Maths bridge

The maths bridge

Eight short pages covering the GCSE maths that A-level physics leans on hardest. Not a maths course: each page teaches one working skill, shows it in a physics setting, and hands it over.

Start wherever the description stings. Each page ends with the lessons and practicals where that skill earns its keep.

Rearranging equations

If solving ε = I(R + r) for r makes you hesitate, start here.

Standard form and prefixes

If 450 nm as metres in standard form takes more than a beat, start here.

Proportional reasoning

If tripling the distance in an inverse-square law leaves you reaching for numbers, start here.

Gradients and areas under graphs

If you can find a gradient but not say what it means for those axes, start here.

Trigonometry and resolving vectors

If you cannot say instantly which component takes the cosine, start here.

Exponentials and logarithms

If solving 6.0 e−t/47 = 1.5 for t is unfamiliar, start here.

Uncertainty arithmetic

If squaring a measurement's effect on its uncertainty is hazy, start here.

Significant figures, units and checking

If checking an equation by its units is not yet a habit, start here.

For the physics itself, head back to the library; for practice, see Practise.