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A Level Physics > Module 2: Chapter 2 - Foundations of Physics > Flashcards

Module 2: Chapter 2 - Foundations of Physics Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a physical quantity?

A

A measurement which has a numerical magnitude and an appropriate unit

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2
Q

What are SI units?

A

The standard units used by the international scientific community (International System of Units). It standardises measurements in the metric system.

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3
Q

What are the 2 types of SI unit?

A

*Base Unit
*Derived Unit

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4
Q

How many SI Base units are there?

A

7

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5
Q

What are the 7 SI Base Quantities?

A

*Mass
*Length
*Time
*Temperature
*Electrical current
*Amount of substance
*Light Intensity

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6
Q

What is the unit and unit symbol for mass?

A

kilogram, kg

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7
Q

What is the unit and unit symbol for length?

A

metre, m

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8
Q

What is the unit and unit symbol for time?

A

second, s

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9
Q

What is the unit and unit symbol for temperature?

A

Kelvin, K

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10
Q

What is the unit and unit symbol for electrical current?

A

Ampere, A

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11
Q

What is the unit and unit symbol for amount of substance?

A

Mole, mol

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12
Q

What is the unit and unit symbol for light intensity?

A

Candela, cd

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13
Q

What are derived units?

A

Any SI unit that is not a base unit, it is derived from the base units

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14
Q

What are examples of quantities with derived units?

A

Frequency, Hertz
Energy, Joule
Electric Charge, Coulomb

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15
Q

What is the standard form of pico-?

A

x10^-12

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16
Q

What is the standard form of nano-?

A

x10^-9

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17
Q

What is the standard form of micro-?

A

x10^-6

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18
Q

What is the standard form of milli-?

A

x10^-3

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19
Q

What is the standard form of centi-?

A

x10^-2

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20
Q

What is the standard form of deci-?

A

x10^-1

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21
Q

What is the standard form of kilo-?

A

x10^3

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22
Q

What is the standard form of mega-?

A

x10^6

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23
Q

What is the standard form of giga-?

A

x10^9

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24
Q

What is the standard form of tera-?

A

x10^12

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25
Q

What is hertz in base units?

A

Hz = S⁻¹

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26
Q

What is pascal in base units?

A

Pa = N/m²
= kg m s⁻² / m²
= kg m⁻¹ s⁻²

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27
Q

What is a joule in base units?

A

J = Nm

= kg m s⁻² m

= kg m² s⁻²

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28
Q

What is a watt in base units?

A

W = J/s

= kg m² s⁻² / s

= kg m² s⁻³

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29
Q

What is a coulomb in base units?

A

C = As

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30
Q

What is a volt in base units?

A

V = J/C

= kg m² s⁻² / As

= kg m² s⁻³ A⁻¹

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31
Q

What is an ohm in base units?

A

Ω = V/A

= kg m² s⁻³ A⁻¹ / A

= kg m² s⁻³ A⁻²

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32
Q

What is a newton in base units?

A

N = kg m/s²

= kg m s⁻²

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33
Q

What is the unit symbol for an astronomical unit?

A

AU

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34
Q

What is the unit symbol for a light year?

A

ly

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35
Q

What is the unit symbol for a parsec?

A

pc

36
Q

What is a homogeneous equation?

A

A homogeneous equation is an equation in which every term has the same SI base units

37
Q

What determines whether an equation is real?

A

For an equation to be real, it must be homogeneous

38
Q

Is an equation correct if it is inhomogeneous?

A

No, if an equation is inhomogeneous it cannot be correct

39
Q

Is an equation correct if it is homogenous?

A

Just because an equation is homogeneous does not mean it is correct, it can be correct or incorrect

40
Q

Is the equation W = mg homogeneous and therefore valid?

A

W = N

m g = Kg N/Kg = N

Yes the equation has the same units for all components of the equation and is therefore homogeneous and valid

41
Q

Is the equation v² = u² + 2as homogeneous and therefore valid?

A

v² = (ms⁻¹)² = m²s⁻²

u² = (ms⁻¹)² = m²s⁻²

2as = 2ms⁻²m = 2m²s⁻²

Yes the equation has the same units for all components of the equation and is therefore homogeneous and valid

42
Q

Is the equation v² = 2u² + 2at homogeneous and therefore valid?

A

v² = (ms⁻¹)² = m²s⁻²

2u² = 2(ms⁻¹)² = 2m²s⁻²

2at = 2ms⁻¹

No, the equation is inhomogeneous and therefore is invalid

43
Q

What is an astronomical unit?

A

The mean distance of the earth from the sun

44
Q

What is a light year?

A

The distance travelled by light in a vacuum in one tropical year

45
Q

What is a parsec?

A

A parsec is the distance at which an angle of one second of an arc will represent the distance of the earth from the sun

46
Q

What is 0K in °C?

