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Vocabulary Flashcards

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AP® Physics flashcards Physics 101 flashcards
1
Q

Accuracy

A

An accurate value of a measured quantity is one which is close to the true value of the quantity

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2
Q

Amplitude

A

The maximum displacement of a particle for its equilibrium position

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3
Q

Antinode

A

A point on a stationary wave with maximum displacement or amplitude

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4
Q

Atomic mass unit

A

A unit of mass (u) approximately equal to 1.661 x 10-27 kg.

The mass of an atom of 12-carbon = 12.000u exactly

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5
Q

Average speed

A

The total distance travelled by an object divided by the total time taken

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6
Q

Avogadro constant

A

The number of particles in one mole of any substance, 6.02 x 10^23 mol-1

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7
Q

Base unit

A

Defined units of the SI system from which all other units are derived

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8
Q

Best fit line

A

A straight line drawn as closely as possible to the points of a graph so that similar numbers of points lie above and below the line

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9
Q

Centre of gravity

A

The point where the entire weight of an object appears to act

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10
Q

Charge carrier

A

Any charged particle, such as an electron, responsible for a current, and an ion

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11
Q

Closed system

A

A system of interacting objects in which there are no external forces

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12
Q

Coherent

A

Two sources are coherent when they emit waves with a constant phase different

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13
Q

Acceleration

A

The rate of change of an object’s velocity
a = v/t
Unit: ms-2

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14
Q

Components (of vector)

A

The magnitudes of a vector quantity in two perpendicular direction

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15
Q

Compression

A

A region in a sound wave where the air pressure is greater than its mean value

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16
Q

Compressive

A

Decries a force that squeezes an object

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17
Q

Conservation of momentum

A

In a closed system, when bodies interact, the total momentum in any specified direction remains constant

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18
Q

Constructive interference

A

When two waves reinforce to give increased amplitude

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19
Q

contact force

A

the force an object exerts on another with which it is in contact

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20
Q

coulomb

A

the SI unit of electrical charge (C). a charge of 1 C passes a point when a current of 1 A flows for 1 s.
1 C = 1 A s

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21
Q

couple

A

a pair of equal and antparallel forces having a turning effect but no resultant force

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22
Q

density

A

the mass per unit volume of a material:
density = m/V
Unit: kg m-3

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23
Q

derived units

A

units which are combinations of the base units of the SI system

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24
Q

destructive interference

A

when two waves cancel to give reduced amplitude

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25
Q

diffraction

A

the spreading of a wave when it passes through a gap or past the edge of an object

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26
Q

dispersion

A

the splitting of light into its different wavelengths

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27
Q

displacement

A

the distance moved by an object in a particular direction measured from a fixed starting point

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28
Q

Dopple effect

A

the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave observed when the source of the wave is moving relatively towards or away from the observer, or the observer is moving relative to the source

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29
Q

drage

A

a force that resists the movement of a body through a fluid

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30
Q

mean drift velocity

A

the average speed of a collection of charged particles when a current flows

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31
Q

dynamics

A

the study of motion using quantities such as force and mass

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32
Q

e.m.f.

A

the total work done when unit charge is moved round a complete circuit.
Unit: J C-1 or V
1 V = 1 J C-1

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33
Q

efficiency

A

the ratio of useful output energy to the total input energy for a device, expressed as a percentage:
efficiency = (useful output energy/total input energy) x 100%

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34
Q

elastic limit

A

the value of stress beyond which an object will not return to its original dimensions

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35
Q

elastic potential energy

A

energy stored in a stretched or compresses material

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36
Q

electric charge

A

a property of a body that gives rise to a force on the body when it is within an electric field

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37
Q

electric field

A

a region in which a charged body experiences a force

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38
Q

electric field strength

A

the force per unit positive charge at a point.

Unit: V m-1 or N C-1

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39
Q

electrical resistance

A

the ratio of potential difference to current.

