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Physics > key words > Flashcards

key words Flashcards

1
Q

acceleration

A

change of velocity per unit time

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2
Q

acceleration of free fall

A

acceleration of an object acted on only by the force of gravity

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3
Q

accurate

A

a measurement that is obtained, using calibrated instruments correctly

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4
Q

accuracy

A

how close a measurement or answer is to the true value

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5
Q

alpha radiation

A

particles that each consist of two protons and two neutrons

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6
Q

amplitude

A

maximum displacement of a vibrating particle.

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7
Q

annihilation

A

when a particle and its antiparticle meet, they destroy each other and become radiation

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8
Q

antibaryon

A

a hardon consisting of three antiquarks

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9
Q

antimatter

A

antiparticles that each has the same rest mass and, if charged, have an equal and opposite charge to the corresponding particle

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10
Q

antimuon

A

the antiparticle of the muon

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11
Q

antineutrino

A

the antiparticle of the neutrino

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12
Q

antinode

A

fixed point in a stationary wave pattern where the amplitude is a maximum

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13
Q

antiparticle

A

there is an antiparticle for every type of particle

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14
Q

antiquark

A

antiparticle of a quark

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15
Q

atomic number

A

the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

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16
Q

baryon

A

a hardon consisting of three quarks

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17
Q

base units

A

the units that define the SI system

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18
Q

beta radiation

A

B- particles are fast-moving electrons emitted by unstable neutron-rich nuclei or by free neutrons when they decay

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19
Q

braking distance

A

the distance travelled by a vehicle in the time taken to stop it

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20
Q

breaking stress

A

ultimate tensile stress

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21
Q

brittle

A

snaps without stretching or bending when subject to stress

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22
Q

centre of mass

A

the centre of mass of a body has no turning effect

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23
Q

charge carriers

A

charged particles that move through a substance when a pd is applied across it

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24
Q

circuit rule current

A
  1. current passing through two or more components in series

2. at a junction its split

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25
Q

curcuit rules pd

A
  1. two or more components in series, the total pd across all the components is equal to the sum of pd across each components

2 the sum of the emfs around a complete loop in a curcuuit= the sum of the pds round the loop

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26
Q

coherent

A

two sources of waves are coherent if they emit waves with a constant phase difference

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27
Q

conservation rules

A

conversion of energy, momentum, charge, baryon number and lepton number

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28
Q

couple

A

pair of equal and opposite forces acting on a body but not along the same line

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29
Q

critical angle

A

the angle of incidence of a light ray must exceed the critical angle for total internal reflection to occur

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30
Q

critical temperature of a superconducting material

A

temperature at and below which its resistivity is zero

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31
Q

cycle

A

interval for a vibrating particle from a certain displacement and velocity to the next time the particle that has the same displacement and velocity

32
Q

de Broglie hypothesis

A

matter particle have a wave-like nature characterised by the de Broglie wavelength

33
Q

de Broglie wavelength

A

the wavelength of a matter particle= h/p

34
Q

de-excitation

A

process in which an atom loses energy by photon emission, as a result of an electron inside an atom moving from an outer shell to an inner shell

35
Q

density of a substance

A

mass per unit volume of the substance

36
Q

diffraction

A

spreading of waves on passing through a gap or near an edge

37
Q

diffraction grating

A

a plate with many closely rules parallel slits on it

38
Q

dispersion

A

splitting of a beam of white light by a glass prism into colour

39
Q

displacement

A

distance in a given direction

40
Q

drag force

A

the force of fluid resistance on an object moving through the fluid

41
Q

ductile

A

stretches easily without breaking

42
Q

efficiency

A

the ratio of useful energy transferred by a machine or device to the energy supplied to it

43
Q

effort

A

the force applied to a machine to make it move

44
Q

elastic limit

A

point beyond which a wire is permanently streched

45
Q

elasticity

A

property of a solid that enables it to regain its shape after it has been deformed or distorted

46
Q

electrolysis

A

process of electrical conduction in a solution or molten compound due to ions moving to the oppositely charged electrode

47
Q

electrolyte

A

a solution or molten compound that conducts electricity

48
Q

electromagnetic interaction

A

interaction between two charged objects

49
Q

electromagnetic wave

A

a wavepacket or photon consisting of transverse electric and magnetic waves in phase at right angles

50
Q

EMF (electromotive force)

A

the amount of electrical energy per unit charge produced inside a source of electrical energy

51
Q

electron capture

A

process in which an inner-shell electron of an atom is captured by the nucleus

52
Q

electron volt

A

amount of energy equal to 1J defined as the work done when an electron is moved through a pd of 1V

53
Q

endoscope

A

optical fibre device used to see inside cavities

54
Q

energy

A

the capacity to do work

55
Q

energy levels

A

the energy of an electron in an electron shell of an atom

56
Q

equilibrium

A

state of an object when at rest or in uniform motion

57
Q

error bar

A

representation of an uncertainty on a graph

58
Q

error of measurement

A

uncertainty of a measurement

59
Q

exitication

A

process in which an atom absorbs energy without becoming ionised as a result of an electron inside an atom moving from an inner shell to the outer shell

60
Q

first harmonic

A

pattern of stationary waves on a string when it vibrates at its lowest possible frequnecy

61
Q

fluorscene

A

glow of light from a substance exposed to ultaviolet radiation

62
Q

force

A

any interaction that can change the velocity of an object

63
Q

free body force diagram

A

a diagram of an object showing only the forces actong on the object

64
Q

frequency

A

the number of cycle of a wave that pass a point per second

65
Q

friction

A

force opposing the motion of a surface that moves or tries to move across another surface

66
Q

gamma radation

A

high-energy photons emitted by unstable nuclei or produced in particle annihilations

67
Q

gravitional field strength

A

force of gravity per unit mass on a small object

68
Q

ground state

A

lowest energy state of an atom

69
Q

hardon

A

particles and antiparticles that can interact through the strong interaction

70
Q

hooke’s law

A

the extension of a spring is proportional to the force needed to extend it

71
Q

inertia

A

resistance of an object to change of its motion

72
Q

interfernce

A

formation of points of cancellation and reinforcement where two coherent waves pass through each other

73
Q

internal resistance

A

resistance inside a source of electrical energy

74
Q

ion

A

a charged atom

75
Q

ionsation

A

process of creating ions

76
Q

isotopes

A

atoms of an element with different number of neutrons and same number of protons

Physics (18 decks)

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