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Physics > A2 Definitions - Not including turning points > Flashcards

A2 Definitions - Not including turning points Flashcards

(89 cards)

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1
Q

Absolute uncertainty

A

The lowest possible temperature a substance can have, equal to 0 K or -273 degrees Celsius

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2
Q

Activity

A

The number of unstable nuclei in a radioactive sample that decay each second

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3
Q

Alternating current

A

A current that changes with time in a regular cycle

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4
Q

Angular acceleration

A

The rate of change of angular velocity

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5
Q

Angular frequency

A

The equivalent of angular speed for an object moving with SHM

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6
Q

Avogadro constant

A

The number of particles in one mole of a substance, defined as the number of atoms in exactly 12g of the C isotope carbon 12. It is equal to 6.02*10^23 mol-1

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7
Q

Binding energy

A

The energy released when a nucleus forms, or the energy required to separate all the nucleons in that nucleus. Equivalent to the mass defect of the nucleus

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8
Q

Boltzmann constant

A

A constant used in the ideal has equation for N molecules, equal to 1.38*10^-23 or R/Na

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9
Q

Boyle’s law

A

For an ideal gas at a constant temperature, the pressure p and the volume V are inversely proportional

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10
Q

Brownian motion

A

The zigzag, random motion of particles suspended in a fluid

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11
Q

Capacitance

A

The amount of charge an object is able to store per unit potential difference across it

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12
Q

Capacitor

A

An electrical component that can store charge, made up of two conducting plates separated by a dielectric

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13
Q

Centripetal force

A

The force on an object moving with circular motion. It’s directed towards the centre of the circle, and is responsible for the object’s curved path

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14
Q

Chain reaction (nuclear)

A

When the neutrons released by a nuclear fission cause other nuclei to fission and release more neutrons - and so on

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15
Q

Charles’ law

A

For an ideal gas at constant pressure, the volume is directly proportional to its absolute temperature

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16
Q

Closed system

A

A system that doesn’t allow any transfer of matter in or out

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17
Q

Control rod

A

A rod inserted into a nuclear reactor to control the rate of fission by absorbing neutrons

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18
Q

Couple

A

A pair of forces of equal size which act parallel to each other but in opposite directions. A couple causes a rotation, but no resultant linear motion

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19
Q

Critical damping

A

Camping such that the amplitude of an oscillation is reduced in the shortest possible time

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20
Q

Critical mass

A

The amount of fuel needed for a fission chain reaction to continue at a steady rate on its own

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21
Q

Damping

A

A force which causes an oscillating object to lose energy and so causes the amplitude of the object’s oscillation to decrease

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22
Q

Decay constant

A

The probability of an unstable nuclei decaying in the unit time. A measure of how quickly an isotope will decay

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23
Q

Dielectric

A

A material that acts as an electric insulator. It is used to separate the two conducting plates in a capacitor

