LightMySky
Explore

What a 15-year-old learns

215 topics open up at age 15, across 13 subjects. They are listed in the order they build on each other, not by importance: each one needs the ones above it.

age 14age 16
What should a 15-year-old be learning?

At age 15, 215 topics open up across Science, Mathematics, Computing, English, Civics & Economics, History, Personal & Social Development, Languages, Life Skills, Arts & Music, Geography, Design & Technology, Learning to Learn. Each one has prerequisites that come first, so the order matters more than the list: Thermistors, Light-Dependent Resistors and Sensing Circuits is a typical starting point.

How do I know what a 15-year-old already knows?

LightMySky starts by assuming everything below the learner’s level is already known, then checks the assumption as they practise. What holds up stays lit; what does not comes back for review.

Science

  1. Thermistors, Light-Dependent Resistors and Sensing CircuitsEnergy · on the way
  2. Impulse and Crash SafetyForces & Motion · on the way
  3. Calculating Work Done and PowerEnergy · on the way
  4. Kinetic and Gravitational Potential StoresEnergy · on the way
  5. Stopping Distances and Braking EnergyForces & Motion · on the way
  6. Specific Heat Capacity as a Material PropertyEnergy · on the way
  7. Specific Heat Capacity and Specific Latent Heat in CalculationsEnergy · on the way
  8. Sediment on the Move: Rivers, Coasts and Where It SettlesEarth's Systems · on the way
  9. Density and How to Measure ItMatter & Materials · on the way
  10. Pressure in Liquids and the AtmosphereForces & Motion · on the way
  11. Giant Covalent Structures: Diamond, Graphite and GrapheneMatter & Materials
  12. Metallic Bonding and AlloysMatter & Materials
  13. Molecular Shapes from Electron Pair RepulsionMatter & Materials · on the way
  14. Electronegativity and the Polar BondMatter & Materials · on the way
  15. Reading Structure from PropertiesMatter & Materials · on the way
  16. Forces Between MoleculesMatter & Materials · on the way
  17. Nanoparticles and Why Surface Area Changes EverythingMatter & Materials · on the way
  18. Relative Formula Mass and the MoleMatter & Materials · on the way
  19. Balancing Equations and Conservation of MassMatter & Materials · on the way
  20. Reacting Masses, Limiting Reactants and YieldMatter & Materials · on the way
  21. Concentration of Solutions in Moles per Cubic DecimetreMatter & Materials · on the way
  22. Empirical and Molecular Formulas from CompositionMatter & Materials · on the way
  23. The Gas Laws and the Ideal Gas EquationMatter & Materials · on the way
  24. Titration: Finding an Unknown ConcentrationMatter & Materials · on the way
  25. Why Some Things Dissolve and Others Do NotMatter & Materials · on the way
  26. Reading a Rock Sequence: Superposition, Fossils and CorrelationEarth's Systems · on the way
  27. Testing for Ions and GasesMatter & Materials · on the way
  28. Electrolysis: Half Equations at the ElectrodesMatter & Materials · on the way
  29. Potable Water and Treating Waste WaterMatter & Materials · on the way
  30. Human Impact on Ecosystems: Land, Waste and a Warming WorldOrganisms & Life Processes · on the way
  31. Electrolysis of Solutions and Getting Reactive Metals Out of OresMatter & Materials · on the way
  32. Reaction Profiles and Activation EnergyMatter & Materials · on the way
  33. Bond Energies and the Overall Energy ChangeMatter & Materials · on the way