Unit: ohm

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40
Q

electrolyte

A

an electrically conducting solution. the conduction is due to positive and negative ions in the solution

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41
Q

electromagnetic spectrum

A

the family of waves that travel through a vacuum at a speed of 3.00 x 10^8 m s-1

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42
Q

elementary charge

A

the smallest unit of charge that a particle or an object can have. it has a magnitude of 1.60 x 10-19 C

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43
Q

energy

A

a calculated quantity which is conserved during any change; that which is transferred when a force does wok

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44
Q

equation of motion

A 
four interrelated equations that can be used to determine the displacement, initial velocity, final velocity and acceleration of a body moving with constant acceleration
v = u + at
s = ut + 1/2 at^2
s = 1/2 (u+v)t
v^2 = u^2 + 2as
s = vt - 1/2 at^2
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45
Q

equilibrium

A

an object in equilibrium is either at rest or travelling with a constant velocity because the resultant force on it is zero.

  1. no resultant force
  2. no resultant moment
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46
Q

errors

A

inaccuracies when taking measurements

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47
Q

extension

A

the change in the length of a material from its original length

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48
Q

field lines

A

lines drawn to represent the strength and direction of a field of force

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49
Q

field of force

A

a region of space where an object feels a force; the force may be gravitational, electric, magnetic, etc.

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50
Q

force constant

A

the ratio of force to extension for a spring or a wire.

Unit: N m-1

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51
Q

free-body force diagram

A

a diagram showing all the forces acting on an object (but not the forces it exerts on other objects)

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52
Q

frequency

A

the number of oscillations per unit time.

Unit: hertz (Hz)

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53
Q

fundamental frequency

A

the lowest-frequency stationary wave for a particular system

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54
Q

hadron

A

any particle which is affected by the strong nuclear force, made from two or three quarks or anti-quarks

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55
Q

harmonic

A

a wave of frequency n times the fundamental frequency, where n is an integer

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56
Q

Hooke’s law

A

the extension produced in an object is proportional to the force producing it

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57
Q

independent variable

A

the variable in an experiment which a value that is altered by the experimenter

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58
Q

inelastic

A

a collision is inelastic when kinetic energy is not conserved; some is transferred to other forms such as heat. Momentum and total energy are always conserved

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59
Q

inertia

A

a measure of the mass of an object. a massive object has large inertia

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60
Q

instantaneous speed

A

the speed of an object measured over a very short period of time

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61
Q

intensity

A

the power transmitted normally through a surface per unit area:
intensity = power/cross-sectional area
unit: W m-2

62
Q

interference

A

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

63
Q

internal energy

A

the sum of the random distribution of kinetic and potential energies of the atoms or molecules in a system

64
Q

internal resistance

A

the resistance of an e.m.f. source. the internal resistance of a battery is due to the chemicals within it.

65
Q

ion

A

an atom with a net positive or negative charge

66
Q

isotopes

A

nuclei of the same element with a different number of neutrons but the same number of protons

67
Q

I-V characteristic

A

a graph of current against voltage for a particular component of an electrical circuit

68
Q

kinematics

A

the study of motion using quantities such as time, distance, displacement, speed velocity and acceleration

69
Q

kinetic energy energy of an object due to its moton

A

energy of an object due to its moton

70
Q

Kirchhoff’s first law

A

the sum of the currents entering any point (or junction) in a circuit is equal to the the sum of the currents leaving that same point. this law represents the conservation of charge

71
Q

Kirchhoff’s second law

A

the sum of the e.m.f.s round a closed loop in a circuit is equal to the sum of the p.d.s in that same loop

72
Q

lepton

A

a sub-atomic particle which is not affected by the strong nuclear force

73
Q

light-dependent resistor (LDR)

A

a resistor whose resistance decreases as the intensity of light falling on it increases

74
Q

linear momentum

A

the product of an object’s mass and its velocity
p = mv
it is a vector quantity

75
Q

longitudinal wave

A

a wave in which the particles of the medium oscillate along the direction in which the wave tracels

76
Q

lost volts

A

the difference between the e.m.f. and the terminal p.d. in a circuit. it is equal to the voltage across the internal resistance

