Physics Definitions

 KINEMATICS:
1. Distance: The length of the path between two points. It is a scalar
quantity and is measured in the SI unit meter (m).
2. Displacement: The shortest distance between two points in a
linear direction from a fixed point of reference. It is a vector quantity
measured in the SI unit meter (m).
3. Speed: The rate of change of distance. It has the formula and is a
scalar quantity measured in the SI unit meter per second (ms-1).
4. Velocity: The rate of change of displacement. It has the formula
and is a vector quantity measured in the SI unit meter per second
(ms-1).
5. Acceleration: The rate of change of velocity. It has the formula
and is a vector quantity measured in the SI unit meter per second
square (ms-2).

 DYNAMICS:
1. Newton’s First Law: A body continues in a state of rest or of
motion at a constant speed in a straight line unless acted upon by an
external force.
2. Newton’s Second Law: The net force acting on a body of constant
mass is directly proportional to the acceleration it gains if no
external force is acting on the body. F = ma.
3. Newton’s Third Law: For every action, there is an equal but
opposite reaction.
4. Mass: The measure of a body’s resistance to changes in its
dynamic state. It is a scalar quantity measured in the SI unit kilogram
(kg).
 5. Weight: The force a body experiences due to the effect of
gravitational acceleration on its mass towards the center of the
earth. It has the formula W = mg and is a vector quantity measured
in the special SI unit Newton (N).
6. Linear Momentum: The product of the mass of a body and its
velocity. It is a quantity that describes the motion of a body. It has
the formula p = mv and is a vector quantity measured in the SI unit
Newton second (Ns).
7. Force: The rate of change of momentum of the body upon which it
acts. It has the equation F = dp/dt and is a vector quantity measured
in the SI unit Newton (N).
8. Principle of Conservation of Momentum: The total momentum of
interacting bodies in a closed system remains constant providing
that there is no external force acting on it.

 FORCES:
1. Up thrust: The buoyancy force acting upwards on an object when
it is completely or partially immersed in a fluid resulting in apparent
loss in weight. The magnitude of the up thrust is equal to the weight
of the fluid displaced. It has the formula U = weight of fluid displaced
and is a vector quantity measured in the SI unit Newton (N).
2. Centre of Mass: The point where the mass of an object may be
assumed to be concentrated. If a force is applied through this point,
the body translates and does not rotate.
3. Centre of Gravity: The point through which the weight of a body
may be assumed to act. It has a symbol (G).
4. Couple: Two forces of the same magnitude, parallel to each other,
acting in opposite directions on the same body, but not along the
same line, which tend to rotate the body on which they are acting.
5. Moment of a Force: The product of the force and the
perpendicular distance between the line of action of the force and
the pivot. It has the formula ‘moment = F x d’ and is a pseudo-vector
quantity measured in the SI unit Newton meter (Nm).
 6. Moment arm: The perpendicular distance between the line of
action of a force and the pivot. It is measured in the SI unit meter
(m).

7. Torque of a Couple: The net moment produced by a couple. Its

magnitude is the product of one of the forces and the perpendicular
distance between the couple. It has the formula T=fd and is a
pseudo-vector quantity measured in the SI unit Newton meter (Nm).

8. Principle of Moments: For a body/system in equilibrium, the sum

of the clockwise and anticlockwise moments about any point in or
out of the system is equal.

9. System in Equilibrium: A system is said to be in equilibrium when

the net force in any two perpendicularly resolved directions is
individually equal to zero, or when the sum of the moments about
any point in or out of the system is equal to zero.

10. Centripetal Force: The force that is necessary to keep an object

moving in a circular path and that is directed inward towards the
center of rotation

