Definitions

Ch.1 : Measurement
Physical Quantities Quantities which can be measured

Base Quantities Quantities which cannot be derived in terms of other physical quantities

Quantities which can be derived from base quantities by multiplication or division or both
Derived Quantities
operations

Scalar Quantities Quantities which have only magnitude

Vector Quantities Quantities which have magnitude and direction

Ch. 2 : Force and Motion (1)

Distance The total length of path between the initial and final positions

The shortest distance between the initial position and final position in a specific
Displacement
direction
Speed Rate of change of distance travelled

Velocity Rate of change of displacement

Acceleration Rate of change of velocity

Free Fall A condition where an object falls due to gravitational pull only

Inertia The tendency of an object to oppose any changes to its original state

Newton’s First Law of Motion An object will remain at rest or move at uniform velocity in straight line unless acted
(Law of Inertia) by an external force
Momentum Product of mass and velocity

Principle of Conservation of
Total momentum of a system is conserved if there is no external force
Momentum

Newton’s Second Law of
Motion (Momentum)
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
(Impulsive Force)
Impulse
Rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the force and acts in the
direction of the applied force
For every action, there is a reaction force of equal magnitude but act in opposite
direction
Change of momentum

Impulsive Force Rate of change of momentum

Weight Gravitational force acting on an object

Mass Quantity of matter in an object

Gravitational Field A region where an object experience gravitational force

Gravitational Field Strength Gravitational force acting per unit mass

Ch. 3 : Gravitation
The gravitational force between two bodies is directly proportional to the
Newton’s Universal Law of
product of the massed of both bodies and inversely proportional to the square
Gravitation
of the distance between the centres of the two bodies

Centripetal Force For a body in circular motion, a force acts on the body in a direction towards
the centre of the circle

Definitions 1
 Kepler’s First Law (Law of Orbits) All planets move in elliptical orbit with the Sun at one focus

A line that connects a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal
Kepler’s Second Law (Law of Areas)
times.
The square of the orbital period of any planet is directly proportional to the
Kepler’s Third Law (Law of Periods)
cube of the radius of its orbit

The satellite that is always above the same geographical location when view
Geostationary Satellite
from the Earth
The satellite that is always above different geographical location at different
Non-Geostationary Satellite
times when view from the Earth

The minimum velocity needed by an object on the surface of the Earth to

Escape Velocity
overcome the gravitational force and escape to outer space

Ch. 4 : Heat
Heat A type of energy that flow from high temperature to low temperature object

Temperature Degree of hotness

A situation where two objects in thermal contact having the same temperature and
Thermal Equilibrium
the net heat flow between the two objects is zero
Heat Capacity Quantity of heat needed to raise the temperature of the object by 1°C

Quantity of heat needed to change the temperature of 1kg mass of the substance by
Specific Heat Capacity
1°C

Definitions 2