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Physics > A2 Definitions - Not including turning points > Flashcards

A2 Definitions - Not including turning points Flashcards

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1
Q

Absolute uncertainty

A

The lowest possible temperature a substance can have, equal to 0 K or -273 degrees Celsius

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2
Q

Activity

A

The number of unstable nuclei in a radioactive sample that decay each second

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3
Q

Alternating current

A

A current that changes with time in a regular cycle

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4
Q

Angular acceleration

A

The rate of change of angular velocity

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5
Q

Angular frequency

A

The equivalent of angular speed for an object moving with SHM

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6
Q

Avogadro constant

A

The number of particles in one mole of a substance, defined as the number of atoms in exactly 12g of the C isotope carbon 12. It is equal to 6.02*10^23 mol-1

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7
Q

Binding energy

A

The energy released when a nucleus forms, or the energy required to separate all the nucleons in that nucleus. Equivalent to the mass defect of the nucleus

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8
Q

Boltzmann constant

A

A constant used in the ideal has equation for N molecules, equal to 1.38*10^-23 or R/Na

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9
Q

Boyle’s law

A

For an ideal gas at a constant temperature, the pressure p and the volume V are inversely proportional

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10
Q

Brownian motion

A

The zigzag, random motion of particles suspended in a fluid

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11
Q

Capacitance

A

The amount of charge an object is able to store per unit potential difference across it

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12
Q

Capacitor

A

An electrical component that can store charge, made up of two conducting plates separated by a dielectric

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13
Q

Centripetal force

A

The force on an object moving with circular motion. It’s directed towards the centre of the circle, and is responsible for the object’s curved path

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14
Q

Chain reaction (nuclear)

A

When the neutrons released by a nuclear fission cause other nuclei to fission and release more neutrons - and so on

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15
Q

Charles’ law

A

For an ideal gas at constant pressure, the volume is directly proportional to its absolute temperature

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16
Q

Closed system

A

A system that doesn’t allow any transfer of matter in or out

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17
Q

Control rod

A

A rod inserted into a nuclear reactor to control the rate of fission by absorbing neutrons

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18
Q

Couple

A

A pair of forces of equal size which act parallel to each other but in opposite directions. A couple causes a rotation, but no resultant linear motion

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19
Q

Critical damping

A

Camping such that the amplitude of an oscillation is reduced in the shortest possible time

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20
Q

Critical mass

A

The amount of fuel needed for a fission chain reaction to continue at a steady rate on its own

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21
Q

Damping

A

A force which causes an oscillating object to lose energy and so causes the amplitude of the object’s oscillation to decrease

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22
Q

Decay constant

A

The probability of an unstable nuclei decaying in the unit time. A measure of how quickly an isotope will decay

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23
Q

Dielectric

A

A material that acts as an electric insulator. It is used to separate the two conducting plates in a capacitor

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24
Q

Diffraction

A

When waves spread out as they pass through a narrow gap or go round obstacles

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25
Q

Eddy current

A

A looping current induced by the changing magnetic flux in the core of a transformer

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26
Q

Elastic collision

A

A collision that conserves both linear momentum and kinetic energy

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27
Q

Electric field strength

A

The force per unit positive charge experienced by a body in an electric field

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28
Q

Electric potential

A

The electric potential energy that a unit positive charge would have at a specific point

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29
Q

Electric potential energy

A

The energy stored by a charge due to its position in an electric field. It equals the work done moving a charge from infinity to that position

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30
Q

Electromagnetic induction

A

The process of inducing emf in a conductor with relative motion to a magnetic field (cutting field lines)

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31
Q

Empirical law

A

A rule based on observations and evidence that predicts what will happen but which doesn’t explain why

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32
Q

Equipotential

A

A line (in 2D) or surface (in 3D) that joins together all of the points with the same gravitational potential or electric potential

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33
Q

Error bar

A

Used when plotting a graph to show the range of values a data point may lie in

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34
Q

Escape velocity

A

The minimum speed required for an unpowered object to leave the gravitational field of another object

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35
Q

Exponential relationship

A

A relationship in which the rate of change in a quantity is proportional to the amount of that quantity left

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36
Q

Farad

A

The standard unit of capacitance. 1 farad = 1 coulomb per volt

37
Q

Faraday’s law

A

The induced emf is directly proportional to the rate of change of flux linkage

38
Q

Field lines

A

A way of representing a force field. Also known as flux lines in a magnetic field

39
Q

Flux linkage

A

The magnetic flux in a coil multiplied by the number of turns on the coil

40
Q

Force field

A

A region in which a body experiences a non-contact force

41
Q

Forced vibrations

A

The oscillation of an object due to an external driving force

42
Q

Free vibration

A

The oscillation of an object with no transfer of energy to or from the surroundings

43
Q

Geiger-Müller tube

A

An instrument used to detect nuclear radiation. It is attached to a counter that measures the amount of radiation

44
Q

Geostationary satellite

A

An Earth satellite that orbits directly over the equator and is always above the same point on Earth. Its orbital period is approximately 24 hours

45
Q

Gravitational field strength

A

The force per unit mass, g, experienced by a body in a gravitational field

46
Q

Gravitational potential

A

The gravitational potential energy that a unit mass would have at a specific point