  34. Alkanes and Alkenes: The First Homologous SeriesMatter & Materials · on the way
  35. Crude Oil, Fractional Distillation and CrackingMatter & Materials · on the way
  36. Pollutants from Burning FuelsMatter & Materials · on the way
  37. Rates of Reaction: Collision Theory and What Changes a RateMatter & Materials · on the way
  38. Reversible Reactions, Dynamic Equilibrium and Le ChatelierMatter & Materials · on the way
  39. The Haber Process and the Industrial CompromiseMatter & Materials · on the way
  40. Inside the Atom: the Nuclear ModelMatter & Materials · on the way
  41. Radioactive Decay: Alpha, Beta and GammaMatter & Materials · on the way
  42. Half-Life and ActivityMatter & Materials · on the way
  43. Deep Time: Radiometric Dating and the Geological ColumnEarth's Systems · on the way
  44. Irradiation, Contamination and DoseMatter & Materials · on the way
  45. Nuclear Fission and FusionMatter & Materials · on the way
  46. The Electromagnetic Spectrum: Uses and DangersWaves, Light & Sound · on the way
  47. Infrared Emission, Absorption and the Temperature of a BodyWaves, Light & Sound · on the way
  48. The Wave EquationWaves, Light & Sound · on the way
  49. Refraction and LensesWaves, Light & Sound · on the way
  50. Ultrasound and Echo SoundingWaves, Light & Sound · on the way
  51. Red-Shift and the Expanding UniverseSpace Systems & Earth's History · on the way
  52. Measuring the Rate of an Enzyme ReactionOrganisms & Life Processes · on the way
  53. Photosynthesis and Limiting FactorsOrganisms & Life Processes · on the way
  54. Respiration Rate, Oxygen Debt and MetabolismOrganisms & Life Processes · on the way
  55. Transpiration and Transport in PlantsOrganisms & Life Processes · on the way
  56. Blood Components and Blood VesselsThe Human Body · on the way
  57. Heart Rate, Stroke Volume and Cardiac OutputThe Human Body · on the way
  58. How Communicable Diseases SpreadThe Human Body · on the way
  59. Non-Communicable Disease and What Counts as a Risk FactorThe Human Body · on the way
  60. The Brain: Regions and the Evidence for What They DoThe Human Body · on the way
  61. The Eye as a Receptor OrganThe Human Body · on the way
  62. Vaccination and Antibiotic ResistanceThe Human Body · on the way
  63. Testing a New Drug: Controls, Placebo and the Blind TrialScientific Inquiry · on the way
  64. DNA Structure and Base PairingGenetics & Evolution · on the way
  65. From Gene to ProteinGenetics & Evolution · on the way
  66. Mutations and Their Effect on ProteinsGenetics & Evolution · on the way
  67. Punnett Squares and Monohybrid RatiosGenetics & Evolution · on the way
  68. Sex Determination and Inherited DisordersGenetics & Evolution · on the way
  69. Selective Breeding and Genetic EngineeringGenetics & Evolution · on the way
  70. Cloning: Cuttings, Tissue Culture and Adult Cell CloningGenetics & Evolution · on the way
  71. Speciation and the Rate of EvolutionGenetics & Evolution · on the way
  72. Sampling Ecosystems with Quadrats and TransectsScientific Inquiry · on the way
  73. Decomposers and the Rate of DecayOrganisms & Life Processes · on the way
  74. Fertilisers, Leaching and EutrophicationOrganisms & Life Processes · on the way
  75. Food Security: What Limits Yield and What It Costs to Raise ItOrganisms & Life Processes · on the way
  76. Estimating Population Size by Mark, Release and RecaptureScientific Inquiry · on the way

