Key features of the Physics SL & HL Astrophysics study guide:

• A thorough review of the included topics written in an easy-to-follow format to guide your exam preparation for IB Physics Astrophysics.

• Over 30 IB Physics Option D worked examples with accompanying problems to fill knowledge gaps and build confidence through practice.

• Hands-on-skills tasks for graphing to hone key skills for the IB Physics Astrophysics option.

• More than 50 questions for the core and HL extension with answers to test your understanding.

• A list of common errors for IB Physics Option D to help you maximise marks.

Contents of the Physics SL & HL Astrophysics study guide:

Stellar quantities

• Objects in the universe

• The nature of stars

• Astronomical distances

• Stellar Parallax

• Stellar radiation and stellar types

Stellar characteristics and evolution

• Stellar Spectra

• Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

• Mass-Luminosity relation

• Cepheid variables

• Stellar evolution on the HR diagram

• Types of stars

• The role of mass in evolution

Cosmology

• The Big Bang model

• Cosmic microwave radiation

• Hubble’s Law

• The accelerating universe and redshift

• The Cosmic Scale factor

Stellar processes

• The Jeans criterion

• Nuclear fusion

• Nucleosynthesis off the MS

• The s and r processes for neutron capture

• Type Ia II supernovae

Additional Higher Level

Further Cosmology

• The cosmological principle

• Rotation curves of galaxies

• Dark matter

• Fluctuations in the CMB radiation

• The cosmological redshift

• Critical density

• Dark energy

Common mistakes

Core questions

Higher level extension questions

Answers