Common Physics Mistakes

Every year, Edexcel examiners' reports highlight the same recurring mistakes. These are not gaps in knowledge — most students know the physics — but errors in execution that cost marks. By learning to recognise these common traps, you can avoid them in the exam.

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Forgetting to Convert Units

This is the single most common source of lost marks in physics calculations. Students use values straight from the question without converting to SI base units.

The critical conversions: