Physics Scriptures Flashcards
Combining uncertainties
Adding or subtracting- add absolute uncertainties (must be of the same units).
Multiply or Dividing data- Add percentage uncertainties.
Raising to power- Multiply percentage uncertainty by power.
how to find uncertainty in a graph
by finding the difference between gradient of line of best fit and worst fit, then divide it by the line of best fit, and multiple by 100 if you want the percentage uncertainty.
The charge on most objects usually due to what
the loss or gain of electrons
A larger current may be due to what?
Greater number of electrons moving past a given point each second (i.e wire with large cross sectional area).
Same number of electrons moving faster through the metal
Electrolytes
liquids that can carry electrical current (which isn’t the flow of electrons by ions).
Number density (n)
the no. of free electron per unit vol.
The faster the electrons move in a wire
the quicker it heats up
Drift velocity is due to what?
the repeated collisions between positive ions and free electrons causing the random motion of charged carriers.
Centre of gravity
point where the entire weight of the object APPEARS to act.
what happens to mass of particle as it approaches to the speed of light?
Mass particle increases as it gets closer to the speed of light.
For stopping distance, the distance travelled is directly proportional to what two factors?
to the speed^2
and also the mass
cell function in a circuit
push the electron round the circuit.
Ohms law states that…
for any metallic conductor at constant temp, the p.d across it directly proportional to the current passing through it.
Energy is lost within the cell in the form of …
heat, lost volts
why is it that a change in current won’t affect internal resistance?
V and I are directly proportional.
Why do Rechargeable batteries and cars have low internal resistance?
allows higher currents used, without overheating and wasting energy, so recharging is faster.
what are Potential Dividers
simple circuit that uses resistors / thermistors / LDR to alter the output p.d.
Loading refers to what?
Connecting a component or circuit to Vout, placing a component in parallel with R2. This lowers the resistance of this part of the circuit, and so lowers Vout.
Electron gun
electrical device used, produce narrow beam electrons, used ionise particles by adding or removing electrons, from atoms.
How do electron guns work?
need source electrons, electron gain KE, some enough to escape from surface metal (thermionic emission). Heated filament placed in vacuum and high p.d applied between filament (cathode) and an anode, freed electrons accelerate towards anode (if hole present, beam electrons created).
Kirchhoffs first law states what about charge?
charge in circuit not used up, just flows around circuit.
Kirchhoffs second law
in any circuit, sum emf = sum p.d, in any closed loop.
Total energy transferred to charged carriers (emf) = Total energy transferred by charged carriers (terminal p.d) as they move around circuit.
LED’s act as what to the current
one way valves
equation for electrical energy
E=eV
Perfectly elastic collision
no deformation and momentum conserved, and KE
Inelastic collision
deformation occurs, momentum is conserved, KE is not, but energy always is.
Photoelectric emission
the release of electrons when photons of light hit the metal surface electrons are on.
Generally work function lower for what type of materials?
more reactive metals
Reflection is evidence for what
wave-particle duality
Lights also acts as particle, called a…
(what’s its charge?)
photon, has no charge
EM waves can only be released in what?
what did Einstein suggest?
discrete packets called quanta (single - quantum)
Einstein suggested EM waves and energy they carry, only exist in discrete packets, called wave-packets photons.
Photons act as particles, and will either transfer all or none of…
its energy when interacting with other particles.
Electronvolt definition
the KE gained by an electron when, accelerated through a p.d of 1 volt.
what can the threshold voltage be used to find?
Threshold Voltage used to find planks constant, current will only pass through LED the threshold voltage applied.
E = hc / lambda = e x Vo
what do you plot on a graph, to find planks constant?
Plot graph of voltage against 1/ wavelength.
E = hc / lambda = e x Vo
what happens to the free electrons on a metallic surface if they absorb enough energy?
bonds broken and released as photoelectrons.
How can we demonstrate the photoelectric effect?
gold-leaf electroscope, electroscope plate initially -ve, so gold leaf is repelled. Zinc plate exposed to UV light, free electrons ejected, zinc plate loses -ve charge, gold leaf drops.
what determines whether a photoelectron gets emitted or not?
If energy gained by electron from photon, greater than threshold freq, then emitted.
Interference and diffraction shows light as …., photoelectric effect (one-to-one interaction, all energy of photon given to one electron) shows light behaving as ….
wave
particle
Wave-particle Duality Theory
if ‘wave-like’ light showed particle properties (photons),
‘particle’ should be expected show wave-like properties.
what shows the wave nature of electrons?
Electron Diffraction
Note Particles don’t always show wave-like properties, only get diffraction if a particle with an object of about same size as…
its de Broglie wavelength.