A

-273.15

47
Q

What is the equation for % uncertainty?

A

(uncertainty / average value) x 100

48
Q

What is an anomalous result?

A

An inconsistent reading which does not fit the trend

49
Q

What is accuracy?

A

The degree to which a value obtained by experiment is close to the actual or true value

50
Q

What is precision?

A

The degree to which repeated values, collected under the same experimental conditions, show the same results

51
Q

What is absolute uncertainty?

A

The actual amount by which a quantity is uncertain, e.g 7 ± 0.5 cm

52
Q

What are error bars?

A

Bars drawn on a graph to reflect uncertainty around each point on the graph

53
Q

How do you use error bars in a line graph?

A

You draw the line of best fit along the plotted point, and then use the error bars to draw the 2 lines of worst fit (1 with the steepest gradient within the error bars and 1 with the shallowest gradient within the error bars)

54
Q

What are the lines of worst fit?

A

The lines with the steepest and shallowest possible gradient that lie within the error bars

55
Q

What is systematic error?

A

Error that is inherent in the experiment. Your measurements of the same thing will vary in predictable and consistent ways.

56
Q

What is zero error?

A

A systematic error when a measuring system gives a false reading when the true value of a measured quantity is zero

57
Q

What is parallax error?

A

A random error caused by a student not reading the measurement at eye level. It can lead to the reading being too high or too low.

58
Q

What are examples of random error?

A

*Parallax Error

*Environmental Error

59
Q

What are environmental errors?

A

Random and uncontrollable changes in an environment (such as temperature) that may cause the result to be inaccurate

60
Q

What are environmental errors?

A

Random and uncontrollable changes in an environment (such as temperature) that may cause the result to be inaccurate

61
Q

What is the rule of thumb for the absolute uncertainty on a measuring instrument?

A

half the finest division (if there is fluctuation in an electronic measurement, the finest division is the point which does not fluctuate)

62
Q

How do you combine uncertainties when the quantities are added?

A

The uncertainty is the sum of the absolute uncertainties

63
Q

How do you combine uncertainties when quantities are subtracted?

A

The uncertainty is the sum of the absolute uncertainties

64
Q

How do you combine uncertainties when quantities are multiplied?

A

The total percentage uncertainty is the sum of the percentage uncertainties

65
Q

How do you combine uncertainties when quantities are divided?

A

The total percentage uncertainty is the sum of the percentage uncertainties

66
Q

When a quantity is raised to the power “n”, what do you do to the uncertainty

A

The total percentage uncertainty is n multiplied by the percentage uncertainty

67
Q

What represents a vector quantity?

A

An arrow, the length represents the magnitude and the angle represents the direction

68
Q

What is the resultant vector?

A

The resultant vector of an object is the vector that has the same effect as all the other vectors of the object combined

69
Q

How do you add vectors acting at right angles to each other?

A

Use pythagoras’ theorum

70
Q

How do you find the angle of the resultant vector?

A

Use trigonometry

71
Q

What is resolving a vector?

A

Splitting a vector into its vertical and horizontal components

72
Q

What are the 3 methods for adding non-perpendicular vectors?

A
  • Draw a scale diagram
  • Calculations using sine rule and cosine rule
  • Calculations by resolving into horizontal and vertical components then using pythagoras’
73
Q
A

2252N 48* under the horizontal

74
Q

What is a scalar quantity?

A

A quantity with a magnitude but no direction

75
Q

What is a vector quantity?

A

A vector quantity is a quantity with both magnitude and direction

76
Q

How do you find the resultant force of parallel vectors?

A

Find the sum of the 2 vectors

77
Q

What are parallel vectors?

A

They act in the same line and direction

78
Q

What are antiparallel vectors?

A

They act in the same line but opposite direction

79
Q

How do you find the resultant force of antiparallel vectors?

A

Find the sum of the 2 vectors

80
Q

How do you calculate the absolute uncertainty from a set of data?

A

± half the range

81
Q

To how many significant figures should you give absolute uncertainty?

A

1

82
Q

A trolley has a weight of 11N and sits on a ramp inclined at 33* to the horizontal. How big is the component of the weight which is trying to pull the trolley along the ramp?

A

6N

83
Q

A plumb bob has a weight of 1.0N. It is swinging on the end of a piece of string, and at one particular instant, the string is inclined at 28* to the vertical. What is the component of the weight perpendicular to the line of the string?

A

0.47N

84
Q

A fly in a room is flying on a bearing of 204* at a speed of 0.36ms⁻¹. Sunlight streams horizontally westward across a room, forming a shadow of the fly on the west wall. How fast does the shadow move?

A

0.33 ms⁻¹

85
Q

What is pythagoras’ theorem in 3d?

A

a² + b² + c² = d²

A Level Physics (29 decks)

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