Physics Term 1 + Term 2 Flashcards
What is a scalar quantity?
A quantity hat only has magnitude and isn’t direction dependent.
What is a vector quantity?
A quantity that has both a magnitude and an associated direction.
How can a vector quantity be represented?
Using vector arrows.
How do vector arrows represent vectors?
- The length of the arrow represents the magnitude.
- The arrow points in the associate direction.
Give three examples of vector quantities?
- Velocity
- Displacement
- Force
Give examples of scalar quantities.
- Temperature
- Time
- Mass
- Speed
- Distance
- Energy
What is velocity?
The speed of an object in a specific direction.
Give an equation relating average speed, distance and time.
average speed = distance / time
On a distance / time graph, what value does the gradient of the line represent.
The spee.
On a displacement / time graph, what value does the gradient of the line represent?
The velocity
What must be done to calculate speed at a given time from a distance - time graph for an accelerating object?
- Draw a tangent to the curve at the required time.
- Calculate the gradient of the tangent.
State the equation for the average acceleration of an object. Give appropriate units.
Acceleration (m/s^2) = (Change in velocity) (m/s) / (Time taken) (s)
Give an equation relating final velocity with initial velocity, displacement and acceleration.
v^2 = u^2 + 2as
How can the distance travelled by an object be calculated from the velocity - time graph?
It is equal to the area under the graph.
On a velocity / time graph what does the gradient represent?
The acceleration.
State a typical value for the speed of sound.
330 m/s
What is a typical value for human walking speed?
1.5 m/s
What is a typical value for human running speed?
3 m/s
What is a typical value for human cycling speed?
6 m/s
Give an approximate value for the acceleration of an object in free fall under gravity near the Earth’s surface.
10 m/s^2
What is the name given to the single force that is equivalent to all the other forces acting on a given object?
The resultant force.
State Newton’ first law for a stationary object.
If the resultant force on a stationary object is zero, the object will remain at rest.
State Newton’s first law for a moving object.
If the resultant force on a moving object is zero, the object will remain at constant velocity (same speed in same direction).
State the defining equation for Newton’s second Law.
Resultant force = Mass X Acceleration
F = MA
State Newton’s second law in words.
An objects acceleration is directly proportional to the resultant force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
What is weight?
The force the acts on an object due to gravity and the object’s mass.
What quantities does weight depend on?
Weight = Mass X Gravitational field strength
- The object’s mass.
- The gravitational field strength at the given position in the field.
What is the unit used for weight?
The Newtons (N).
What is the unit used for gravitational field strength?
N/Kg