 WORK, ENERGY & POWER

1. Principle of Conservation of Energy: The total amount of energy
within a closed system remains constant, i.e., energy can neither be
created nor destroyed, but can be changed from one form to
another with the total amount remaining constant.
2. Work: The product of the force and the displacement in the
direction of the force. It has the formula W=Fs and is a scalar
quantity measured in the SI unit Newton meter (Nm), or joule(J).
3. Gravitational Potential Energy: The energy possessed by a body,
available to do work, due to its height above a reference point. It
has the formula EG.P. = mgh and is a scalar quantity measured in the
SI unit joule (J).
4. Electric Potential Energy: The energy possessed by a charged
body, available to do work, due to its position in an electric field. It
has the formula EE.P. = QV and is a scalar quantity measured in the
SI unit joule (J).
5. Elastic Potential Energy: The energy that is stored in a body due to
its deformed (i.e., stretched or compressed) condition, and is
available to do work. It has the formula EE. P = .Fe or EE.P = .ke2 and
is a scalar quantity measured in the SI unit joule (J).
6. Potential Energy: The stored energy in a body available to do
work. It is a scalar quantity measured in the SI unit joule (J).
7. Kinetic Energy: The energy possessed by a body, available to do
work, due to virtue of its motion. It has the formula EK=.mv2 and is a
scalar quantity measured in the SI unit joule (J
8. Internal Energy: The sum total of the random kinetic and potential
energies of the atoms or molecules of a substance.
9. Efficiency: The ratio of the useful work done to the total input
energy. It has the formula η = useful work done ÷ total input energy
or η = useful power output ÷ total power input and is a scalar
quantity with no units. Percentage efficiency can be calculated by
multiplying the efficiency by 100.
10. Power: The rate at which work is done. It has the formula
P=work done ÷ time taken and is a scalar quantity measured in the SI
unit watt (W).

• NUCLEAR PHYSICS:
1. Nucleon Number (A): The total number of protons and neutrons in
a nucleus.
2. Proton Number (Z): The total number of protons in a nucleus.
3. Nuclide: A species of atom characterized by the constitution of its
nucleus and hence by the number of protons, the number of
neutrons, and the energy content.
4. Isotope: Different forms of the same element with the same
number of protons but different number of neutrons.
5. Nuclear Decay: The process in which unstable nuclei disintegrate
and emit α-particles, β-particles and/or γ-rays in the process.
6. Spontaneous Decay: Decay that is unaffected by environmental
changes such as temperature, pressure or humidity.
7. Random Decay: All identical nuclei have an equal probability of
decay in a given time interval but is not possible to predict when an
individual nucleus will decay.
8. Alpha-Decay: A type of nuclear decay in which the mass number
decreases by 4 units while the atomic number decreases by 2 units
as an α-particle is emitted from the nucleus.
9. Beta-Decay: A type of nuclear decay in which a high-speed
electron (a β-particle) is emitted from the nucleus resulting in an
increase in the atomic number by 1 unit and no change in the mass
number.
10. Radiation: A type of nuclear decay in which γ-rays are emitted
from the nucleus and there is no change in either the atomic number
or the mass number.

• CURRENT ELECTRICITY:
1. Electric Current: The rate of flow of charge. It is given by the
formula I=dQ/dt and is a scalar quantity measured in the SI unit
ampere (A). Conventionally the direction of current is taken to be in
the direction of flow of positive charge.
2. Charge: Charge is defined as the product of current and time. It is
a scalar quantity measured in coulombs (C).
3. Coulomb: A unit of electric charge equal to the quantity of
electricity transferred by a current of one ampere in one second.
One coulomb consists of 6.25×1018 electrons.
4. Volt: A unit of electrical potential difference and electromotive
force
5. Resistance: The ratio of the potential difference across the ends of
a load to the current flowing through it. It is given by the formula
R=V/I and is a scalar quantity measured in the SI unit ohm (Ω).
6. Internal Resistance: The resistance to the flow of current a cell or
a battery offers before the current is supplied to the external circuit.
7. Ohm: A unit of electric resistance equal to the resistance of a
conductor in which a potential difference of one volt produces a
current of one ampere.
8. Ohm’s Law: The potential difference across a component is
proportional to the current flowing through it providing physical
conditions remain constant. It is represented by the formula V=IR.
9. E.M.F: The electromotive force of a source is defined as the
energy supplied per unit charge by the source to drive the charge
round a complete circuit including the internal battery. The e.m.f.
represents the conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy. It
is given by the formula E = energy converted ÷ total charge and is a
scalar quantity measured in the SI unit volt (V).
10. P.D.: The potential difference between two points is defined as
the energy expended per unit charge when the charge flows from
one point to another. The p.d. represents the conversion of
electrical energy into other forms of energy such as thermal energy.
It is given by the formula E= energy converted ÷ total charge and is a
scalar quantity measured in the SI unit volt (V).