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Gce o Level Physics Matter
Gce o Level Physics Matter
Chapter1
Prefix: kilo- 103, deci- 10-1, centi- 10-2, milli- 10-3 etc.
Place your eye directly above the markings to avoid PARALLAX ERRORS.
Precision of metre rule is 0.1cm or 1mm.
Precision of vernier calipers is 0.01cm. (refer pg 10)
Precision of micrometer screw gauge is 0.01mm. (refer pg 11)
Each complete to-and-fro motion is one oscillation . The period of the simple
pendulum is the time taken for one complete oscillation.
Most stopwatches can measure time to a precision of 0.1s. Digital stopwatches
usually show readings up to two dp.
Chapter2
The distance moved per unit time is known as s peed . (Speed=distance
moved/time taken)
V=d/t where v= speed (m/s); d=distance moved (m) t=time taken (s)
Average speed=total distance travelled/total time taken
Velocity is the change in distance in a specified direction per unit time.
Distance in a specified direction is known as di splacement . Velocity can also
be defined ad the change in displacement per unit time.
Acceleration=change in velocity / time taken
a=△v / △t O R a = v-u / △t
Acceleration due to free fall (due to gravity) does not depend on the material,
size or shape. It is a constant, and is given a special symbol g.
Gradient of distance-time graph is SPEED.
Gradient of speed-time graph is ACCELERATION.
Area under speed-time graph gives DISTANCE MOVED.
* * For an object with zero acceleration, the different forces acting on it are
balanced or add up to zero- i.e. the resultant or net force is zero.
If the resultant force acting on an object is not zero, we say the forces are
unbalanced .
The SI unit of force is Newton N. One Newton (1N) is defined as the force that will
produce an acceleration of 1ms-2 on a mass of 1kg.
How does friction affect motion + effects of friction (pg59, 60, 61, 62 free body
diagram)
**Friction always o p p o s e s mo ti on b e t w e e n t wo surfaces in contact.
02
C ha p t e r 4
Mass is a measure of the amount of matter or substance in a body.
Mass cannot be changed by its location, shape and speed. (Kg)
Usually measured by a beam balance or calibrated electronic balance.
Weight is a force and has direction. The direction is downwards (towards the
center of the earth).
The force is also called gravitational force which is measured in newton (N).
Usually measured by a spring balance or compression balance.
The region surrounding the Earth where gravity is experienced is called the
gravitational field.
Gravi tati o nal field s t rengt h , g is defined as the gravitational force acting per
unit mass on an object.
W=mg where W=weight (N)
m=mass of object (Kg)
g=gravitational field strength (N/kg)
Inertia of an object refers to the reluctance of the object to change its state of
test or motion.
The inertia of an object d e p e n d s o n its m a s s . An object with more mass has
greater inertia
The d e n s i t y of a substance is defined as its mass per unit volume (kg m-3).
Pure substances are fixed properties — fixed density.
ρ=m/v where ρ = density
m= mass of object (kg)
v = volume of object (m3 )
Example in pg76
1 g cm-3 = 1000 kg m-3 (working in pg79)
C ha p t e r 5
The m o m e n t of a force (or torque) is the P R O D U C T of the force and the
perpendicular distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force.
SI unit of the moment of a force is newton metre (Nm)
The moment of a force is a vector. It has both a magnitude and direction. Thus, to
completely describe the moment of a force, we need to state its:
1. magnitude in Nm
2. direction as clockwise or anticlockwise.
03
Three cases of equilibrium (pg94):
Conclusion:
To increase the stability of an object, we should ensure that:
1. its centre of gravity is as low as possible.
2. the area of its base is as wide as possible.
C ha p t e r 6
E n e r g y is the capacity to do work. SI unit: joule (J)
The most obvious form of energy is in m o v em e n t — —moving objects have kinetic
energy.
Energy that is s t o r ed is known as potential energy. Potential energy can be
converted to kinetic energy and vice versa.
Potential energy exists in many forms such as chemical potential, elastic potential
and gravitational potential energy which required a reference point. (Important:
pg104)
04
W o r k d o n e by a constant force on an object is given by the PRODUCT of the
force and distance moved by the object in the direction of the force.
G.P.E. of a body near the surface of the Earth is defined as the product of its
weight m g and its height h above the ground.
E p = mgh Where E p = gravitational potential energy (J)
m = mass (Kg)
g = gravitational field strength ( N/kg)
h = height (m)
** One watt is defined as the rate of work done or energy conversion of one joule
per second.
Ch a p t e r 7
P r e s s u r e is defined as the force acting per unit area.
Pressure = force/area → P= F/A
SI : N e w t o n per s q u a r e met re ( N m - 2 ) or P a s c al (Pa)
Eg pls refer to pg 124, 125
05
The pressure exerted by a layer of air on the Earth’s surface is known as the
a t m o s p h e r i c pressure.
One atmosphere is 1.013 x 105 Pa (760 mm Hg)
Daily application for atmospheric pressure: drinking with a straw, syringe, suction
caps etc (pg 134)
B a r o m e t e r is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure. (Important:
pg 135)
M a n o m e t e r is an instrument used to measure gas pressure. (pg 137)
Ch a p t e r 8
Temperature refers to how hot or cold an object is.
H e a t is the amount of thermal energy that is being transferred from a hotter to a
colder region.
Thermometer makes used of certain substances such as mercury to measure
temperature.
Substances that have physical properties that vary continuously with the
temperature are known as t her mom etric substances .
Physical properties that change with the temperature:
(a) volume of a fixed mass of liquid, eg: mercury-in-glass / alcohol-in-glass
thermometer
(b) electrical voltage or electromotive force (e.m.f.), eg: thermocouple
(c) electrical resistance of a piece of metal, eg: resistance thermometer
(d) pressure of a fixed mass of gas at constant volume, eg: constant-volume gas
thermometer
Features of good thermometer:
(a) an easy-to-read scale
(b) safe to use
(c) responsive to temperature changes
(d) sensitive to small temperature changes
(e) able to measure a wide range of temperatures
Constructing a temperature scale: (1) choose an appropriate substance, eg a
column of mercury
(2) choose two fixed points of hotness and
coldness,
0 C & 100 C
o o
06
Chap t er 9 - 11
Ch a p t e r 12