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AS phy/mth equations > Definitions > Flashcards

Definitions Flashcards

0
Q

acceleration of free fall (g)

A

The acceleration of a body falling under gravity. On Earth it has the value of 9.81 m s–2.

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1
Q

acceleration (a)

A

acceleration (a)

The rate of change of velocity, measured in metres per second squared (m s–2); a vector quantity.

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2
Q

area (A)

A

A physical quantity representing the size of part of a surface, measured in metres squared (m2).

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3
Q

average speed

A

A measure of the total distance travelled in a certain time.

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4
Q

braking distance

A

The distance a vehicle travels while decelerating to a stop.

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5
Q

brittle

A

A material that distorts very little even when subject to a large stress and does not exhibit any plastic deformation; for example, concrete.

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6
Q

centre of gravity

A

The point at which the entire weight of an object can be considered to act.

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7
Q

centre of mass

A

see centre of gravity (N.B although there is a technical difference it is not required at this level).

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8
Q

components of a vector

A

The results from resolving a single vector into horizontal and vertical parts.

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9
Q

compressive force

A

Two or more forces that have the effect of reducing the volume of the object on which they are acting.

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10
Q

conservation of energy

A

Physical law stating energy cannot be created or destroyed, just transformed from one form into another or transferred from one place to another.

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11
Q

couple

A

Two forces that are equal and opposite to each other but not in the same straight line.

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12
Q

crumple zone

A

An area of a vehicle designed to increase the distance over which the vehicle decelerates and so reduce the average force acting.

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13
Q

density ()

A

The mass per unit volume, measured in kilograms per cubic metre (kg m–3); a scalar quantity.

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14
Q

diffraction

A

When a wave spreads out after passing around an obstacle or through a gap.

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15
Q

displacement (s or x)

A

The distance travelled in a particular direction, measured in metres (m), e.g. 3 m; a vector quantity.

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16
Q

displacement–time graph

A

A motion graph showing displacement against time for a given body.

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17
Q

distance (d)

A

How far one position is from another, measured in metres (m), e.g. 12 m; a scalar quantity.

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18
Q

drag

A

The resistive force that acts on a body when it moves through a fluid.

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19
Q

drag coefficient

A

A characteristic that determines the amount of drag that acts on an object.

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20
Q

ductile

A

Materials that have a large plastic region (therefore they can be drawn into a wire); for example, copper.

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21
Q

efficiency

A

The ratio of useful output energy to total input energy.

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22
Q

elastic deformation

A

The object will return to its original shape when the deforming force is removed.

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23
Q

elastic limit

A

The point at which elastic deformation becomes plastic deformation.

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24
Q

elastic potential energy

A

The energy stored in a stretched or compressed object (for example a spring), measured in joules (J); a scalar quantity.

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25
Q

energy (E)

A

The stored ability to do work, measured in joules (J); a scalar quantity.

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26
Q

equations of motion

A

The equations used to describe displacement, acceleration, initial velocity, final velocity and time when a body undergoes a constant acceleration.

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27
Q

equilibrium

A

When there is zero resultant force and zero torque acting on an object.

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28
Q

extension (x)

A

The change in length of an object when a force is applied to it, measured in metres (m).

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29
Q

fluid

A

A material that can flow from one place to another (i.e. liquids and gases).

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30
Q

force (F)

A

A push or a pull on an object, measured in newtons (N); a vector quantity.

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31
Q

force constant (k)

A

The constant of proportionality in Hooke’s law, measured in newtons per metre (N m–1).

32
Q

free fall

A

When an object is accelerating under gravity (i.e. at 9.81 m s–2).

33
Q

g, acceleration of free fall

A

The acceleration of a body under gravity, 9.81 m s–2.

34
Q

global positioning system

A

A network of satellites used to determine an object’s position on the Earth’s surface. Used in satellite navigation.

35
Q

gradient of a graph

A

The change in y-axis over the change in the x-axis (rise over step).

36
Q

gravitational force

A

The force due a gravitational field acting on an object’s mass.

37
Q

gravitational potential energy

A

The energy stored in an object by virtue of the object being in a gravitational field.

38
Q

Hooke’s law

A

The extension of an elastic body is proportional to the force that causes it.

39
Q

instantaneous speed

A

The speed of an object at a given moment in time.

