Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Physics · specification 4PH1 · Paper 2 | Whole paper: All content including bold P statements · Free · no account needed
5(b) Density and pressure (4PH1 specification)
How much matter occupies a space, and the force it exerts on the surfaces around it.
Learn it on Incandio
The 4 Incandio pages that teach this — each explained in full, then proved in marked questions, taught back to an AI pupil and defended in a debate. Completely free.
- Density — Not how heavy something is, but how much of it is packed into the space it occupies.
- Pressure, and Pressure in Liquids — Why a drawing pin works, why pressure at a point pushes every way at once, and why depth is the only thing that matters underwater.
- Particles and Changes of State — What the particles are doing in each state — and why a boiling pan stays at 100 °C however hard you heat it.
- Specific Heat Capacity — Why the sand burns your feet and the sea is freezing on the same afternoon.
The teaching route this belongs to: Topic 5 · Solids, liquids and gases (Physics) — the lessons in order, with every gate.
Specification coverage
Topic 5 Solids, liquids and gases (b) Density and pressure — statements 5.2–5.9P (includes bold P statements assessed on Paper 2 only)
Assessment objectives: AO1, AO2, AO3. Suggested learning time: 70 minutes.
Required knowledge
- density = mass ÷ volume
- pressure = force ÷ area
- Bold P statement: pressure difference in a liquid, p = h × ρ × g
- How pressure varies with depth in a fluid
Required skills
- Determine density by measurement for regular and irregular solids and for liquids
- Apply pressure relationships with consistent units
- Describe and evaluate the required practical: Investigate the densities of solids and liquids by measurement.
How it is examined
- Multiple-choice and short-answer recall
- Calculations using the specification's relationships
- Extended open-response applying the physics to an unfamiliar situation
- Practical questions on method, variables, results and sources of error
Common mistakes
- Using volume in cm³ with a density in kg/m³ without converting.
- Confusing force and pressure. The same force spread over a smaller area gives a greater pressure.
- Measuring the volume of an irregular solid by calculation rather than by displacement.
This page maps the specification. The pages above teach it, and the Physics lessons hold the whole course — completely free.