77
Q

mass

A

a measure of the amount of matter with in an object

Unit: kg

78
Q

mole

A

the amount of matter which contains 6.02 x 10^23 particles

79
Q

moment

A

the moment of a force about a point is the magnitude of the force, multiplied by the perpendicular distance of the point from the line of the force.
Unit: N m

80
Q

monochromatic

A

describes light of a single frequency

81
Q

neutrino

A

a lepton, released during beta-decay

82
Q

neutron number

A

the number of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom

83
Q

newton

A

the force that will give a 1 kg mass an acceleration of 1 ms-2 in the direction of the force.
1 N = 1 kg m s-2

84
Q

Newton’s first law of motion

A

an object will remain at rest or keep travelling at constant velocity unless it is acted on by a resultant force

85
Q

Newton’s second law of motion

A

the resultant force acting on an object is equal to the rate of change of its momentum. the resultant force and the change in momentum are in the same direction

86
Q

Newton’s third law of motion

A

when two bodies interact, the forces they exert on each other are equal and opposite.

87
Q

node

A

a point on a stationary wave with zero amplitude

88
Q

nucleon number / mass number

A

the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom

89
Q

nucleon

A

a particle found in an atomic nucleus, i.e. a neutron or a proton

90
Q

nucleus

A

the tiny central region of the atom that contains most of the mass of the atom and all of its positive charge

91
Q

number density

A

the number of particles, such as free electrons, per unit volume in a material

92
Q

Ohm’s law

A

the current in a metallic conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across its ends, provided its temperature remains constant

93
Q

path difference

A

the difference in the distances travelled by two waves from coherent sources at a particular point

94
Q

perfectly elastic

A

a collision is perfectly elastic when kinetic energy is conserved. momentum and total energy are always conserved

95
Q

period

A

the time taken by an object (e.g. a planet) to complete one cycle (e.g. an orbit). the period is also the time taken for one complete oscillation of a vibrating object
Unit: second (s)

96
Q

phase

A

refers to the point that an oscillation mass has reached in a complete cycle

97
Q

phase difference

A

the difference in the phases of two oscillating particles, expressed in degrees or radians

98
Q

plum-pudding model

A

a model of the atom in which negative charges are distributed throughout a sphere of positive charge

99
Q

positron

A

an anti-electron

100
Q

potential difference (p.d.)

A

the energy lost per unit charge by charges passing through a component.
Unit: J C-1 or volt (V)

101
Q

potential divider

A

a circuit in which two or more components are connected in series to a supply. the output voltage from the circuit is taken across one of the components

102
Q

potentiometer

A

a circuit which allows the measurement of an e.m.f. by comparison with a known e.m.f.

103
Q

power

A

the rate at which energy is transferred or the rate at which work is done

104
Q

precision

A

the smallest change in value that can be measured by an instrument or an operator. a precise measurement is one made several times, giving the same, or very similar, values

105
Q

pressure

A

the force acting normally per unit area of a surface:
p = F/A
Unit: N m-2 or pascal (Pa)

106
Q

principle of conservation of energy

A

the idea that, within a closed system, the total amount of energy in all its forms is unchanged during any change

107
Q

principle of moments

A

for an object in equilibrium, the sum of clockwise moments about a point is equal to the sum of anticlockwise moments about the same point

108
Q

principle of superposition

A

when two or more waves meet at a point, the resultant displacement is the sum of the algebraic displacements of the individual waves

109
Q

progressive wave

A

a wave that carries energy from one place to another

110
Q

projectile

A

any object thrown in the earth’s gravitational field

111
Q

proton number / atomic number

A

the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

112
Q

quarks

A

the fundamental particles of which hadrons are made

113
Q

range

A

the horizontal distance covered by an object

114
Q

rarefaction

A

a region in a sound wave where the air pressure is lass than its mean value

115
Q

red shift

A

the change in frequency or wavelength of a spectral line observed when the source of light is moving away from the observer

