How is "mastered" calculated for a flashcard?

Each card uses an SM-2 style spaced-repetition algorithm. A card is "mastered" after at least 3 successful reviews and a review interval of 21 days or more. Rate cards Hard / Okay / Easy after flipping; the algorithm schedules the next review.

Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) Flashcards

650 free flashcards covering every syllabus topic of Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625) — 57 key definitions across 58 topics. Each card uses a built-in spaced-repetition algorithm to schedule your reviews automatically.

Syllabus-aligned Free, no signup Spaced repetition built-in

Why flashcards work for IGCSE Physics

Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 mixes definitional knowledge (newton, joule, watt) with equation recall (F = ma, V = IR, P = IV) and SI unit fluency.

Physics mark schemes consistently award one mark for the correct equation and one for the correct substitution plus answer with unit. Knowing equations cold from flashcards means you spend exam time on the working, not on remembering F = ma.

Top mark-loser this 0625 deck targets: dropping the unit on a final answer — many otherwise correct calculations lose the last mark for a missing N, J, or m/s.

How spaced repetition keeps this deck out of your blind spots

Every card uses an SM-2 spaced-repetition schedule (the same algorithm Anki uses). After flipping a card you rate your recall — and the algorithm reschedules each card individually, so your study time concentrates on what you actually struggle with rather than what you already know. After about three successful Easy reviews and a 21-day-or-longer interval, a card is tagged mastered. Progress lives in your browser only — no account, no signup, no data sent anywhere.

Hard · resets the streak, returns tomorrow

Okay · returns in 1-3 days

Easy · pushed to next interval

Definitions

Topics

Units

Unit 1: Motion, forces and energy

Foundations of mechanics: kinematics, dynamics, Newton's three laws, work, energy, power, momentum, and turning effects. Typically the largest single mark contributor on Paper 4 — around 30-35% of the theory marks — and the heart of Paper 3 practicals where graph-of-motion sketches and gradient calculations recur. Mark schemes are unforgiving about units; missing the unit on a final answer usually costs the last mark even when the working is right.

1.1 14 cards

Pressure

Unit 2: Thermal physics

Particle model of matter, temperature scales, thermal expansion, specific heat capacity, latent heat, and heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation. Calculation-heavy: typical exam questions hand you mass, specific heat capacity, and temperature change and expect E = mcΔθ with the correct unit. Examiner reports flag conflating heat (J) with temperature (K or °C) as a recurring 1-mark loser.

2.1.1 4 cards

States of matter

2.1.2 16 cards

Particle model

2.1.3 6 cards

Gases and the absolute scale of temperature

2.2.1 6 cards

Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases

2.2.2 8 cards

Specific heat capacity

2.2.3 16 cards

Melting, boiling and evaporation

2.3.1 8 cards

Conduction

2.3.2 4 cards

Convection

2.3.3 18 cards

Radiation

2.3.4 4 cards

Consequences of thermal energy transfer

Unit 3: Waves

Mechanical waves, sound, light, refraction, reflection, lenses, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Ray-diagram questions are strict about conventions — an arrowhead on the incident ray, the normal drawn at the boundary, and the refracted ray bending toward or away from normal correctly. The wave equation v = fλ shows up in every series, often with a substitution that needs MHz to be converted to Hz first.

3.1 18 cards

General properties of waves

3.2.1 8 cards

Reflection of light

3.2.2 18 cards

Refraction of light

3.2.3 16 cards

Thin lenses

3.2.4 6 cards

Dispersion of light

3.3 20 cards

Electromagnetic spectrum

3.4 24 cards

Sound

Unit 4: Electricity and magnetism

Charge, current, voltage, resistance, circuit analysis, electromagnetic induction, the AC generator, transformers, and electrical safety. Worth around 25 marks on Paper 4 in most sessions, with several structured questions on circuit calculations using V = IR and P = IV. Mark schemes reward showing the formula, the substitution, and the answer-with-unit as three separate marks — candidates who jump straight to a number lose two of three available.

