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Definitions Flashcards

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1
Q

Binding energy

A

The amount of energy that is released when a nucleus is assembled from its component nucleons.

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2
Q

Simple harmonic motion

A

Motion in which the acceleration is directed towards the mean point and is proportional to the displacement from the mean point.

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3
Q

Principle of superposition

A

When two similar waves meet the resultant displacement is the vector sum of the individual displacements.

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4
Q

Inelastic collision

A

A collision in which kinetic energy is not fully conserved

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5
Q

Newton’s universal law of gravitation

A

There is an attractive force between two masses, which is proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects.

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6
Q

Range of distances

A

-15 to +25 (sub nuclear particles to visible universe)

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7
Q

Range of masses

A

-30 to 50 (electron to universe)

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8
Q

Range of times

A

-23 to 18 (light passage across nucleus to age of universe)

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9
Q

Nuclide

A

The name given to a particular species of atom whose nucleus contains a specified number of protons and neutrons.

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10
Q

Isotope

A

A nuclide that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

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11
Q

Mass defect

A

The difference between the mass of a nucleus and the masses of its component nucleons.

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12
Q

Power

A

The rate at which energy is transferred.

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13
Q

Efficiency

A

The ratio of useful energy to the total energy transferred.

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14
Q

Unified atomic mass unit (u)

A

One twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom.

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15
Q

Energy density

A

The energy liberated per kilogram of fuel consumed.

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16
Q

Albedo

A

Albedo (α) is the fraction of radiation received by a surface that is reflected back into space

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17
Q

Surface heat capacity

A

The energy required to raise the temperature of a square metre of a planet’s surface by one kelvin.

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18
Q

Emissivity

A

The ratio of the power radiated per unit area by an object to that of a black body.

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19
Q

Coefficient of volume expansion

A

The fractional change in volume per degree change in temperature.

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20
Q

Mole

A

The amount of substance that contains the same number of particles as there are atoms in 0.012kg of carbon-12.

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21
Q

Molar mass

A

The mass of one mole of a substance.

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22
Q

Avogadro’s constant

A

The number of atoms in 0.012kg of carbon-12.

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23
Q

Newton’s first law of motion

A

A body will remain at rest or move with constant speed in the same direction (i.e constant velocity) unless it is acted on by an unbalanced external force.

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24
Q

Newton’s third law of motion

A

When two bodies A and B interact, the force that A exerts on B is equal and opposite to the force that B exerts on A.