47
Q

Gravitational potential energy

A

The energy stored by an object due to its position in a gravitational field. It equals the work done moving an object from infinity to that position

48
Q

Half-life

A

The average time it takes for the number of unstable nuclei (or the activity or count rate) in a sample of a radioactive isotope to halve

49
Q

Ideal gas

A

A theoretical gas that obeys the three gas laws

50
Q

Inelastic collision

A

A collision that conserves linear momentum, but not kinetic energy

51
Q

Internal energy

A

The sum of the potential and kinetic energies of all of the particles in a system

52
Q

Inverse square law

A

A law that relates two variables by a factor of 1/r2

53
Q

Kinetic theory

A

The term given to explaining an object’s properties by considering the motion of its particles

54
Q

Lenz’s law

A

The induced emf is always in such a direction as to oppose the change that caused it

55
Q

Low orbiting satellite

A

A satellite that orbits between 180 and 2000 km above the Earth’s surface and at a higher angular speed than Earth

56
Q

Magnetic field

A

A region in which a force acts on magnetic materials or magnetically susceptible materials

57
Q

Magnetic flux

A

The magnetic flux (in Wb) passing through an area is given by the magnetic flux density multiplied by the area. It can also be thought of as the number of magnetic field lines passing through the area

58
Q

Magnetic flux density

A

The value of magnetic flux density, in T, is given by the force on one metre of wire carrying a current of one amp at right angles to the magnetic field. Also called magnetic field strength

59
Q

Mass defect

A

The difference between the mass of the nucleus, and the sum of the individual masses of the nucleons. Equivalent to the binding energy of the nucleus

60
Q

Mean square speed

A

The average of the squared speeds of the particles in a gas

61
Q

Moderator

A

A material (often water) in a nuclear reactor that slows down neutrons so they can be captured by uranium nuclei (or other fissionable nuclei)

62
Q

Molar gas constant

A

A constant used in the ideal gas equations, equal to 8.31 Jmol-1K-1

63
Q

Molar mass

A

The mass that one mole of a substance would have

64
Q

Mole

A

An amount of substance containing Na particles, all of which are identical.

65
Q

Molecular mass

A

The average mass of a molecule relative to an atom of C-12, which has a relative atomic mass of exactly 12

66
Q

Natural frequency

A

The frequency of an object oscillating freely

67
Q

nuclear fission

A

The fusing of two smaller nuclei to form one larger nucleus

68
Q

Nuclear radiation

A

Particles or energy released by an unstable atom as it decays. Made up of alpha, beta-minus or beta-plus, or gamma rays.

69
Q

Orbital period

A

The time taken for a satellite to complete a full orbit

70
Q

Overdamping

A

Heavy damping such that the system takes longer to return to equilibrium than a critically damped system

71
Q

Permittivity

A

The permittivity of a material is a measure of how difficult it is to create an electric field in that material

72
Q

Phase difference

A

A measure of how much one wave lags behind another wave. It can be measured in degrees, radians or fractions of a cycle

73
Q

Photoelectric effect

A

The emission of electrons (photoelectrons) from a metal when light of a high enough frequency is shone on it

74
Q

Point charge

A

A charge with negligible volume, or a uniform sphere whose charge acts as if it is concentrated at the centre

75
Q

Potential energy

A

Energy that is stored (e.g. Elastic strain energy is energy stored in something that has been stretched or compressed, like a spring)

76
Q

Pressure law

A

For an ideal gas at constant volume, the pressure is directly proportional to its absolute temperature

77
Q

Radial field

A

A field where the field lines all point towards or away from the central point

78
Q

Radioactive decay

A

When an unstable atom breaks down to become more stable, by releasing energy and/or particles

79
Q

Relative permittivity

A

The ratio of the permittivity of a material to the permittivity of free space. It is also known as the dielectric constant

80
Q

Solenoid

A

An electromagnet consisting of multiple coils of wire with length

81
Q

Specific heat capacity

A

The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 K

82
Q

Specific latent heat

A

The quantity of thermal energy required to change the state of 1 kg of a substance

83
Q

Stationary wave

A

A wave with fixed positions of minimum and maximum oscillation (nodes and antinodes) created by the superposition of two progressive waves with the same frequency (or wavelength) and amplitude, moving in opposite directions

84
Q

Step-down transformer

A

A transformer that decreases an alternating voltage

85
Q

Synchronous orbit

A

An orbit in which the orbiting object has the same orbital period as the rotational period of the object it is orbiting

86
Q

Terminal velocity

A

The maximum velocity of an object through a fluid, reached when the driving force is matched by the friction force

87
Q

Thermal neutron

A

Neutron is a nuclear reactor that has been slowed down enough by a moderator that it can be captured by uranium nuclei (or other fissionable nuclei)

88
Q

Thermionic emission

A

The release of free electrons from a metal’s surface when the metal is heated

89
Q

Time constant

A

The time taken for the charge on a discharging capacitor, the potential difference across the capacitor, of the current in the circuit to fall to 1/e (about 37%) of their initial value, or for the charge of a charging capacitor to rise to about 63% of the full charge

Physics (2 decks)

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