Important Physics Definitions (AS)

● Scalar → magnitude only

● Vector → magnitude and direction
● Random error: causes readings to vary around the mean value in unpredictable
amounts each time
● Systemic error: when readings differ from the true value by a consistent amount each
time
● Accurate → close to the true value of the quantity
● Precise → similar values that are above the mean value

● Displacement → distance from a point in a specified direction

● Velocity → rate of change of displacement
● Acceleration → rate of change of velocity
● Force → The rate of change of momentum
● Power → rate of work done/energy transferred
● Work/Energy → The product of force and displacement in the direction of the force

● Principle of conservation of momentum → In a closed system, the total momentum

before a collision is equal to the total momentum after a collision
● Elastic collision conditions: final velocity/kinetic energy should be the same before
and after collision (relative speed of approach = relative speed of separation)

● Principle of moments → the sum of clockwise moments about a point equals the sum
of anti-clockwise moments at the same point
● Center of gravity→ point at which the whole weight of the body is acting on.
● Torque of a couple(moments) → the product of force and perpendicular distance in the
line of action of the force
● Equilibrium conditions(moments): resultant force is zero and sum of clockwise
moments=sum of anti-clockwise moments/resultant torque is zero
*a body of constant mass can change weight if the gravitational field strength changes or there
are changes in the fluid surrounding the body
- Moment: force x perpendicular distance of force from pivot
- Couple: one force x perpendicular distance between two forces
 ● Conditions of an object experiencing projectile motion → constant acceleration in
the vertical direction and horizontal velocity is constant
● Newton’s first law → A body continues at rest or at constant velocity unless acted on
by a resultant force
● Newton’s second law → resultant force is equal to the rate of change of momentum.
● Newton’s third law → The force acting on one body is equal in magnitude to the force
acting on another body. The force is also the same kind and acts in opposite directions.
● Potential energy → energy stored in an object that’s available to do work

● Young Modulus→ a measure of an object’s stress over its strain

● Hooke’s Law→ is the elastic limit is not exceeded, the extension of an object is directly
proportional to the applied force.
● An object is undergoing elastic change if there’s no permanent deformation
● Tensile stress → force per unit cross-sectional area that acts at right angles to a
surface
● Tensile strain → extension per unit length
● Elastic extension/deformation → a wire returns to its original length when the load is
removed
● Plastic deformation → object does not return to its original length once force is
removed
● Elastic limit → the stress beyond which an object will not return to its original length
● Limit of proportionality → point beyond which force is no longer proportional to its
extension

● Interference → the superposition of two or more waves from coherent sources

- Same type
- Meet at a point
- Same direction of polarization
● Coherence → two waves emitted from two sources that have a constant phase
difference
● Diffraction → when a wave is incident on an edge and spreads
● Transverse wave → vibrations normal to the direction of energy
● Polarisation → vibrations in one direction
● Frequency → the number of oscillations per unit time of the source
● Speed (waves) → speed at which energy is transferred
● Node → a point on the wave with zero amplitude
● Antinode → a point on the wave with maximum amplitude
● Factors of stationary wave that distinguish it from a progressive wave → there’s no
energy transfer, amplitude varies along its length
● Principle of superposition → when two or more waves meet at a point, the resultant
displacement is the sum of the displacement of the individual waves
● Doppler’s Effect → the change of frequency of a wave observed when the source of the
wave is moving towards or away from the observer

● Kirchhoff's first law → The sum of currents entering any point in the circuit is equal to
the sum of currents leaving that same point
● Kirchhoff's second law → the sum of e.m.f.s around any loop in a circuit is equal to the
sum of p.d.s around the loop
● Resistance → Potential difference/current
● Ohm → the resistance of a component when a potential difference of 1 volt drives a
current of 1 ampere through it
● Electric current → flow of charged particles
● Potential difference → work done per unit charge
● Electromotive force (e.m.f.) → energy converted from chemical electrical when charge
flows round a complete circuit
● Internal resistance → the resistance of a cell causing loss of voltage/energy

● Hadron → (e.g. protons & neutrons). Particles that are affected by strong nuclear forces.
They are ‘bulky’/heavy.
● Lepton →(e.g. electrons & neutrinos). They are unaffected by strong nuclear forces.
They are light.
● α-particle scattering:
- A majority pass straight through → there’s empty space surrounding the nucleus
(since a lot pass through, it’s filled with empty space)
- Some are deflected through small angles of <10 → there’s a positive nucleus at
the center
- A very small minority scatter through angles greater than 90 → nucleus is very
small and is where mass and charge are concentrated