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25
Condition for translational equilibrium
The body will either be at rest or moving with constant linear and rotational velocity. The resultant force is zero.
26
Linear momentum
a measure of an object's translational motion, defined as the product of an object's mass and velocity.
27
Impulse
the change of momentum produced by a force over a period of time
28
Size of sub-nuclear particles
10^-15m
29
Extent of the visible universe
10^25m
30
Mass of an electron
10^-30kg
31
Mass of the universe
10^50kg
32
Time for the passage of light across a nucleus
10^-23s
33
Age of the universe
10^18s
34
Random error
An error in measurement caused by factors that vary from one measurement to another.
35
Systematic error
An error which occurs at every reading, not reduced by taking repeats e.g zero error.
36
Law of conservation of momentum
in any isolated system, the change in momentum is zero.
37
Degraded energy
Energy which is no longer available to do useful work, it is spread out and disordered. The most common form is thermal energy.
38
Gravitational field strength
The force per unit mass on a small test mass in the gravitational field.
39
Phase difference
The horizontal distance a similar part of one wave leads or lags the other wave.
40
Natural frequency of vibration
The frequency at which a system vibrates when temporarily displaced from equilibrium.
41
Gravitational potential energy
The work done in moving a mass m from infinity to that point in the field.
42
Gravitational potential
The work done per unit test mass in moving that unit test mass from infinity to that point.
43
Rayleigh criterion
Two images can be just resolved if the central maximum from the diffraction pattern of one object coincides with the first minimum of the other object.
44
Electric potential difference
The work done per unit charge to move a positive test charge between points A and B.
45
Definition of an amp
The constant current that will produce an attractive force of 2 × 10−7 newtons per metre of length between two parallel conductors placed one metre apart in a vacuum.
46
World energy consumption of different fuels
SOURCES: Oil 40%; Gas 25%; Coal 25%; HEP 5%; Nuclear 5%; Renewables 1%
47
Second law of thermodynamics (Kelvin Planck formulation)
No heat engine, operating in a cycle, can take in heat from its surroundings and totally convert it to work.
48
Brewster's angle
The angle for which the light reflected from a surface is perpendicular to the light refracted through the surface, resulting in 100% polarisation of the reflected ray.
49
The decay constant
The probability of decay of a nucleus in a unit time. The constant of proportionality between the rate of decay and the number of nuclei available to decay.
50
The r.m.s value of an alternating current
the value of the direct current that dissipates the same power as the average ac power dissipation.
51
Hysteresis losses
When the iron core warms up due to constant changes in its magnetism.
52
Internal energy of a substance
The total PE and random KE of the molecules in a substance.
53
The de Broglie hypothesis
All moving particles have an associated wavelength given by lambda=h/p, where h is the planck constant and p is the particle's momentum.
54
Experiment supporting de Broglie.
Davisson Germer: electron diffraction with nickel.
55
Experiment supporting the photoelectric effect
Millikan's experiment: stopping potential
56
Stopping potential (Vs)
The opposing p.d necessary to stop the photo-electron current. A measure of the maximum KE of electrons.
57
Resistance
The ratio of potential difference across a load to the current through the load.
58
emf
The work done per unit charge supplied by a cell to move that charge completely round the circuit.
59
Wavelengths of EM radiation
3, -2, -5, 500nm, -8, -10, -12
60
Renewable energy source
A source of energy which is produced at the same (or greater) rate than it is consumed.
61
Internal resistance
The resistance of the components in the cell itself, resulting in the voltage output of the cell being lower than the emf. Some power is dissipated, which can be equated with the (I^2)r losses.
62
Second law of thermodynamics (entropy)
Although local entropy may decrease, the total entropy of a system and its surroundings will always increase.
63
Second law of thermodynamics (heat transfer)
Thermal energy cannot spontaneously transfer from a region of low temperature to a region of high temperature.
64
Distance
The length of the path moved by an object.
65
Displacement
The distance traveled from a fixed point in a particular direction
66
Displacement (shm)
The instantaneous distance of the moving object from its mean position
67
Damping
A dissipating force that is always in the opposite direction to the direction of motion of the oscillating particle.
68
Resonance
When a system is subject to a driving frequency equal to the natural frequency, resulting in increase amplitude of vibration.
69
Forced oscillations
When an external driving frequency is applied to cause a change in the frequency of oscillation.
70
Newton's second law of motion
The rate of change of momentum of a body is equal to the net external force acting on the body.
71
Ohm's law
Given constant temperature and conditions, the potential difference across a load is directly proportional to the current through it.
72
Wavefront
A line that joins points on the wave with the same phase.
73
Polarised waves
Waves in which the oscillations are in one plane only.
74
Polarised light
Light for which the electric field vector oscillates in one plane only.
75
The Stefan Boltzmann law for a black body
The power emitted is proportional to the surface area and proportional to the fourth power of the absolute temperature.
76
Apparent weightlessness of astronauts
Both have the same acceleration towards the centre of the planet, so there is no reaction force between the astronauts and spaceship.
77
Velocity
Rate of change of displacement.
78
Speed
Rate of change of distance.
79
Acceleration
Rate of change of velocity.
80
Entropy
A system property that expresses the degree of disorder of a system.
81
Magnetic flux
The product of the magnetic field strength and the cross sectional area that is perpendicular to the magnetic field strength.
82
Wavefunction
A measure of the probability of finding an electron at a particular place and time.

Physics (4 decks)

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