AS Notes
AS Notes
Session: 2024-2025
Grade: XI
Subject: Physics
units
ㅤ
All units (excluding those above) can be broken down to
1.1. Physical Quantities the base units
Homogeneity can be used to prove equations.
An equation is homogenous if base units on left hand side
are the same as base units on right hand side
All physical quantities consist of a numerical magnitude
and a unit: ㅤ
ㅤ
Multiples
ㅤ
Multiple Prefix Symbol
10 12 Tera (T )
10 9 Giga (G)
ㅤ
10 6 Mega (M )
ㅤ 10 3 Kilo (k)
ㅤ Sub-multiples
ㅤ
ㅤ
Quantity Estimate
Height of an adult human 2m Sub-multiple Prefix Symbol
Kinematics
ㅤ
Absolute uncertainty Δx = ±0.2mm
Δx
Fractional uncertainty = x = 0.04
2.2. Kinematics concepts
ㅤ
Combining errors: Distance: total length moved irrespective of direction
When values added or subtracted, add absolute error Displacement: distance in a certain direction
If p = 2x+y 2x−y
,then Δp = 2Δx+Δy Speed: distance traveled per unit time, no direction
3 or p =
3
3
When values multiplied or divided, add % errors Velocity: the rate of change of displacement
When values are powered (e.g. squared), multiply Acceleration: the rate of change of velocity
percentage error with power
If r = 2xy3 , then Δr
r = Δx
x + 3Δy
y
2.3. Linear Motion
ㅤ Distance: total length moved irrespective of direction
Displacement: distance in a certain direction
1.4. Scalars and Vectors Speed: distance traveled per unit time, no direction
Velocity: the rate of change of displacement
Acceleration: the rate of change of velocity
ㅤ
Displacement-time graph:
Scalar: has magnitude only, cannot be –ve Gradient = velocity
e.g. speed, energy, power, work, mass, distance
ㅤ
Vector: has magnitude and direction, can be –ve
e.g. displacement, acceleration, force, velocity
momentum, weight, electric field strength
Gradient = acceleration
Area under graph = change in displacement
v = u + at
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Continues
to curve as
Displacement
it
accelerates
Graph
levels off as
it reaches
terminal
velocity
to
Velocity
accelerate 2.7. Projectile motion
constantly
Projectile motion: uniform velocity in one direction and
constant acceleration in perpendicular direction
Graph
curves as it
decelerates
and levels
off to
terminal
velocity
Acceleration Straight line
Graph
curves
down to
zero
because the Horizontal motion = constant velocity (speed at which
resultant projectile is thrown)
force Vertical motion = constant acceleration (cause by weight
equals zero of object, constant free fall acceleration)
Curved path – parabolic (y ∝ x2 )
3. Dynamics
3.1. Newton’s laws of motion X stops and Y moves with speed v:
(relative velocity before collision) - (relative velocity after
First law: if a body is at rest it remains at rest or if it is in collisions
motion it moves with a uniform velocity until it is acted on u A − u B = vB − vA
by resultant force or torque
Linear momentum: product of mass and velocity may be converted into other forms of energy e.g. heat
p = mv
3.6. Collisions in Two Dimensions
Force: rate of change of momentum
mv − mu
F = t
Principle of conservation of linear momentum: when
bodies in a system interact, total momentum remains
constant provided no external force acts on the system.
mA u A + mB u B = mA vA + mB vB
Conditions for Equilibrium: Elastic potential energy: this arises in a system of atoms
Resultant force acting on it in any direction equals where there are either attractive or repulsive short-range
zero inter-atomic forces between them.
Resultant torque about any point is zero. Electric potential energy: arises in a system of charges
Principle of Moments: for a body to be in equilibrium, the where there are either attractive or repulsive electric
sum of all the anticlockwise moments about any point forces between them.
must be equal to the sum of all the clockwise moments
about that same point. 5.4. Deriving Gravitational Potential
4.2. Pressure in Fluids Energy
A
∴ W = 21 mv 2
Pressure = ρgh
Work Done
P ower = Time Taken
Condition for formula: temperature of gas is constant
The change in distance of the piston, δx, is very small Deriving it to form P = fv
therefore it is assumed that P remains constant
P = W.d
T & W .d. = F s
∴ P = Fs
T = F (t)
s
5.3. Gravitational, Elastic and Electric
∴ P = Fv
Potential Energy
Efficiency: ratio of (useful) output energy of a machine to
Gravitational Potential Energy: arises in a system of the input energy
masses where there are attractive gravitational forces Useful Energy Ouput
between them. The g.p.e of an object is the energy it Efficiency = Total Energy Input × 100
possesses by virtue of its position in a gravitational field.
