Term Definition Formula

Base quantity Physical quantity which cannot be derived from another

physical quantity
Derived Physical quantities that can be described in terms of base
quantities quantities
Scalar quantities Physical quantities that have magnitude only
Vector Physical quantities that have magnitude and direction
quantities
Distance Length of route covered by an object
Displacement Shortest distance between the initial position and the final
position in a specific direction
Speed Rate of change of distance travelled V=d/t
Velocity Rate of change of displacement V=s/t
Acceleration Rate of change of velocity A=v-u/t
Free fall Motion of the object is affected only by gravitational force
Gravitational The acceleration of a free-falling object caused by
acceleration, g gravitational force
Inertia The tendency of an object to remain at rest, if moving to
continue its motion in a straight line at an uniform velocity
Newton’s first An object will remain at rest or move at uniform velocity
law of motion unless acted upon by an external force
Momentum, Momentum is the product of mass times velocity P=mv
kgms^-1
Principle of The total momentum before collision is equal to the total mu+mu =
conservation of momentum after collision if no external force is acting on it mv+mv
momentum
Explosion Situation where an object at rest breaks up into two or more m1v1= -m2v2
parts
Force, F Change of the state of motion of an object F=ma
Push or pull exerted on an object
Newton’s The rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to
second law of the force and acts in the direction of the applied force
motion
Impulse, J Change of momentum J= mv-mu
J= Ft
Impulsive force Rate of change of momentum in a collision or impact in a F= mv-mu/t
short period of time
Newton’s third For every action there is reaction of equal magnitude, but in
law of motion the opposite direction.
Weight, w Vector quantity which has the same direction with W= mg (N)
gravitational force, this is towards the centre of earth
Gravitational Force that acts between any two bodies in the universe g = GM/r^2
force
Newton’s The gravitational force between two bodies is directly F=Gm1m2/r^2
universal law of proportional to the product of the masses of both bodies and
gravitational inversely proportional to the square of the distance between
the centres of the two bodies
Centripetal Force that acts on the body in a direction towards the centre F= mv^2/r
force of the circle
Centripetal Acceleration is always directed towards the centre of the A=v^2/r
acceleration circle
Kepler’s first law All planet moves in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus
(law of orbits)
Kepler’s second A line that connects a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal
law areas in equal times (law of areas)
Kepler’s third The square of the orbital period of any planet is directly
law proportional to the cube of the radius of its orbit
(Law of periods)
Escape velocity The minimum velocity needed by an object on the surface of
the Earth to overcome the gravitational force and escape to
outer space
Thermal Two objects in thermal contact have the same temperature
equilibrium and net heat transfer between the object is zero
Heat Type of energy which always flow from warmer to cooler
objects
Heat capacity, c Amount of heat required to change the temperature of the Q= mc0
object by 1 degree Celsius
Specific heat Substance is the quantity of heat needed to raise the
capacity temperature of 1kg mass of the substance 1 degree Celsius
Latent heat Heat that is absorbed during melting and boiling without
change in temperature
Specific latent The quantity of heat that is absorbed or released during a Q = ml
heat change of phase of 1 kg of the substance without any change
in its temperature
Specific latent The quantity of heat that is absorbed or released during
heat of fusion boiling or the quantity of heat released during condensation
of 1 kg od the substance without any change in temperature.
Boyle’s law Pressure is inversely proportional to volume for a fixed mass P1V1= P2V2
of gas at constant temperature
Charles’s law Volume is directly proportional to absolute temperature for a V1/T1=V2/T2
fixed mass of gas at constant pressure
Pressure law Pressure is directly proportional to absolute temperature for P1/T1= P2/T2
a mass of gas at constant pressure
Wave profile The shape of the slinky spring as waves propagates through it
Progressive Wave profile that propagates with time along the direction of
wave propagation of the wave
Stationary wave Wave where the profile of the wave does not propagate with
time.
Amplitude Maximum displacement of a particle from its equilibrium
position
Period, T The time taken by a particle to make one complete oscillation
or by a source to produce one complete cycle of water
Frequency, F Number of complete oscillations made by a particle or F=1/T
number of cycles of wave produced by a source in one second
Wavelength Distance between two consecutive points in phase λ = v/f
Wave speed, v Distance travelled per second by a wave profile V=f λ
External Oscillating system loses energy to overcome friction or air
damping resistance
Internal Oscillating system loses energy because of the stretching and
damping compression of the vibrating particles in the system
Resonance Periodic force is applied to an oscillating system at its natural
frequency. During resonance, system oscillates with natural
frequency and maximum amplitude.
Wavefront A line or a surface that connects points that are moving at the
same phase and has the same distance from the source of the
waves
Refraction of Change in direction of propagation of waves caused by the
waves change in the velocity of waves
Principle of When two waves overlap, the resultant displacement is the
superposition sum of the individual displacement of the two waves
Interference of Superposition of two or more waves from a coherent source Λ= ax/D
waves of waves
Electromagnetic Electromagnetic waves are made up of an electric field and a
waves magnetic field that oscillated perpendicularly to one another
Refraction of Change in velocity of light when travelling through mediums
light of different optical densities
Refractive index The ratio of speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in N=
medium 3.0x10^8/V
Total internal Total internal reflection only occurs when light travels from a
reflection medium of hight optical density to a medium of low optical
density
Critical angle The angle of incidence in the medium of high optical density n=1/sin c
when the angle of refraction in the medium of lower optical
density is equals to 90 degrees
Optical centre Point at the centre of the lens.
