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Pure Physics Definitions o Level

This document provides definitions and explanations of key concepts in physics. It covers topics such as scalar and vector quantities, kinematics, forces and Newton's laws, mass and density, work, energy and power, thermal physics, waves, electricity, electromagnetism, and more. For each topic, it defines important terms and describes relevant principles and formulas. The overall document serves as a comprehensive reference guide to core ideas and relationships in physics.

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Desiree Chen
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140 views7 pages

Pure Physics Definitions o Level

This document provides definitions and explanations of key concepts in physics. It covers topics such as scalar and vector quantities, kinematics, forces and Newton's laws, mass and density, work, energy and power, thermal physics, waves, electricity, electromagnetism, and more. For each topic, it defines important terms and describes relevant principles and formulas. The overall document serves as a comprehensive reference guide to core ideas and relationships in physics.

Uploaded by

Desiree Chen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Scalar quantities are quantities in which the magnitude is stated, but the

direction is either not applicable or not specified.

Vector quantities are quantities in which both the magnitude and the direction
must be stated.

Kinematics

Distance travelled by an object is the length of path taken.

Displacement is the shortest distance from the initial to the final position of
an object.

Speed is the distance moved per unit time.

Velocity (v) of an object is the rate of change of displacement with respect to


time.

Acceleration of an object is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time.

Forces and Turning effect of Force

Newton’s First Law states that an object will continue in its state of rest or
uniform motion in a straight line as long as there is no net force acting on the
body.

Newton’s Second Law states that when a resultant force acts on an object of a
constant mass, the object will accelerate in the direction of the resultant force.

Newton’s Third Law states that if object A exerts a force on object B, then
object B will also exert an equal and opposite force on object A
The moment of a force (torque) is defined as the turning effect of the force
about a pivot and is the product of the force and the perpendicular distance
from the line of action of the force to the pivot.

The centre of mass of a body of matter is an imaginary point at which the


entire mass of the body seems to act.

The centre of gravity of a body of matter is an imaginary point at which the


entire weight of the body seems to act.

Mass, Weight and Density

Mass is defined as the amount of matter in an object

Weight is defined as the gravitational force acting on an object

Inertia is defined as the reluctance on an object to change its state of rest or


motion, due to its mass.

A Gravitational Field is a region in which a mass experiences a force due to


gravitational attraction

Gravitational Field Strength is defined as the gravitational force acting per unit
mass .

Density (

) is defined as the mass of a substance per unit volume.

Terminal velocity is the highest velocity attainable by an object in free fall.


Pressure

Pressure is defined as the perpendicular force acting on unit area of a surface


or the force per unit area.

Boyle’s Law states that the volume of a fixed mass of gas at constant
temperature is inversely proportional to the pressure applied to the gas.

Work, Energy and Power

The Principle of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created


nor destroyed but can be converted from one form to another and the total
amount of energy of a enclosed system remains constant.

Kinetic Energy,

Ek

is the energy a body possesses by virtue of its motion.

Gravitational Potential Energy is defined as the amount of work done in order


to raise the body to the height h from a reference level.

Power is defined as the rate of work done OR;

Power is defined as the rate of energy converted with respect to time.


Thermal Physics

Melting is the process in which energy absorbed by a substance results in a


change of state from solid to liquid, without a change in temperature.

Solidification is the process in which energy taken away from a substance


results in a change of state from liquid to solid, without a change in
temperature.

Boiling is the process in which the energy absorbed by a substance changes it


from liquid state to gaseous state, without a change in temperature.

Condensation is the process in which energy taken away from substance


changes it from gaseous state to liquid state, without a change in
temperature.

Heat Capacity, C,of a body is defined as the amount of heat (Q) required to
raise its temperature (θ) by one degree, without going through a change of
state.

Specific heat capacity, c, of a body is defined as the amount of heat (Q)


required to raise the temperature (θ) of a unit mass of it by one degree,
without going through a change in state.

Specific latent heat of fusion of a substance is defined as the amount of heat


required to change a unit mass of the substance from solid to liquid state,
without any change in the temperature.

Specific latent heat of vapourization of a substance is defined as the amount


of heat required to change unit mass of the substance from liquid state to gas
state without a temperature change.

Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy from one place to another


without any flow of the medium.
Convection is the transfer of thermal energy from one place to another by
means of convection currents in a fluid (gas or liquid), due to a difference in
density

Radiation is the transfer of thermal energy from one place to another by


means of electromagnetic radiation, without the need of an intervening
material medium.

Waves, Reflection and Refraction of light, Converging lens

Amplitude is the maximum displacement from the rest or central position, in


either directions.

Frequency (f) is defined as the number of complete waves produced per unit
time.

Wavelength (λ) is the distance between corresponding points of two


consecutive waves.

Speed of the wave propagation is defined as the distance travelled by a wave


per unit time.

Period (T) is defined as the time taken to produce one complete wave.

First law of reflection states that the incident ray, the reflected ray and the
normal to the surface all lie in the same plane.

Second law of reflection states that the angle of incidence is equal to the
angle of reflection.

Refraction of light is the change in direction (bending of light rays) when it


passes from one optically transparent medium to another.

First law of refraction states that the incident ray, the refracted ray and the
normal to the interface all lie in the same plane.
Second law of refraction states that for two given media, the ratio

sin

sin

constant

sin⁡isin⁡r=constant

, where

is the angle of incidence and

is the angle of refraction.

Electricity and D.C. Circuits

Electric Current is defined as the rate of flow of charges.


Electromotive Force (e.m.f) of a source is defined as the the work done by the
source in driving a unit charge around a complete circuit.

Potential difference across a component is defined as the work done to drive


a unit charge through the component.

Ohm’s law states that the current flowing through a metallic conductor is
directly proportional to the potential difference across it, provided that the
physical conditions remain constant.

Electromagnetic Force and Electromagnetic Induction

Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic induction is the process in which an


electromotive force (emf) is induced in a closed circuit due to changes in the
magnetic field around the circuit.

Lenz’s law states that the direction of the induced e.m.f. and hence the
induced current in a closed circuit is always such that it opposes the change
in producing it.

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