AS PHYSICS DEFINITIONS

Lvl Ch Term Definition

Some combination of the base units. The base units may be multiplied together or
AS 1 Derived Units
divided by one another, but never added or subtracted.
When each term has the same base units, the equation is said to be homogeneous or
AS 1 Homogeneous Units
‘balanced’.
AS 1 Scalar A quantity that has magnitude/size
AS 1 Vector A quantity that has magnitude/size and direction
How close a reading is to its true value. When readings are accurate, the peak /
AS 1 Accuracy
average value moves towards the true value
Smallest change in value that can be measured by an instrument. OR Spread of
AS 1 Precision values / measurements (scatter between each data is relatively small/ lines are closer
together / sharper peak)
Readings have positive and negative values around the peak value / values are
AS 1 Random errors scattered / wide range. To reduce errors, take several readings to get an average
value.
The average / peak is not the true value / the readings are not centred around the true
AS 1 Systematic Error
value. Look/check for zero error to avoid systematic error.
AS 1 Uncertainty The range of value within which a measurement is likely to be in.
AS 2 Acceleration (vector) Rate of change of velocity.
Displacement is the straight line distance between start and finish points (in that direction) / minimum
AS 2
(vector) distance
AS 2 Distance (scalar) is the actual path travelled
The downward motion of an object under the influence of force of gravity with a
AS 2 Free Fall
constant acceleration (g = 9.81 ms-2).
Objects acted upon by a force with vector at perpendicular to its horizontal velocity.
AS 2 Projectile motion
Asume zero frictional forces. Tracjectory of the object will result in a parabola.
AS 2 Speed (scalar) Distance travelled per unit time taken
AS 2 Terminal velocity Constant speed of object when resultant force is zero due to large air resistance.
AS 2 Velocity (vector) Rate of change of displacement
Conservation Of Total momentum of (an isolated) system (of interacting bodies) remains constant,
AS 3
Momentum provided there are no resultant external forces (e.g. friction)
Total momentum and total Kinetic Energy of a system is conserved. Relative speed of
AS 3 Elastic Collisions
approach is equal to the relative speed of separation
AS 3 Force Rate of change of momentum
AS 3 Force It is defined as the rate of change of momentum of a body
AS 3 Impulse It is the product of a force & the time during which the force is applied.
Total momentum of a system is conserved, but the total Kinetic Energy is not
AS 3 Inelastic Collisions
conserved. Speed before impact is not equal to speed
Product of an object's mass & velocity, with its direction always being the same as the
AS 3 Linear Momentum
direction of velocity.
It is a measure of inertia of a body or the property of a body that resists change in
AS 3 Mass
motion
A body remains at rest or constant velocity unless acted on by a resultant (external)
AS 3 Newton’s 1st Law
force
AS 3 Newton’s 2nd Law The (resultant) force is proportional to the rate of change of momentum
If one body exerts a force on another, it will experience a force by the other body,
AS 3 Newton’s 3rd Law which is equal in magnitude & opposite in direction. Both forces are the of the same
kind.
AS 3 Weight Weight is the force due to the gravitational field
The point on an object at which the entire weight of the body seemingly acts. It is the
AS 4 Centre Of Gravity
point at which the Earth actually applies the pull of gravity.
 AS PHYSICS DEFINITIONS
AS 4 Density Amount of mass per unit volume of a substance.
Net / resultant force and moment is zero (OR sum of clockwise moments = sum of
AS 4 Equilibrium anticlockwise moments). If the triangle of forces is ‘closed’ then there is no resultant
force and the object is in equilibrium.
AS 4 Moment / Torque Product of the force and the perpendicular distance to the pivot
AS 4 Pressure The perpendicular/normal force applied per unit area
Principle Of The sum of the clockwise moments about a point equals the sum of the anticlockwise
AS 4
Moments moments (about the same point)
Product of one of the forces and perpendicular distance between forces. (The turning
AS 4 Torque Of A Couple
effect caused by two equal & opposite forces when their line of actions are different.)
It is the resultant force on a submerged object due to pressure difference between the
AS 4 Upthrust higher pressure at the bottom of the object and the lower pressure at the top of the
object immersed in a fluid.
AS 5 Energy It is the stored ability to do work.
AS 5 Work Done Product of a force & the distance moved in the direction of the force.
Gravitational
AS 5 Energy stored due to height/position of mass
Potential Energy
AS 5 Internal Energy It is the total of the microscopic Kinetic & Potential energies of particles of a material.
AS 5 Kinetic Energy Energy of an object due to its motion.
AS 5 Potential Energy Energy stored by an object to do work
Elastic Potential
AS 5 Energy stored due to deformation or change in shape of an object
Energy
Electric potential
AS 5 Potential energy (stored) when charge moved due to work done in electric field
energy
AS 5 Power Rate of work done
AS 5 Efficiency The fraction of the useful power output obtained from the total power input.