40
Q

joule

A

Unit of energy (J), e.g. 1200 J. 1 J is the work done when a force of 1 N moves its point of application 1 m in the direction of the force.

41
Q

kinetic energy

A

The work an object can do by virtue of its speed, measured in joules (J); a scalar quantity.

42
Q

mass (m)

A

SI quantity, measured in kilograms (kg), e.g. 70 kg; a scalar quantity.

43
Q

moment of a force

A

The turning effect due to a single force, measured in newton metres (N m), e.g. 4 N m; a vector quantity.

44
Q

newton

A

Unit of force (N), e.g. 4000 N. 1 N is the force which gives a mass of 1 kg an acceleration of 1 m s–2.

45
Q

perpendicular

A

At right angles (90° or /2 rad) to.

46
Q

plastic deformation

A

The object will not return to its original shape when the deforming force is removed, it becomes permanently distorted.

47
Q

polymeric material

A

A material made of many smaller molecules bonded together, often making tangled long chains. These materials often exhibit very large strains (e.g. 300%), for example rubber.

48
Q

potential energy

A

A form of stored energy (see gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy).

49
Q

power (P)

A

The rate of doing work, measured in watts (W); a scalar quantity.

50
Q

pressure (p)

A

Force per unit area, measured in pascals (Pa), e.g. 100 000 Pa. 1 Pa = 1 N m–1; a scalar quantity.

51
Q

principle of moments

A

For a body in rotational equilibrium the sum of the clockwise moments equals the sum of the anticlockwise moments.

52
Q

resolution of vectors

A

Splitting a vector into horizontal and vertical components (use to aid vector arithmetic).

53
Q

resultant force

A

The overall force when combining two or more forces.

54
Q

resultant velocity

A

The overall velocity when combing two or more velocities.

55
Q

scalar

A

A physical property with magnitude (size) but not direction; for example, speed, distance, pressure, potential difference, etc.

56
Q

speed (s)

A

The distance travelled per unit time, measured in metres per second (m s–1), e.g. 12 m s–1; a scalar quantity.

57
Q

stopping distance

A

The sum of the thinking distance and the braking distance (i.e. the total distance required to stop a vehicle from seeing the need to stop to vehicle becoming stationary).

58
Q

strain

A

The extension per unit length.

59
Q

stress

A

The force per unit cross-sectional area, measured in pascals (Pa).

60
Q

tensile force

A

Usually two equal and opposite forces acting on a wire in order to stretch it. When both forces have the value T, the tensile force is also T, not 2T.

61
Q

tensile stress

A

The tensile force per unit cross-sectional area.

62
Q

terminal velocity

A

The velocity at which an object’s drag equals its accelerating force. Therefore there is no resultant force and zero acceleration.

63
Q

thinking distance

A

The distance travelled from seeing the need to stop to applying the brakes.

64
Q

thrust

A

A type of force due to an engine.

65
Q

time interval (t)

A

SI quantity, measured in seconds (s), e.g. 60 s; a scalar quantity.

66
Q

torque

A

The turning effect due to a couple, measured in newton metres (N m).

67
Q

triangle of forces

A

If three forces acting at a point can be represented by the sides of a triangle, the forces are in equilibrium.

68
Q

turning forces

A

One or more forces that if unbalanced will cause a rotation.

69
Q

ultimate tensile strength

A

The maximum tensile force that can be applied to an object before it breaks.

70
Q

ultimate tensile stress

A

The maximum stress that can be applied to an object before it breaks.

71
Q

upthrust

A

A force on an object due to a difference in pressure when immersed in a fluid.

72
Q

vector

A

A physical quantity that has both magnitude (size) and direction. For example, velocity, force, acceleration, electric current, etc.

73
Q

velocity (v)

A

The displacement per unit time, measured in metres per second (m s–1), e.g. 330 m s–1; a vector quantity.

74
Q

velocity–time graph

A

A motion graph showing velocity against time for a given body.

75
Q

volume (V)

A

A physical quantity representing how much 3D space an object occupies, measured in metres cubed (m3).

76
Q

weight (w)

A

The gravitational force on a body, measured in newtons.

77
Q

work (W)

A

The product of force and the distance moved in the direction of the force, it can also be considered as the energy converted from one form into another, measured in joules (J); a scalar quantity.

78
Q

Young modulus (Y)

A

The ratio of tensile stress to tensile strain, measured in pascals (Pa).

AS phy/mth equations (2 decks)

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