Mathematics

  1. Quartiles and the Interquartile RangeData & Statistics
  2. Box Plots and Comparing DistributionsData & Statistics
  3. Cumulative Frequency CurvesData & Statistics · on the way
  4. Histograms and Frequency DensityData & Statistics · on the way
  5. Lines of Best Fit: Prediction and Its LimitsData & Statistics · on the way
  6. Volume and Surface Area of Cones, Spheres and PyramidsGeometry · on the way
  7. Fractional Indices and RootsNumber Representation & Place Value · on the way
  8. Surds: Simplifying and RationalisingNumber Representation & Place Value · on the way
  9. Exact Values of Sine, Cosine and TangentGeometry · on the way
  10. The Sine RuleGeometry · on the way
  11. The Cosine RuleGeometry · on the way
  12. Triangle Area with Half ab sin CGeometry · on the way
  13. Pythagoras and Trigonometry in Three DimensionsGeometry · on the way
  14. Choosing a Triangle MethodGeometry · on the way
  15. Arc Length, Sector Area and SegmentsGeometry · on the way
  16. Bearing Problems with the Sine and Cosine RulesGeometry · on the way
  17. Circle Theorems: Angles at the Centre and in a SemicircleGeometry · on the way
  18. Circle Theorems: Cyclic Quadrilaterals and the Same SegmentGeometry · on the way
  19. Tangents, Radii and the Alternate Segment TheoremGeometry · on the way
  20. Constructions and LociGeometry · on the way
  21. Vectors: Notation, Addition and Scalar MultiplesGeometry · on the way
  22. Proving Geometry Facts with VectorsGeometry · on the way
  23. Standard FormNumber Representation & Place Value · on the way
  24. Percentage Change with MultipliersRatio & Proportion · on the way
  25. Compound Growth and DecayRatio & Proportion · on the way
  26. Algebraic Proof with Odd, Even and Consecutive NumbersMathematical Thinking · on the way
  27. Geometric Sequences and Common RatiosAlgebra · on the way
  28. Upper and Lower BoundsNumber Representation & Place Value · on the way
  29. Calculating with Bounds in Compound MeasuresNumber Representation & Place Value · on the way
  30. Rearranging Formulae When the Subject Appears TwiceAlgebra
  31. Completing the SquareAlgebra
  32. The Quadratic FormulaAlgebra
  33. The Discriminant and the Number of RootsAlgebra
  34. Sketching Quadratic Graphs from Roots and the Turning PointAlgebra
  35. Simultaneous Equations with One QuadraticAlgebra
  36. Solving Linear Inequalities and Solution SetsAlgebra
  37. Graphical Inequalities and Regions in the PlaneAlgebra · on the way
  38. Solving Quadratic InequalitiesAlgebra
  39. Quadratic Sequences and Second DifferencesAlgebra
  40. Function Notation and Evaluating FunctionsAlgebra
  41. Composite FunctionsAlgebra
  42. Inverse FunctionsAlgebra
  43. Transformations of GraphsAlgebra
  44. Recognising Cubic, Reciprocal and Exponential GraphsAlgebra
  45. Relative Frequency and Expected OutcomesProbability · on the way
  46. Counting Outcomes with the Product RuleProbability · on the way
  47. The Addition Rule and Mutually Exclusive EventsProbability · on the way
  48. Independent Events and the Multiplication RuleProbability · on the way
  49. Tree Diagrams Without ReplacementProbability · on the way
  50. Conditional Probability from Tables and Venn DiagramsProbability · on the way

Computing

  1. Condition-Controlled LoopsProgramming · on the way
  2. Strings: Indexing, Slicing and LengthProgramming · on the way
  3. Lists: Many Values Under One NameProgramming · on the way
  4. Traversing a List to Build a ResultProgramming · on the way
  5. Defining a Function with ParametersProgramming · on the way
  6. Return Values and Variable ScopeProgramming · on the way
  7. Decomposing a Problem into SubprogramsProgramming · on the way
  8. Tracing a Program by HandProgramming · on the way
  9. Linear SearchProgramming · on the way
  10. Binary Search on Sorted DataProgramming · on the way
  11. Checking a Model's Claim Against a SourceArtificial Intelligence · on the way
  12. Compression: Lossy and LosslessComputer Systems · on the way
  13. Logic Gates and Truth TablesComputer Systems · on the way
  14. Inside the CPU: Fetch, Decode, ExecuteComputer Systems · on the way
  15. Memory and Storage: RAM, ROM and the Backing StoreComputer Systems · on the way
  16. Packets and Protocols on a NetworkComputer Systems · on the way
  17. How a Web Page Reaches Your ScreenComputer Systems · on the way
  18. Cyber Threats and How Systems DefendComputer Systems · on the way
  19. The Impacts of Computing: Law, Ethics and the EnvironmentComputer Systems · on the way
  20. What You Owe a Reader When a Model HelpedArtificial Intelligence · on the way
  21. Agents That Take Actions, Not Just AnswerArtificial Intelligence · on the way

English

  1. Poetry: Imagery and the Speaker's VoiceReading Comprehension · on the way
  2. Poetry: Form, Sound, and Line as MeaningReading Comprehension · on the way
  3. Comparing Two PoemsReading Comprehension · on the way
  4. Drama: Stagecraft as MethodReading Comprehension · on the way
  5. Reading Nineteenth-Century Prose UnseenReading Comprehension · on the way
  6. Context That Serves the ReadingReading Comprehension · on the way
  7. Comparing Writers' Viewpoints Across Non-FictionReading Comprehension · on the way
  8. Critical Evaluation of a Writer's SuccessReading Comprehension · on the way
  9. Holding an InterpretationEnglish Thinking · on the way
  10. Images and Charts as ArgumentReading Comprehension · on the way
  11. Shaping a Short NarrativeWriting Composition · on the way
  12. Sustaining a Narrative VoiceWriting Composition · on the way
  13. Rhetoric in Persuasion, Used SparinglyWriting Composition · on the way
  14. Structuring an ArgumentWriting Composition · on the way
  15. Using Researched Evidence in ArgumentWriting Composition · on the way
  16. Editing for EffectWriting Composition · on the way
  17. Speaking to a Brief and Taking QuestionsSpeaking & Listening · on the way