Materials which do not undergo plastic deformation. Force proportional to extension
AS 6 Brittle Materials
until it breaks
Materials which undergo plastic deformation after a considerable elastic deformation.
AS 6 Ductile Materials
Initially force proportional to extension then a large extension for small change in force
AS 6 Elastic Deformation Object returns to its original length (zero extension) when load is removed
The area under such a graph is the work done in stretching a material. For the
Force-Extension straight-line portion of the graph, it is a measure of the elastic potential energy stored
AS 6
Graph by the material, provided that the graph for decreasing loads is the same as that for
increasing loads. It is also known as strain energy.
Force/load is proportional to extension/compression if proportionality limit is not
AS 6 Hooke's Law
exceeded.
When a sufficiently large force is applied, localized narrowing occurs at weak points, &
AS 6 Necking
the wire eventually breaks at one of these points.
AS 6 Plastic Deformation Wire/body object does not return to its original shape / length when load is removed
Materials which can undergo great strain, & deform to a very great degree. E.g.
AS 6 Polymeric Materials
rubber, glass, cement
AS 6 Strain Extension over original length (ratio). Stress is the cause & strain is the effect.
AS 6 Stress It is the force per unit cross-section area required to stretch a material.
Ultimate Tensile The maximum force / original cross-sectional area the wire is able to support before it
AS 6
Strength breaks
Ultimate Tensile
AS 6 The maximum value of stress that an object can sustain before it breaks.
Stress
AS 6 Young’s Modulus Ratio of stress to strain.
 AS PHYSICS DEFINITIONS
AS 7 Progressive wave The transfer or propagation of energy as a result of oscillations / vibrations
A wave in which displacement of particles is perpendicular to the direction of wave
AS 7 Transverse Waves propagation, resulting in crests & troughs. Transverse waves have vibrations that are
perpendicular / normal to the direction of energy travel
A wave in which displacement of particles is parallel to the direction of wave propagation.
AS 7 Longitudinal Waves
Longitudinal waves have vibrations that are parallel to the direction of energy travel
Distance moved by wave energy / wavefront during one cycle of the source or minimum
AS 7 Wavelength
distance between two points with the same phase or between adjacent crests or troughs.
AS 7 Frequency (Hz) Number of oscillations per unit time (not per second)
AS 7 Period The time taken to complete one oscillation/cycle. Or time between adjacent wavefonts.
AS 7 Amplitude Maximum displacement of a particle in the wave
AS 7 Displacement Distance (of point on wave) from rest / equilibrium position
The difference in the relative positions of the crests or troughs of two waves of the same
AS 7 Phase Difference
frequency expressed in radians or degrees.
AS 7 (Wave) Intensity The intensity of a wave is the energy passing through unit area per unit time.
Speed at which energy is transferred / speed of wavefront. It is NOT the speed with which
AS 7 (Wave) Speed
particles in the wave move.
AS 7 Doppler Effect Change in observed frequency when source moves relative to the observer
electromagnetic waves (a transverse wave) can travel through a vacuum / free space. The
Electromagnetic
AS 7 displacement in the case of electromagnetic waves is a variation in the electric & magnetic
Waves
fields perpendicular to each other.
AS 7 Polarisation Oscillations or vibrations are in one direction, perpendicular to direction of propagation.
AS 8 Transfer of Energy The transfer of energy is due to a progressive wave, NOT a standing/stationary wave.
AS 8 Coherence Two waves with a constant phase difference are said to be coherent.
Principle of When two waves of the with similar frequency &amp meet/overlap, the resultant
AS 8
Superposition displacement is the sum of the individual displacement of each wave.
AS 8 Node Position along wave with no motion / zero amplitude
AS 8 Antinode Position along wave with maximum amplitude.
Constructive
AS 8 Two waves' path difference is either λ or nλ, OR phase difference is 360°or n ×360° or n2π
Interference
Destructive Two waves' path difference is either λ/2 or (n+ ½) λ OR phase difference is odd multiple of
AS 8
Interference either 180° or π rad
Two waves of same frequency/wavelength travelling (along the same line) in opposite
AS 8 Stationary Waves directions overlap/meet. The resultant displacement is the sum of displacements of each
wave / produces nodes and antinodes
Stationary Wave Does not transfer energy (no energy transfer). The amplitude of standing wave varies along
AS 8
Properties its length/nodes and antinodes.Neighboring points (in inter-nodal loop) vibrate in phase
Fringe
AS 8 The separation between one bright fringe & the next bright fringe.