Principal axis Straight line through the optical centre of a lens and the
centre of curvature of both surfaces of the lens
Axis of lens Straight line through the optical centre and perpendicular to
the principal axis
Focal point Point located at the principal axis of a lens
Object distance Distance between object and optical centre of a lens
Image distance Distance between image and optical centre of a lens
Focal length Distance between focal point, F and optical centre, o of a lens
Linear Comparison between image size and object size is made M= hi/ho, v/u
magnification based on the ratio of image height to object height
Thin lens The relationship between object distance, u, image distance, 1/f=1/u + 1/v
formula v and focal length
Principal axis Straight line passing through the centre of curvature, C and
pole of the spherical mirror
Centre of Centre of sphere which produce a concave or convex mirror
curvature
Radius of Distance between the pole of spherical mirror, P and the
curvature of centre of curvature
mirror
Focal point A point on the principal axis of the spherical mirror
Object distance Distance between object and the pole of spherical mirror
Image distance Distance between image and the pole of spherical mirror
Focal length Distance between focal point and the pole of spherical mirror
Resultant force The single force that represents the vector sum of two or
more forces acting on an object
Free body Diagram that shows all forces acting on that object only
diagram
Resolution of Process of resolving a force into two components
forces
Equilibrium of When the forces acting on it produces a zero resultant force
forces
Elasticity Property of material that enables an object to return to its
original shape and size after the force applied on it is
removed
Hooke’s law Extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force F= kx
applied on the spring provided the elastic limit of the spring is
not exceeded
Spring constant, Gradient of the graph of F against x
k
Elastic potential Work done to stretch the spring ½ Fx
energy ½ kx^2
pressure Force per unit area P= FA, Ncm^2
Atmospheric Pressure due to the weight of the layer of air acting on the egh + Patm
pressure, actual surface of the earth
pressure
Pascal principal Pressure applied on an enclosed fluid is transmitted uniformly
in all directions in the fluid
Buoyant force Force acting upwards on an object immersed in a liquid when FB= pvg
there is pressure difference between the lower surface and Sinking = pvg
upper surface of the object Floating =
weight of
object
Archimedes An object which is partially or fully immersed in a fluid will
principle experience a buoyant force equal to the weight of fluid
displaced
Bernoulli When the velocity of a fluid increases, the pressure in the
principle fluid decreases and vice versa
Electric field The region around a charged particle where any electric
charge in the region will experience an electric force
Electric field The electric force acting on a unit positive charge placed at
strength the point
Current, I The rate of flow of charge, Q in a conductor Q=it
Cs^-1
Potential The work done, W in moving one coulomb of charge, Q from Jc^-1 / V
difference, V one point to another V= E/Q
Ohm’s law The current flowing in a circuit is directly proportional to the
applied potential difference and inversely proportional to the
resistance in the circuit.
Resistivity Measure of a conductor’s ability to oppose the flow of electric R= pl/A
current
superconductors Materials that conduct electricity without any resistance
Critical The temperature when the resistivity of a superconductor
temperature becomes zero
Electromotive The energy transferred or work done by an electrical source e = IR + Ir
force (e.m.f), ϵ to move one coulomb of charge in a complete circuit ϵ = E/Q
Internal The resistance caused by electrolyte in the dry cell. Ir = ϵ - V
resistance, r
Catapult field Resultant magnetic field produced by the interaction between
the magnetic field from a current carrying conductor and the
magnetic field from a permanent magnet
Electromagnetic Production of an induced e.m.f in a conductor when there is a
induction relative motion between the conductor and a magnetic field
or when the conductor is in a changing magnetic field
Faraday ‘s law The magnitude of induced e.m.f is directly proportional to the
rate of cutting of magnetic flux
Lenz’s law The induced current always flows in a direction that opposes
the change of magnetic flux that causes it / direction of
induced current
Carbon brushes Ensure coil is always connected to the external circuit during
the rotation
Coil wires Cut the magnetic field to produced induced current
commutator Reverses the connection of the coil with the external circuit
through the carbon brushes.
Transformer Electrical device that is used to step up and step-down
voltages of an alternating current supply via the principle of
electromagnetic induction
Cathode rays Beams of electrons moving at high speed in a vacuum eV= ½ mv^2
e=1.6x 10^-19
m=9.1x10^-31
V= velocity
Thermionic The emission of free electrons from a heated metal surface
emission
Semiconductor Electronic components which allow electric current to flow in
diode one direction only
rectification Process of converting an alternating current into a direct
current
Full wave Process where both halves of every cycle of an alternating
rectification current is made to flow in the same direction
Half life The time taken for a sample of radioactive nuclei to decay to
half of its initial number
Nuclear energy Atomic energy, released during nuclear reactions such as
radioactive decay, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion
Nuclear fission Nuclear reaction when a heavy nucleus splits into two or
more lighter nuclei while releasing a large amount of energy
Nuclear fusion Nuclear reaction in which small and light nuclei fuse to form a
heavier nucleus while releasing a large amount of energy. This
nuclear reaction happens under extremely high temperature
and pressure