Civics & Economics

  1. Price Elasticity of DemandEconomics · on the way
  2. Price Ceilings and Price FloorsEconomics · on the way
  3. Competition, Market Power and Barriers to EntryEconomics · on the way
  4. Market Failure: Externalities and Public GoodsEconomics · on the way
  5. Wages and the Labour MarketEconomics · on the way
  6. Money and How Banks Create ItEconomics · on the way
  7. Interest, Compound Growth and the Cost of BorrowingEconomics · on the way
  8. Risk, Insurance and PoolingEconomics · on the way
  9. Inflation, Price Indexes and Real ValuesEconomics · on the way
  10. GDP: Measuring an Economy and What It MissesEconomics · on the way
  11. Taxes, Public Spending and the Government BudgetEconomics · on the way
  12. Comparative Advantage and the Gains from TradeEconomics · on the way
  13. Civil Servants, Councils and Everyday GovernmentGovernment · on the way
  14. Where the Money GoesGovernment · on the way
  15. When Democracies FailGovernment · on the way

History

  1. Telling a Cause From a CoincidenceHistorical Thinking · on the way
  2. Why Historians DisagreeHistorical Thinking · on the way
  3. The Second World WarThe Modern World · on the way
  4. The HolocaustThe Modern World · on the way
  5. The Cold WarThe Modern World · on the way
  6. Decolonisation and New NationsThe Modern World · on the way
  7. Civil Rights and Equal CitizenshipThe Modern World · on the way
  8. The Digital AgeThe Modern World · on the way

Personal & Social Development

  1. Consent, Pressure, and the Right to Change Your MindResponsible Decision-Making · on the way
  2. Repair, Distance, or Let GoFriendship & Cooperation · on the way
  3. How Short Nights Change Your JudgementSelf-Regulation & Resilience · on the way
  4. Asking for Help Beyond Your FriendsSelf-Regulation & Resilience · on the way
  5. What a Feed Is Optimised ForResponsible Decision-Making · on the way
  6. The Version of You a Stranger Can FindResponsible Decision-Making · on the way

Languages

  1. Saying What Might Be: Mood and ModalityGrammar Across Languages · on the way
  2. Following Media Without SubtitlesTexts, Media & Translation · on the way
  3. Formal and Informal: Choosing RegisterTexts, Media & Translation · on the way
  4. Reading an Argument in Another LanguageTexts, Media & Translation · on the way
  5. Working Through the PlateauLanguage Learning · on the way

Life Skills

  1. What Comes Out of a First PayslipMoney & Finance · on the way
  2. Reading What You Agree ToMoney & Finance · on the way
  3. Subscriptions and the Default to RenewMoney & Finance · on the way
  4. The Real Cost of Buying Now and Paying LaterMoney & Finance · on the way
  5. The Four Moves Behind a ScamMoney & Finance · on the way

Arts & Music

  1. How Recording Changed MusicMusic · on the way
  2. Digital Images as an Art MediumVisual Art · on the way
  3. What Galleries Keep and Who DecidedVisual Art · on the way
  4. Watching a Live Performance and Saying Why It WorkedPerforming Arts · on the way

Geography

  1. Measuring Development GapsPlaces & Regions · on the way
  2. Water, Food and Energy FuturesPeople & Environments · on the way
  3. Living With Climate RiskPeople & Environments · on the way
  4. Why Biomes Sit Where They DoPeople & Environments · on the way

Design & Technology

  1. The Whole Life of a ProductDesigning & Making · on the way
  2. Processing, Packaging and Food MilesFood & Cooking · on the way

Learning to Learn

  1. Working Backwards From a DeadlineLearning to Learn · on the way
  2. Protecting One Block of AttentionLearning to Learn · on the way
What a 15-year-old learns · LightMySky