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24
Q

Diffraction

A

When waves spread out as they pass through a narrow gap or go round obstacles

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25
Eddy current
A looping current induced by the changing magnetic flux in the core of a transformer
26
Elastic collision
A collision that conserves both linear momentum and kinetic energy
27
Electric field strength
The force per unit positive charge experienced by a body in an electric field
28
Electric potential
The electric potential energy that a unit positive charge would have at a specific point
29
Electric potential energy
The energy stored by a charge due to its position in an electric field. It equals the work done moving a charge from infinity to that position
30
Electromagnetic induction
The process of inducing emf in a conductor with relative motion to a magnetic field (cutting field lines)
31
Empirical law
A rule based on observations and evidence that predicts what will happen but which doesn't explain why
32
Equipotential
A line (in 2D) or surface (in 3D) that joins together all of the points with the same gravitational potential or electric potential
33
Error bar
Used when plotting a graph to show the range of values a data point may lie in
34
Escape velocity
The minimum speed required for an unpowered object to leave the gravitational field of another object
35
Exponential relationship
A relationship in which the rate of change in a quantity is proportional to the amount of that quantity left
36
Farad
The standard unit of capacitance. 1 farad = 1 coulomb per volt
37
Faraday's law
The induced emf is directly proportional to the rate of change of flux linkage
38
Field lines
A way of representing a force field. Also known as flux lines in a magnetic field
39
Flux linkage
The magnetic flux in a coil multiplied by the number of turns on the coil
40
Force field
A region in which a body experiences a non-contact force
41
Forced vibrations
The oscillation of an object due to an external driving force
42
Free vibration
The oscillation of an object with no transfer of energy to or from the surroundings
43
Geiger-Müller tube
An instrument used to detect nuclear radiation. It is attached to a counter that measures the amount of radiation
44
Geostationary satellite
An Earth satellite that orbits directly over the equator and is always above the same point on Earth. Its orbital period is approximately 24 hours
45
Gravitational field strength
The force per unit mass, g, experienced by a body in a gravitational field
46
Gravitational potential
The gravitational potential energy that a unit mass would have at a specific point
47
Gravitational potential energy
The energy stored by an object due to its position in a gravitational field. It equals the work done moving an object from infinity to that position
48
Half-life
The average time it takes for the number of unstable nuclei (or the activity or count rate) in a sample of a radioactive isotope to halve
49
Ideal gas
A theoretical gas that obeys the three gas laws
50
Inelastic collision
A collision that conserves linear momentum, but not kinetic energy
51
Internal energy
The sum of the potential and kinetic energies of all of the particles in a system
52
Inverse square law
A law that relates two variables by a factor of 1/r2
53
Kinetic theory
The term given to explaining an object's properties by considering the motion of its particles
54
Lenz's law
The induced emf is always in such a direction as to oppose the change that caused it
55
Low orbiting satellite
A satellite that orbits between 180 and 2000 km above the Earth's surface and at a higher angular speed than Earth
56
Magnetic field
A region in which a force acts on magnetic materials or magnetically susceptible materials
57
Magnetic flux
The magnetic flux (in Wb) passing through an area is given by the magnetic flux density multiplied by the area. It can also be thought of as the number of magnetic field lines passing through the area
58
Magnetic flux density
The value of magnetic flux density, in T, is given by the force on one metre of wire carrying a current of one amp at right angles to the magnetic field. Also called magnetic field strength
59
Mass defect
The difference between the mass of the nucleus, and the sum of the individual masses of the nucleons. Equivalent to the binding energy of the nucleus
60
Mean square speed
The average of the squared speeds of the particles in a gas
61
Moderator
A material (often water) in a nuclear reactor that slows down neutrons so they can be captured by uranium nuclei (or other fissionable nuclei)
62
Molar gas constant
A constant used in the ideal gas equations, equal to 8.31 Jmol-1K-1
63
Molar mass
The mass that one mole of a substance would have
64
Mole
An amount of substance containing Na particles, all of which are identical.
65
Molecular mass
The average mass of a molecule relative to an atom of C-12, which has a relative atomic mass of exactly 12
66
Natural frequency
The frequency of an object oscillating freely
67
nuclear fission
The fusing of two smaller nuclei to form one larger nucleus
68
Nuclear radiation
Particles or energy released by an unstable atom as it decays. Made up of alpha, beta-minus or beta-plus, or gamma rays.
69
Orbital period
The time taken for a satellite to complete a full orbit
70
Overdamping
Heavy damping such that the system takes longer to return to equilibrium than a critically damped system
71
Permittivity
The permittivity of a material is a measure of how difficult it is to create an electric field in that material
72
Phase difference
A measure of how much one wave lags behind another wave. It can be measured in degrees, radians or fractions of a cycle
73
Photoelectric effect
The emission of electrons (photoelectrons) from a metal when light of a high enough frequency is shone on it
74
Point charge
A charge with negligible volume, or a uniform sphere whose charge acts as if it is concentrated at the centre
75
Potential energy
Energy that is stored (e.g. Elastic strain energy is energy stored in something that has been stretched or compressed, like a spring)
76
Pressure law
For an ideal gas at constant volume, the pressure is directly proportional to its absolute temperature
77
Radial field
A field where the field lines all point towards or away from the central point
78
Radioactive decay
When an unstable atom breaks down to become more stable, by releasing energy and/or particles
79
Relative permittivity
The ratio of the permittivity of a material to the permittivity of free space. It is also known as the dielectric constant
80
Solenoid
An electromagnet consisting of multiple coils of wire with length
81
Specific heat capacity
The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 K
82
Specific latent heat
The quantity of thermal energy required to change the state of 1 kg of a substance
83
Stationary wave
A wave with fixed positions of minimum and maximum oscillation (nodes and antinodes) created by the superposition of two progressive waves with the same frequency (or wavelength) and amplitude, moving in opposite directions
84
Step-down transformer
A transformer that decreases an alternating voltage
85
Synchronous orbit
An orbit in which the orbiting object has the same orbital period as the rotational period of the object it is orbiting
86
Terminal velocity
The maximum velocity of an object through a fluid, reached when the driving force is matched by the friction force
87
Thermal neutron
Neutron is a nuclear reactor that has been slowed down enough by a moderator that it can be captured by uranium nuclei (or other fissionable nuclei)
88
Thermionic emission
The release of free electrons from a metal's surface when the metal is heated
89
Time constant
The time taken for the charge on a discharging capacitor, the potential difference across the capacitor, of the current in the circuit to fall to 1/e (about 37%) of their initial value, or for the charge of a charging capacitor to rise to about 63% of the full charge

Physics (2 decks)

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