Width/Separation

When two waves superpose/overlap, the resultant displacement is the sum of individual
AS 8 Interference
displacements of overlapping waves, forming alternating maxima and minima.

When a wave (front) passes by/incident on an edge/slit, the wave spreads into the
AS 8 Diffraction
geometrical shadow
When waves pass through the gaps / slits in the grating, the wave bends/spreads (into the
AS 8 Diffraction Grating
geometrical shadow)
AS 8 Refraction The change in direction of a wave due to change in speed.
 AS PHYSICS DEFINITIONS
If a charge of 1 Coulomb passes through an electrical component per second, then the
AS 9 Ampere
current maintained is 1 Ampere
AS 9 Charge Charge = current x time
The SI unit of electrical charge. A charge of 1C passes a point when a current of 1A flows
AS 9 Coulomb
for 1s.
It is the amount of charge flowing pass a point per unit time.Or rate of flow of charged
AS 9 Electric Current
particles.
AS 9 Ohm volt/ampere
The current through a metallic conductor is proportional to the P.D across it provided that its
AS 9 Ohm’s Law
temperature remains constant.
Potential Energy converted from electrical to other forms of energy per unit charge that passes
AS 9
Difference through it.
AS 9 Quantised Charge only exists in discrete amounts. Charge on carriers is quantised.
AS 9 Resistance The ratio of P.D over the current for an electrical component
AS 9 Resistivity The resistivity of a wire of a particular material is its resistance for unit length.
A specific type of resistor, in which, as temperature increases, the magnitude of the
AS 9 Thermistor
resistor’s resistance decreases, & vice versa.
P.D between two points in a circuit in which 1J of energy is converted when 1C of charge
AS 9 Volt
passes from one point to the other.
While e.m.f refers to the amount of energy converted into electrical energy per unit charge
supplied, P.D refers to the amount of electrical energy converted into other forms of energy
AS 10 E.m.f & P.D
per unit charge supplied. The e.m.f of a source is equal to the potential difference across its
terminals as the current approaches zero.
Electromotive
AS 10 Energy converted from chemical into electrical energy per unit charge.
Force
Internal
AS 10 (resistance of the cell) causing loss of voltage or energy loss in cell
Resistance
Kirchhoff’s 1st The sum of currents into a junction = sum of currents out of junction, Because charge
AS 10
Law cannot be created or destroyed (conservation of charge).
Kirchhoff’s 2nd Sum of e.m.f.’s = sum of p.d.’s around a loop/circuit. Because any gains in electrical energy
AS 10
Law of a charge must be balanced by corresponding losses of energy (conservation of energy).
Law of
Kirchhoff’s First & Second Laws are in correspondence & actually are an appreciation of the
AS 10 Conservation of
Law of Conservation of Charge & the Law of Conservation of Energy respectively.
Charge
A battery delivers the maximum power to a circuit when the load resistance of the circuit is
Output Power equal to the internal resistance of the battery. When load resistance is zero, power
10
(Circuit) dissipated by load is zero because P=I^2R. When load resistance is very large, power
dissipated gets very small as the current through the load is reduced significantly.
When a potential divider arrangement is used to compare e.m.fs of two sources, it is known
AS 10 Potentiometer
a potentiometer.
Either helium nucleus OR particle containing two protons and two neutrons with mass 4u.
AS 11 Alpha particle Radiation can be deflected in electric/magnetic fields, and absorbed by thin paper or few cm
of air. Radiation is highly ionizing.
11 Baryon A type of hadron particle that is made up of three quarks (e.g. proton and neutron).
Produced due to weak nuclear force/interaction. β-particles are fast moving electrons with a
range of speeds up to 0.99c. This radiation can be deflected by electric and magnetic fields
AS 11 Beta Particle
or negatively charged, and absorbed by few (1 – 4) mm of aluminum. 0.5 to 2m for range in
air.
γ- radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths between 10^(-11) m
AS 11 Gamma Radiation
and 10^(-13) m.
Class of heavy particles made up of quarks held together by strong nuclear force. Hadron is
11 Hadron
not a fundamental particle.
Atoms (same element) which have the same proton number, but a different nucleon number
AS 11 Isotopes
/ number of neutrons.
11 Meson A type of hadron particle that is made up of two quarks.
 AS PHYSICS DEFINITIONS
Nucleon (mass) The number of protons together with the number of neutrons in the nucleus is called the
AS 11
Number nucleon number (or mass number) A
AS 11 Proton Number The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom ( aka atomic number) Z
The simple model of the atom is made up of three sub-atomic particles: The proton (which is
positively charged), the neutron (which is uncharged but equal in mass to the proton), & the
AS 11 The Atom
electron (which is negatively charged & equal to the charge on the proton, but much smaller
in size & mass).