4.1 22 cards

Simple phenomena of magnetism

4.2.1 20 cards

Electric charge

4.2.2 12 cards

Electric current

4.2.3 14 cards

Electromotive force and potential difference

4.2.4 10 cards

Resistance

4.2.5 8 cards

Electrical energy and electrical power

4.3.1 4 cards

Circuit diagrams and circuit components

4.3.2 24 cards

Series and parallel circuits

4.3.3 6 cards

Action and use of circuit components

4.4 10 cards

Electrical safety

4.5.1 10 cards

Electromagnetic induction

4.5.2 4 cards

The a.c. generator

4.5.3 10 cards

Magnetic effect of a current

4.5.4 6 cards

Force on a current-carrying conductor

4.5.5 4 cards

The d.c. motor

4.5.6 16 cards

The transformer

Unit 5: Nuclear physics

Atomic structure (protons, neutrons, electrons), the three types of radiation (α, β, γ), radioactive decay, half-life calculations, and safety precautions when handling radioactive sources. Half-life questions usually involve either reading off a decay graph or applying N = N₀(½)ⁿ where n is the number of half-lives. Examiner reports consistently flag this as a commonly under-prepared topic; "halved" (one half-life) vs "quartered" (two) trips up most candidates.

5.1.1 6 cards

The atom

5.1.2 16 cards

The nucleus

5.2.1 10 cards

Detection of radioactivity

5.2.2 8 cards

The three types of nuclear emission

5.2.3 10 cards

Radioactive decay

5.2.4 6 cards

Half-life

5.2.5 6 cards

Safety precautions

Unit 6: Space physics

The Earth's place in the solar system, life cycle of stars (main sequence → red giant → white dwarf, or supernova → neutron star / black hole), and observations of the wider universe including redshift and the Big Bang. Smallest unit by mark allocation — typically 5-8 marks — but high-yield for terminology recall. Ordering the star-life stages correctly is the single biggest mark-loser per recent examiner reports.

6.1.1 8 cards

The Earth

6.1.2 20 cards

The Solar System

6.2.1 4 cards

The Sun as a star

6.2.2 6 cards

Stars

6.2.3 22 cards

The Universe

Pair flashcards with notes and papers

Flashcards are a recall tool, not a complete study system. Use them alongside these free resources for IGCSE 0625.

Past papers

Question papers, mark schemes, and examiner reports for 0625 sessions.

Browse papers

Revision notes

Topic-by-topic explanations mapped to the 0625 syllabus — read after flashcard recall fails.

Read notes

Practice quizzes

MCQ practice from past papers, organised by topic. Test recall in exam format.

Take a quiz

IGCSE Physics flashcards — FAQ

How many IGCSE Physics flashcards are on LumiExams?

650 flashcards in total, organised across 58 syllabus topics for Cambridge IGCSE Physics (0625). The breakdown: 57 key definitions.

In what order should I study these 0625 flashcards?

If you are starting from scratch, study in syllabus order — Unit 1 first, then Unit 2, and so on. The topics on this page are grouped by unit for that purpose. If you are revising for a specific paper close to the exam, jump to the units that contribute most marks on that paper and use the per-topic decks instead. For deeper context on any topic, the revision notes hub for 0625 is linked above.

What does it mean when a card is "mastered"?

A card moves through four states: New → Learning → Review → Mastered. It reaches Mastered after at least 3 successful Easy reviews and when the next-review interval reaches 21 days or more. A Hard rating resets a card's repetitions to zero — so consistency matters. Progress is stored locally in your browser; clearing browser data resets it.

Are flashcards enough on their own to pass IGCSE Physics?

No — flashcards are a recall tool, not a complete study system. They reinforce definitions and high-yield facts, but they cannot teach you to apply concepts to long-form exam questions or to handle the data-response and 6-mark "explain" questions. Pair them with the free 0625 revision notes on this site, past papers under timed conditions, and the official Cambridge syllabus PDF.

How are these different from Quizlet or Anki Physics decks?

These flashcards are built specifically against the Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 syllabus topic codes, with content reviewed against the official mark scheme wording. Generic Quizlet decks vary wildly in quality and rarely tag content to a specific exam board's syllabus. LumiExams cards are also free with no signup, store progress locally on your device only, and use a real SM-2 spaced-repetition algorithm rather than the random-shuffle most Quizlet decks default to.

How long should I spend per flashcard?

About 10-15 seconds for definitions and 20-30 seconds for concepts is typical. If you find yourself thinking longer than 30 seconds, rate the card Hard so it returns tomorrow — don't try to reason your way through every recall. The point of spaced repetition is to surface gaps quickly and repeat them, not to grind on a single card.