116
Q

relative speed

A

the magnitude of the ifference in velocities between two objects

117
Q

resistivity

A

a property of a material, a measure of its electrical resistance, defined by:
resistivity = (RA) / L
Unit: ohm m

118
Q

resistor

A

an electrical component whose resistance in a circuit remains constant, is independent of current or potential difference

119
Q

resonance

A

the forced motion of an oscillator characterised by maximum amplitude when the forcing frequency matches the oscillator’s natural frequency. a system absorbs maximum energy from a source when the source frequency is equal to the natural frequency of the system

120
Q

rest mass

A

the mass of an isolated stationary particle

121
Q

resultant force

A

the single force that has the same effect as all of the forces acting on an object

122
Q

scalar quantity

A

a scalar quantity has magnitude but no drection

123
Q

series

A

a term used when components are connected end-to-end in a circuit

124
Q

speed

A

the rate of change of the distance moved by an object:
speed = distance/time
Unit: m s-1

125
Q

spin

A

a fundamental property of subatomic particles which is conserved during atomic and nuclear reactions

126
Q

stationary wave

A

a wave pattern produced when two progressive waves of the same frequency traveling in opposite directions combine.

127
Q

strain

A

the extension per unit length produced by tensile or compressive forces:
strain = extension / original length

128
Q

strain energy

A

the potential energy stored in an object when it is deformed elastically

129
Q

stress

A

the force actin per unit cross-sectional area:

stress = force / cross-sectional area

130
Q

systematic error

A

an error in readings which is repeated throughout an experiment, producing a constant absolute error or a constant percentage error

131
Q

tensile

A

associated with tension or pulling, e.g. a tensile force

132
Q

terminal p.d.

A

the potential difference across an external resistor connected to an e.m.f. souce

133
Q

terminal velocity

A

the maximum velocity of an object travelling through a fluid. the resultant force on the object is zero

134
Q

thermistor

A

a device whose electrical resistance changes when its temperature changes.
decrease when temperature increases

135
Q

torque of a couple

A

the product of one of the forces of a couple and the perpendicular distance between them.
Unit: N m

136
Q

transverse wave

A

a wave in which the particles of the medium oscillate (the displacement of the particles is) at right angles to the direction in which the wave travels (the wave energy is transferred)

137
Q

unified atomic mass unit

A

a convenient unit used for the mass of atomic and nuclear particles (1u is equal to the mass of a 12-carbon atom)
1u = 1.66 x 10^-27 kg

138
Q

uniform acceleration

A

acceleration that remains constant

139
Q

upthrust

A

the upward force that a liquid exerts on a body floating or immerse in a liquid

140
Q

vector addition

A

using a drawing, often to scale to find the resultant of two or more vectors

141
Q

vector quantity

A

a quantity which has both magnitude and direction

142
Q

vector triangle

A

a triangle drawn to determine the resultant of two vectors

143
Q

velocity

A

the rate of change of the displacement of an object:
velocity = change in displacement / time
Unit: m s-1

144
Q

viscous forces

A

forces that act on a body moving through a fluid that are caused by the resistance of the fluid

145
Q

wave

A

a periodic disturbance travelling through space, characterised by a vibrating medium

146
Q

wavelength

A

the distance between two adjacent peaks or troughs in a wave

147
Q

weak nuclear force

A

a fundamental force, involved in radioactive beta-decay

148
Q

weight

A

the force on an object caused by a gravitational field acting on its mass:
weight = mass x acceleration of free fall
Unit: newton (N)

149
Q

workdone

A

the product of the force and the distance moved in the direction of the force

150
Q

Young modulus

A

the ratio of stress to strain for a given material, resulting from tensile forces, provided Hooke’s law is obeyed:
Young modulus = stress / strain
Unit: pascal (Pa; or MPa, GPa)

151
Q

zero error

A

a systematic error in an instrument that gives a non-zero reading when the true value of a quantity is zero

152
Q

nuclide

A

a specific combination of protons and neutrons in a nucleus

AS Physics Vocab (1 decks)

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