STPM Physics Tuition Online (960)
STPM Physics across 26 topics and three semesters, from kinematics to nuclear physics, with the practical work that makes up a fifth of the grade.
Founder & Head of School, Afterkelas
Afterkelas teaches STPM Physics online to Form 6 students across all three semesters. University tutors run live classes, 1-to-1 or in small groups, in English or Bahasa Melayu, from mechanics and thermodynamics to electromagnetism, optics and quantum physics.
What STPM Physics covers
The 26 topics of the current syllabus, numbered as MPM numbers them, by semester.
Semester 1: Mechanics and thermodynamics
12 topics- Physical quantities and units
- Kinematics
- Dynamics
- Work, energy and power
- Circular motion
- Gravitation
- Rotation of rigid body
- Statics
- Deformation of solids
- Kinetic theory of gases
- Thermodynamics of gases
- Heat transfer
Semester 2: Electricity and magnetism
7 topics- Electrostatics
- Capacitors
- Electric current
- Direct current circuits
- Magnetic fields
- Electromagnetic induction
- Alternating current circuits
Semester 3: Oscillations and waves, optics and modern physics
7 topics- Oscillations
- Wave motion
- Sound waves
- Geometrical optics
- Wave optics
- Quantum physics
- Nuclear physics
Semester 1 carries the most topics
Twelve of the 26 topics sit in Semester 1, including rotation of rigid bodies and heat transfer, and the paper comes within months of SPM. STPM Physics expects derivations as well as substitutions: a student may be asked to derive the formula for centripetal acceleration or for kinetic energy before using it. Gravitation and the kinetic theory of gases are usually where students first feel the step up.
Tutors teach each topic alongside the college with the derivations and definitions the paper expects, then move to past-year and specimen papers before each semester exam.
Where marks are lost
Calculations lose marks to units, vector directions and significant figures; explanations lose marks by being vague. A question on why the electric field inside a charged hollow conductor is zero wants the physics stated precisely, and students practise writing such answers until the wording is exact.
Electricity and magnetism in Semester 2 rewards careful diagrams: field directions, current directions and the right-hand rules. Students learn to draw the directions before they calculate, which is where sign errors get caught.
Practical work
Form 6 students in government schools and approved private schools complete 15 experiments across the three semesters, assessed by their teachers and worth 20 percent of the grade; private candidates sit a written practical paper instead. Neither can be retaken. Tutors can explain the physics behind an experiment, the treatment of uncertainties and how to draw and use a graph, but the practical work itself is done under the teacher's supervision.
A question, worked through
A Semester 1 circular motion question. Identifying friction as the source of the centripetal force is the step that carries the marks.
Question
A car of mass 1200 kg travels round a flat, unbanked curve of radius 50 m at a constant speed of 15 m s⁻¹. (a) Calculate the centripetal force needed. (b) Find the minimum coefficient of static friction between the tyres and the road. Take g = 9.81 m s⁻².
- Centripetal force: F = mv² ÷ r = 1200 × 15² ÷ 50 = 1200 × 225 ÷ 50 = 5400 N.
- On a flat road, this force comes from friction between the tyres and the road, acting towards the centre of the curve.
- Maximum friction = μmg, so the car does not skid if μmg ≥ 5400 N.
- Minimum μ = 5400 ÷ (1200 × 9.81) = 5400 ÷ 11772 = 0.459.
Answer (a) 5400 N. (b) A minimum coefficient of static friction of 0.459.
Frequently asked questions
Is STPM Physics taught in English or Bahasa Melayu?
Either. The papers are printed in both languages and answers may be written in either, so tutors teach in the language the student will answer in.
How is STPM Physics different from SPM Physics?
It goes deeper, with derivations, more mathematics and new topics such as rotation of rigid bodies, capacitors and quantum physics. The semester system also means each part is examined within months of being taught.
When should STPM Physics tuition start?
At the start of Semester 1, since it holds almost half the topics and a retake is only possible at the end of Semester 3. Students who start later focus on the current semester first.
How much does STPM Physics tuition cost?
The fee depends on the format (1-to-1 or a small group), how many classes a week and the tutor, so there is no single figure. Send an academic advisor the current semester, the college and any semester results so far on WhatsApp, and you will get the current packages and a quote, usually within one working day.