Definitions Flashcards
Magnetic field
Region in space where another magnetic or ferromagnetic material will experience a non- contact force
Electromagnetic radiation
Radiation consisting of self-sustaining oscillating electric and magnetic field at right angles to each other and to the direction of propagation. It does not require supporting medium and travels through space at the speed of light
Dual nature of EM radiation
Behaves as a particle and a wave
EM spectrum
Gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared, microwave, radio wave and TV waves
Photon
A particle of light with a discrete amount of electromagnetic energy
Planck’s constant
Physical constant of 6,6 x 10-34 j.s^-1
Electric field
A region in space where an electric charge will experience a force
The gravitational field
The force acting per unit mass
The principal of conservation of charge
The net charge of an isolated system remains constant during any physical process
Principal of charge quantisation
The observed charge of an isolated particle is always an integral multiple of 1,6 x 10^-19C
Potential difference
Work done per unit positive charge
Current
The rate of flow of charge
Resistance
Material’s opposition to the flow of electric charge
Ampere
A unit of electric current equal to a flow of one coulomb per second
EMF
The total energy supplied per coulomb of charge by the cell
