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G481 flashcards OCR
flashcards for the AS physics module G481 for all definitions required by the specification.
35
Physics
12th Grade
02/24/2014

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Term
scalar
Definition
A physical property with magnitude (size) but not direction; for example, speed, distance, pressure, potential difference, etc.
Term
velocity (v)
Definition
The displacement per unit time, measured in metres per second (m s–1), e.g. 330 m s–1; a vector quantity.
Term
displacement (s or x)
Definition
The distance travelled in a particular direction, measured in metres (m), e.g. 3 m; a vector quantity.
Term
average speed
Definition
A measure of the total distance travelled in a certain time.
Term
speed (s)
Definition
The distance travelled per unit time, measured in metres per second (m s–1), e.g. 12 m s–1; a scalar quantity.
Term
velocity (v)
Definition
The displacement per unit time, measured in metres per second (m s–1), e.g. 330 m s–1; a vector quantity.
Term
acceleration (a)
Definition
The rate of change of velocity, measured in metres per second squared (m s–2); a vector quantity.
Term
instantaneous speed
Definition
The speed of an object at a given moment in time.
Term
newton
Definition
Unit of force (N), e.g. 4000 N. 1 N is the force which gives a mass of 1 kg an acceleration of 1 m s–2.
Term
weight (w)
Definition
The gravitational force on a body, measured in newtons.
Term
drag
Definition
The resistive force that acts on a body when it moves through a fluid.
Term
terminal velocity
Definition
The velocity at which an object’s drag equals its accelerating force. Therefore there is no resultant force and zero acceleration.
Term
centre of gravity
Definition
The point at which the entire weight of an object can be considered to act.
Term
couple
Definition
Two forces that are equal and opposite to each other but not in the same straight line.
Term
torque
Definition
The turning effect due to a couple, measured in newton metres (N m).
Term
moment of a force
Definition
The turning effect due to a single force, measured in newton metres (N m), e.g. 4 N m; a vector quantity.
Term
thinking distance
Definition
The distance travelled from seeing the need to stop to applying the brakes.
Term
braking distance
Definition
The distance a vehicle travels while decelerating to a stop.
Term
stopping distance
Definition
The sum of the thinking distance and the braking distance (i.e. the total distance required to stop a vehicle from seeing the need to stop to vehicle becoming stationary).
Term
work (W)
Definition
The product of force and the distance moved in the direction of the force, it can also be considered as the energy converted from one form into another, measured in joules (J); a scalar quantity.
Term
joule
Definition
Unit of energy (J), e.g. 1200 J. 1 J is the work done when a force of 1 N moves its point of application 1 m in the direction of the force.
Term
conservation of energy
Definition
Physical law stating energy cannot be created or destroyed, just transformed from one form into another or transferred from one place to another.
Term
power (P)
Definition
The rate of doing work, measured in watts (W); a scalar quantity.
Term
watt
Definition
Unit of power (W), e.g. 60 W. 1 W = 1 J s–1.
Term
elastic limit
Definition
The point at which elastic deformation becomes plastic deformation.
Term
elastic deformation
Definition
The object will return to its original shape when the deforming force is removed.
Term
plastic deformation
Definition
The object will not return to its original shape when the deforming force is removed, it becomes permanently distorted.
Term
Hooke’s law
Definition
The extension of an elastic body is proportional to the force that causes it.
Term
stress
Definition
The force per unit cross-sectional area, measured in pascals (Pa).
Term
strain
Definition
The extension per unit length.
Term
Young modulus (Y)
Definition
The ratio of tensile stress to tensile strain, measured in pascals (Pa).
Term
ultimate tensile strength
Definition
The maximum tensile force that can be applied to an object before it breaks.
Term
ductile
Definition
Materials that have a large plastic region (therefore they can be drawn into a wire); for example, copper.
Term
brittle
Definition
A material that distorts very little even when subject to a large stress and does not exhibit any plastic deformation; for example, concrete.
Term
polymeric material
Definition
A material made of many smaller molecules bonded together, often making tangled long chains. These materials often exhibit very large strains (e.g. 300%), for example rubber.
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