E,W&P 3 Flashcards
PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
the emission of electrons from the surface of material when electromagnetic radiation is incident on the surface
PHOTON
a quantum/particle of light
PLANCK CONSTANT (h)
6.63 x 10-34
PLANE POLARISED WAVE
a transverse wave oscillating in only one plane
POLARISATION
the process of turning an unpolarised wave into a plane polarised wave
POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
the electrical energy transferred per unit chage when electrical energy is converted into some other form of energy
POTENTIAL DIVIDER
a type of circuit containing two components designed to divide up the p.d in proportion to the resistances of the components
POTENTIAL ENERGY
a form of stored energy
PROGRESSIVE WAVE
a wave that travels from one place to another
QUANTUM
a discrete, indivisible quantity
RADIAN
unit of angle or phase difference
REFLECTION
when waves rebound from a barrier changing direction but remaining in the same medium
REFRACTION
when waves change direction when they travel from one medium to another due to a difference in the wave speed in each medium
RESISTANCE (R)
a property of a component that regulates the electric current through it (ohms)
SEMICONDUCTOR
material with lower number density of conduction electrons and higher resistance than a conductor
SPECTRAL LINE
line relating to a specific frequency either missing from an absorption spectrum of present in an emission spectrum
SPECTRUM
a collection of waves with a range of frequencies eg visible spectrum
STANDING/STATIONARY WAVE
wave formed by the interference of two waves travelling in opposite directions
PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION
that when two or more waves of the same type exist at the same place, the resultant wave will be found by adding the displacements of each individual wave