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Compressive force
6.4. Stress, Strain and Young’s Modulus
Act towards each other, object squashed
Stress: force applied per unit cross-sectional area
F
σ= A in Nm-2 or Pascals
ε = el no units
σ
E= ε in Nm-2 or Pascals
Stress-Strain Graph:
F = ke
Where k is the spring constant; force per unit extension
Power
Strain energy: the potential energy stored in or work done Intensity = Cross Sectional Area
W = 21 kΔL2
7.5. Transverse and Longitudinal waves
Transverse Waves
7. Waves Oscillation of wave particles perpendicular to direction of
propagation
Displacement: distance of a point from its undisturbed Polarization can occur
position E.g. light waves
Amplitude: maximum displacement of particle from
undisturbed position
Period: time taken for one complete oscillation
Frequency: number of oscillations per unit time
1
f= T
Wavelength: distance from any point on the wave to the
next exactly similar point (e.g. crest to crest)
Wave speed: speed at which the waveform travels in the
direction of the propagation of the wave
Progressive waves transfer energy from one position to
another
Longitudinal Waves
7.2. Deducing Wave Equation Oscillations of wave particle parallel to direction of
Distance propagation
Speed = Time
∴ v = Tλ = λ ( T1 )
f = T1 so v = fλ
Path difference = even λ2
Source moving away from Observer:
fs v
f0 =
v±vs
observer
Phase difference = odd \frac{\lambda}{2}2λ
Path difference = odd \frac{\lambda}{2}2λ
7.7. Electromagnetic Waves
As electromagnetic wave progresses, wavelength
decreases and frequency increases
8. Superposition
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1 Air Columns:
Neighboring nodes & antinodes separated by 2 λ
Between 2 adjacent nodes, particles move in phase and A tuning fork held at the mouth of an open tube projects a
they are out of phase with the next two nodes by π sound wave into the column of air in the tube.
The length can be changed by varying the water level.
Stationary wave at different times: At certain lengths tube, the air column resonates
This is due to the formation of stationary waves by the
incident and reflected sound waves at the water surface.
Node always formed at surface of water
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d sin θ = nλ
Where d = distance between successive slits
== reciprocal of number of lines per meter
θ = angle from horizontal equilibrium
n = order number
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9. Electricity
Electric current: flow of charged particles
Charge at a point. product of the current at that point and
the time for which the current flows,
Q = It
Vibration of ions ↑
Collision of ions with e- ↑
9.2. Current-Carrying Conductors Resistance ↑
I= Q Thermistor
t
Non-ohmic conductor
vol. of container = LA t= L
v Volt ↑
V V V
Electromotive force (work done per unit charge) R = R1 + R2
energy transformed from other forms to electrical Voltage constant therefore cancel:
1 1 1
R = R1 + R2 \n
10.9. Potentiometers
A potentiometer is a continuously variable potential
divider used to compare potential differences Results of the experiment:
Potential difference along the wire is proportional to the Most particles pass straight through
length of the wire Some are scattered appreciably
Can be used to determine the unknown e.m.f. of a cell Very few – 1 in 8,000 – suffered deflections > 90o
This can be done by moving the sliding contact along the Conclusion:
wire until it finds the null point that the galvanometer All mass and charge concentrated in the center of
shows a zero reading; the potentiometer is balanced atom ∴ nucleus is small and very dense
Nucleus is positively charged as α -particles are
Example: E1 is 10 V, distance XY is equal to 1m. The
repelled/deflected
potentiometer is balanced at point T which is 0.4m from X.
Calculate E2
11.2. The Nuclear Atom
Nucleon number: total number of protons and neutrons
Proton/atomic number: total number of protons
Isotope: atoms of the same element with a different
number of neutrons but the same number of protons
E1
= LL21
Radioactive process are random and spontaneous
E2
10 1
E2 = 0.4
3
3