DEFINITIONS /STATEMENTS/PRINCIPLES/ CHARACTERISTICS

PHYSICS AS

Define density
Mass per unit volume

Define pressure
Force per unit area

Define work done
Product of force and distance moved by force in the direction of the force

Power
Work done per unit time

Define displacement
Distance moved from a fixed point in a specified direction

State the difference between a scalar quantity and a vector quantity
Scalar: has magnitude only
Vector: has magnitude and direction

Define acceleration
Rate of change of velocity

Distinguish the moment of a force and the torque of a couple
Moment: force x perpendicular distance of force from pivot
Torque: magnitude of one force x perpendicular distance between the two forces

Distinguish between systematic errors and random errors
Systematic:


Random:


Define potential energy
Stored energy available to do work

Distinguish between gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy
Gravitational: due to position of mass or distance of mass from one point to another
Elastic: due to deformation



Constant error in all readings
Cannot be eliminated by averaging
Error in measuring instrument
Readings scattered equally about
true value
Can be eliminated by averaging
Error due to observer
The Principle of conservation of momentum
The sum of momentum in any direction is constant in a closed system provided that there is
no external force acting on the system.

What is meant by centre of gravity?
It is the point where the whole weight of the body may be considered to act

Distinguish between the mass of a body and its weight
Mass: measure of bodys inertia to changes in motion
Weight: force of gravity

The conditions for a body to be in equilibrium
No resultant force in any direction
No resultant moment about any point

Define the resistance of a resistor
Ratio of potential difference to current

Thermistor
As temperature rises, resistance of thermistor decreases

Define electric field strength
Force per unit positive charge on a small test charge

Boiling and evaporation
Similarity: both involve a phase change from liquid to gas
Differences:



What is meant by Brownian movement?
Haphazard and random movement of smoke particles

Describe the structure of




Define
Tensile stress: stress = force / cross sectional area
Tensile strain: strain = extension / original length
The Young modulus = stress / strain

Strain energy (elastic potential energy)
It is the ability to do work as a result of a change of shape of an object

Internal energy of a substance
It is the sum of random kinetic and potential energies of the atoms of the substances

Evaporation takes place at the surface Boiling occurs in the body of the liquid
Evaporation occurs at all temperature boiling occurs at one temperature
(the boiling point)
a metal : lattice of atoms in regular pattern that repeats
itself within crystal
a polymer : has long chain of molecules, each chain
consists of units that repeat themselves
What is an elastic deformation?
It is the change of shape such that when the deforming force is removed, the object returns
to its original shape

State the principle of Superposition
When two or more waves meet, the resultant displacement is the sum of individual
displacements

Explain what is meant by
A transverse wave: vibrations in plane normal to direction of energy propagation
Polarization: vibrations in one direction normal to direction of propagation

Conditions for two waves to interfere
Both waves are of same type (longitudinal or transverse)
They must meet at a point
They should have the same direction of polarization

Explain what is meant by
Interference: when two or more waves meet at a point, there is a change in overall
displacement
Coherence: constant phase difference between waves

State what is meant by
The frequency of a progressive wave it is the number of oscillations per unit time of
the source
Speed of a progressive wave it is the speed at which energy is transferred

State the effect on the appearance of the fringes in a double-slit experiment when
The separation of the slits, a is increased
-smaller separations of fringes, no change in brightness
The width of each slit is increased but the separation, a remains constant
Same fringe separation
Maxima- brighter
Minima no change

Explain why a wave is said to be stationary
It does not transfer energy along the wave

What is meant by the speed of a stationary wave?
When two waves traveling in opposite directions interfere, a stationary wave is formed.
Speed is then the speed of one of these waves

What is meant by the diffraction of wave?
The bending of wave into geometrical shadow when the wave is incident at an aperture

What is an antinode?
It is the position along the wave where amplitude of vibration is a maximum

State the features that are common to electromagnetic waves
All have same speed in vacuum
All can be polarized
All undergo diffraction/interference/superposition
All can be reflected/refracted
All are progressive

Distinguish between an -particle and a -particle
-particle contains 2 protons & 2 neutrons, -particle an electron
speed < speed
mass > mass
ionizing power >> ionizing power
positive, negative

State the nature of an -particle
It is a helium nucleus

Explain what is meant by radioactive decay
The nucleus emits - or - particle, or -rays

Spontaneous decay
Decay is not affected by environmental factors

Random decay
Nucleus has constant probability of decay in a given time

State the deductions from the -scattering experiment
when most -particles were deviated through angles of less than 10
- nucleus is small in comparison to size of atom
when a very small proportion of the -particles were deviated through angles of
greater than 90
- nucleus is dense and charged

State the results of the -scattering experiment
most -particles are deviated through small angles
few -particles deviated through angles greater than 90

Define isotopes
Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different number of
neutrons