definitions

Question 1

simple harmonic motion

Answer 1

special type of periodic motion where the restoring force is proportional to the object’s displacement and acts towards the object’s equilibrium position

Question 2

oscillation

Answer 2

repetitive variation of some measure about a point of equilibrium or between two or more different states.

Question 3

transverse wave

Answer 3

wave that vibrates perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave

Question 4

longitudinal wave

Answer 4

wave that vibrates parallel to the direction of the propagation of the wave

Question 5

parts of transverse waves

Answer 5

crests, troughs

Question 6

parts of longitudinal waves

Answer 6

compressions, rarefactions

Question 7

ray

Answer 7

idealized model of light, obtained by choosing a line that is perpendicular to the wavefronts of the actual light

Question 8

wavefront

Answer 8

is the set of all points where the wave has the same phase

Question 9

frequency of the visible light

Answer 9

4 × 10^14 - 8 × 10^14 Hz

Question 10

wavelength of visible light

Answer 10

380 - 750 nm

Question 11

light spectrum

Answer 11

gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet rays, visible light, infrared rays, microwaves, radio waves

Question 12

light

Answer 12

electromagentic wave

Question 13

polarized light

Answer 13

light that oscillates in one particular plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation

Question 14

internal energy

Answer 14

sum of kinetic and potential energy of a substance

Question 15

heat

Answer 15

energy which is transferred from one thermodynamic system to another

Question 16

ideal gas

Answer 16

a theoretical model of gas with no intermolecular forces and constant internal energy of particles and where volume of each molecule is negligible to the volume of whole gas

Question 17

types of error

Answer 17

systematic error, random error

Question 18

optically active substance

Answer 18

substance that rotates the plane of polarization of light that passes through it

Question 19

electric potential

Answer 19

work done per unit charge moving a small positive test charge from infinity to that point

Question 20

conventional current

Answer 20

electric current opposite to the direction of electron flow

Question 21

drift velocity

Answer 21

speed of electrons due to current

Question 22

potential difference

Answer 22

work done by moving a positive test charge/mass point from one point to another in an electric/gravitational field

Question 23

gravitational field

Answer 23

region of space where a mass experiences force due to another mass

Question 24

gravitational field strength

Answer 24

force per unit mass experienced by a small test mass placed in a field (unit: N/kg)

Question 25

gravitational potential

Answer 25

work done per unit mass moving a small test mass from infinity to that point (unit: Nm/kg)

Question 26

electric field

Answer 26

region of space where a charged object experiences force due to another charged object

Question 27

electric field strength

Answer 27

force per unit charge experienced by a small positive test charge placed in a field (unit: N/C)

Question 28

magnetic field

Answer 28

region of space where a test magnet experiences a turning force

Question 29

magnetic flux density

Answer 29

quantity used to measure the strength of a magnetic field (unit T)

Question 30

magnetic flux

Answer 30

magnetic field strength times the area swept out conductor (unit: Wb)

Question 31

electric potential

Answer 31

work done per unit charge by moving a small positive test charge from infinity to that point (unit: Nm/C)

Question 32

emission spectrum

Answer 32

frequencies of electromagnetic radiation emitted due to an electron making a transition from a high energy state to a lower energy state

Question 33

absorption spectrum

Answer 33

specific light frequencies absorbed by cool gases between the source of light and the scope raising atom to an excited state

Question 34

continuous spectrum

Answer 34

spectrum with all light frequencies

Question 35

work function

Answer 35

minimum energy required to eject an electron from a metal surface as a result (this energy is larger for electrons at lower energy levels)

Question 36

photoelectric effect

Answer 36

emission of electrons from a metal surface as a result of the absorption of electromagnetic wave energy

Question 37

De Broglie hypothesis

Answer 37

all moving particles have a matter-wave associated with them (they have wave-like properties)

Question 38

Heisenberg uncertainty principle

Answer 38

fundamental limit to the possible accuracy of any physical measurement

Question 39

threshold frequency

Answer 39

minimum frequency of light needed to allow photoelectrons to be emitted from an atom

Question 40

nuclide

Answer 40

particular species of an atom with contains specific number of protons and neutrons

Question 41

isotopes

Answer 41

nuclei with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons

Question 42

ionisation

Answer 42

occurs when electrons are removed from an atom

Question 43

mass defect

Answer 43

difference between mass of the nucleus and masses of its component nucleons

Question 44

binding energy

Answer 44

energy required to break the nucleus into its constituent nucleons

Question 45

critical mass

Answer 45

the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear reaction

Question 46

coherent light

Answer 46

oscillations with the same frequencies and constant phase difference

Question 47

escape speed

Answer 47

speed of a rocket needed to escape the gravitational attraction of the planet, which means getting to infinite distance away

Question 48

isochronous pendulum

Answer 48

pendulum with period not dependent on amplitude of the oscillations

Question 49

decay constant

Answer 49

probability of decay of nucleus in one second

Question 50

RC circuit time constant

Answer 50

time required to charge the capacitor to 63.2% of the applied voltage