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A-Level Physics Paper 1 > Definitions Paper 1 > Flashcards

Definitions Paper 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a scalar quantity?

A

A quantity that only has magnitude.

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2
Q

What is a vector quantity?

A

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

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3
Q

What is the centre of mass?

A

The point through which all the weight of an object is deemed to act.

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4
Q

What is a moment?

A

A force multiplied by the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the pivot.

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5
Q

What is the principle of moments?

A

For a system to be in equilibrium, the total clockwise moments must equal the total anticlockwise moments about the same point.

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6
Q

What are the equilibrium conditions?

A

The resultant force must be zero and the resultant moment must be zero.

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7
Q

What is a couple?

A

A pair of equal and opposite forces acting on a body but not along the same line.

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8
Q

What is the moment of a couple?

A

A force multiplied by the perpendicular distance between the lines of action of the forces.

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9
Q

What is displacement?

A

A distance in a given direction from a given point.

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10
Q

What is velocity?

A

The rate of change of displacement with respect to time.

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11
Q

What is acceleration?

A

The rate of change of velocity with respect to time.

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12
Q

What is speed?

A

The rate of change of distance travelled with respect to time.

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13
Q

What is terminal velocity?

A

The maximum velocity attainable by an object as it falls through a fluid.

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14
Q

What is Newton’s 1st Law?

A

If no resultant force acts on a body then it will either remain at rest or continue moving with constant velocity.

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15
Q

What is Newton’s 2nd Law?

A

F = ma – The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the resultant force, in the same direction as the force, and inversely proportional to the mass.

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16
Q

What is Newton’s 3rd Law?

A

When two objects interact, they exert an equal and opposite force on each other.

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17
Q

What is work done?

A

The force causing a motion multiplied by the distance travelled in the direction of the motion.

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18
Q

What is power?

A

The rate of transfer of energy or the rate at which work is done.

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19
Q

What is the conservation of momentum?

A

The total momentum of a system remains constant provided no external resultant force acts.

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20
Q

What is an elastic collision?

A

A collision with no net loss of kinetic energy.

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21
Q

What is an inelastic collision?

A

A collision where some kinetic energy is lost.

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22
Q

What is a perfectly inelastic collision?

A

Maximum kinetic energy is lost; objects stick together.

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23
Q

What is the conservation of energy?

A

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred.

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24
Q

What is density?

A

Mass per unit volume.

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25
What is Hooke’s Law?
Extension is proportional to force up to the limit of proportionality.
26
What is elastic behaviour?
Returns to original shape after deformation.
27
What is plastic behaviour?
Does not return to original shape.
28
What is the elastic limit?
Maximum extension for elastic behaviour.
29
What is tensile stress?
Force per unit cross-sectional area.
30
What is tensile strain?
Extension divided by original length.
31
What does ductile mean?
Can undergo large plastic deformation.
32
What is fracture?
Separation under stress.
33
What is breaking stress?
Stress at which material breaks.
34
What is elastic strain energy?
Work done to stretch/compress within elastic limit.
35
What does brittle mean?
Breaks with little deformation.
36
What is Young’s modulus?
Stiffness = stress / strain.
37
What is specific charge?
Charge-to-mass ratio.
38
What is an isotope?
Same protons, different neutrons.
39
What is an electron volt?
Energy gained by one electron through 1V.
40
What is pair production?
Photon → particle + antiparticle.
41
What is annihilation?
Particle + antiparticle → 2 photons.
42
What are strange particles?
Made by strong interaction, decay via weak.
43
What is threshold frequency?
Minimum frequency for photoelectric emission.
44
What is work function?
Energy to remove an electron from a metal.
45
What is stopping potential?
Minimum potential to stop highest energy photoelectrons.
46
What is excitation?
Electron moves to higher energy level.
47
What is ionisation?
Electron escapes atom.
48
What is electric current?
Rate of flow of charge.
49
What is potential difference?
Work done per coulomb.
50
What is resistance?
Voltage / current.
51
What is resistivity?
Resistance × area / length.
52
What is Ohm’s Law?
V ∝ I at constant temperature.
53
What is a superconductor?
Zero resistivity below critical temp.
54
What is EMF?
Energy transferred per coulomb by a cell.
55
What is terminal PD?
Voltage across cell terminals.
56
What is a longitudinal wave?
Oscillations parallel to direction of energy.
57
What is a transverse wave?
Oscillations perpendicular.
58
What is amplitude?
Max displacement.
59
What is wavelength?
Distance between peaks.
60
What is frequency?
Oscillations per second.
61
What is time period?
Time for one oscillation.
62
What is phase?
Point on wave cycle.
63
What is phase difference?
Fractional lag between waves.
64
What is a progressive wave?
Transfers energy.
65
What is a stationary wave?
Formed from two oppositely moving waves.
66
What is a node?
Zero amplitude point.
67
What is an antinode?
Max amplitude point.
68
What is path difference?
Difference in distances waves travel.
69
What is total internal reflection?
Complete reflection at boundary.
70
What is monochromatic light?
Single wavelength.
71
What is wave interference?
Superposition of waves.
72
What is a diffraction grating?
Slit array causing diffraction.
73
What is refractive index?
Speed of light in vacuum / medium.
74
What is absorption?
Energy loss in fibre.
75
What is modal dispersion?
Rays take different paths.
76
What is material dispersion?
Different speeds due to wavelengths.
77
What is pulse broadening?
Signal spreading.
78
What is diffraction?
Wave spreading around obstacles.
79
What is a coherent source?
Same frequency and constant phase difference.
80
What is centripetal acceleration?
Towards centre, perpendicular to velocity.
81
What is centripetal force?
Inward resultant force.
82
What is damping?
Energy loss from oscillating object.
83
What is angular speed?
Angle moved per unit time.
84
What are the SHM conditions?
a ∝ -x.
85
What are free vibrations?
No external force; natural frequency.
86
What are forced vibrations?
External driving force.
87
What is resonance?
Driving frequency = natural frequency → max amplitude.

A-Level Physics Paper 1 (8 decks)

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