum	Quantum physics extended — photoelectric calculation, Compton effect derivation, de Broglie wavelength HL	—	—	—	—	✔★★	10–16	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ HL CERTAIN

IB Physics HL & SL

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