CIE PH 9702: TERMS AND DEFINITIONS (AS LEVEL)

TERM
Scalar quantity

DEFINITION
Quantity with magnitude

Vector quantity

Quantity with magnitude and direction

Centre of gravity

A point where whole weight of a body

is considered to act

Internal energy

Sum of random kinetic energies and potential energies

of the molecule of the substance

Density

Mass per unit volume

Mass

Quantity of matter in a body

Weight

Force due to gravitational force

Pressure

Force per unit cross-sectional area

Force

Force is rate of change of momentum

Power

Power is the rate of doing work OR

Power = work done/time

Work done

Force x displacement in the direction of the force

Moment of a force

Force x perpendicular distance from the pivot

Torque of a couple

One of the forces

multiplied by the perpendicular distance between the
forces

Acceleration

Rate of change of velocity

Distance

Distance is sum of lengths moved

Displacement

Displacement is straight line between two points

Speed

Rate of change of distance

Velocity

Rate of change of displacement

Displacement (wave)

Displacement for a wave is defined as distance from

equilibrium

Crystalline

Atoms in a regular arrangement

Polymer

Long chain molecules/ chains of monomers

Amorphous

Disordered arrangement of molecules

Brownian motion

Random movement of (smoke) particles

Potential energy

Stored energy available to do work

Gravitational potential energy

Energy of a mass due to position/height

Elastic potential energy/Strain

energy
Stress

Energy due to deformation/stretching

Strain

Strain is extension/original length

Elastic deformation

Material does return to original length/dimension when

force is removed

Plastic deformation

Material does not return back to original

length/dimension when force is removed

Elastic limit

Point beyond which (the spring) does not return back to

its original length when the force applied is removed

Young Modulus

Young modulus = stress/strain

Monochromatic light

Single wavelength light

Antinode

Maximum amplitude

Node

Zero amplitude

Transverse wave

Vibrations are perpendicular t o energy propagation

Longitudinal wave

Vibrations are parallel to energy propagation

Frequency

No of oscillations p
er unit time

Wavelength

Minimum distance between two adjacent crests or

troughs

Speed of progressive wave

Speed at which energy is transferred

Diffraction

A wave spreads when passes a slit/incident on edge

Stress = Force/cross-sectional area

Polarisation

Vibrations in one direction

Coherence

Constant phase difference (between waves)

Electric field strength

Electric field strength = force/ positive charge

Momentum

Momentum = mass x velocity

Elastic collision

Kinetic energy is conserved on impact/collision

Inelastic collision

Kinetic energy is not conserved on impact/collision

Charge

Charge = current x time

Resistance

Resistance = potential difference/current

Resistivity

Resistivity = resistance x area / (length)

Electromotive force (e.m.f)

Work per unit charge

transfer of chemical energy to electrical energy

Potential difference (p.d)

Work per unit charge

transfer of electrical energy to thermal energy (or other
forms)

Electric current

Rate of flow of charged particles

Internal resistance

Resistance of the cell causing loss of voltage

Ohm

Ohm = Volt/Ampere

Isotope

Nuclei with the same number of protons

and a different number of neutrons

Radioactive decay

Nucleus emits alpha or beta and/or gamma rays

to form more stable nucleus

Spontaneous decay

Decays unaffected by environmental changes

Such as temp, pressure etc

Interference

When two(or more) waves meet

There is a change in overall displacement

Random

Cannot predict which nucleus will decay next

CIE PH 9702: LAWS & PRINCIPLES (AS LEVEL)

LAW/PRINCIPLE

STATEMENT

Conservation of Energy

For a c
losed system, total energy remains
constant, energy can be transformed to another
forms

Conservation of momentum

Total momentum before = total momentum after

in any closed system/no external force acts on
system

Newton First law of motion

A body will remain stationary or moving with

constant velocity unless acted upon a r esultant
external force

Newtons Third law of motion

When body A exerts a force on body B, body B

will exert an e
qual magnitude but opposite
direction of force on body A

Principle of Superposition

When two (or more ) waves meet

The resultant displacement is sum of individual
displacements
Force is proportional to extension

Hookes Law
Kirchoffs 1st law

Sum of currents into a junction = sum of currents

out of the junction

Kirchoffs 2nd law

Sum of e.m.fs = Sum of p.d.s around a

loop/circuit

Ohms law

For conductor at c
onstant temperature, the
current is directly proportional to the potential
difference across it