IMPORTANT TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

acceleration the rate of change in velocity

alpha particle a fast moving helium nucleus that is emitted from the
nucleus of an atom in radioactive decay; consists of
two protons and two neutrons

alternating current a current that flows in one direction and then the
(a.c.) opposite direction, continually reversing and variable

ammeter a device for measuring current, connected in series

ampere (A) the unit of electric current

amplitude the maximum displacement of an oscillating particle

from its mean position, height of crest or depth of trough

analogue signal a signal that continuously varies in value with time

e.g. speech
AND-gate a logic gate that gives a high output when both its
inputs are high

angle of incidence the angle between an incident ray and the normal

angle of reflection the angle between a reflected ray and the normal

angle of refraction the angle between a refracted ray and the normal

atom the smallest part of an element that still has the

properties of that element

background radiation radiation caused by radioactive isotopes in the

surroundings with no source in front of detector

balanced forces forces whose effects cancel out , F(net) = 0

barometer an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure

battery two or more cells connected in either series or parallel

bequerel (Bq) the unit of activity = 1 decay per second

beta particle a very fast moving electron emitted from the nucleus
of an atom during radioactive decay

boiling the process by which vapour bubbles form in the

body of a liquid when the liquid is converted to a
vapour at a fixed temperature

Brownian movement the random zigzag movement of particles caused by

their bombardment by other surrounding molecules

Page 1
centre of mass the point at which all the mass of a body may be
considered to be concentrated

centripetal the acceleration of a body towards the centre of the

acceleration circle around which it is travelling

centripetal force the force on a body towards the centre of the circle
around which it is travelling

HOHFWULFILHOG a region in which an electric force acts upon an

electric charge or charged object
compression a region of high pressure above normal pressure
where particles of medium are closer to each other

condensation the conversion of vapour to liquid

conduction (electrical) the movement of electric charge through a body

conduction (thermal) the movement of internal energy through a body

conductor (electrical) a substance that allows electric current through it

conductor (thermal) a substance that allows the flow of internal energy

through it

convection the process by which internal energy is transferred

by a fluid forming a convection current

convection current the rising of a body of warm fluid (or falling of a cool
fluid) owing to its expansion (or contraction) as it is
heated (or cooled)

conventional current the flow of positive electric charge from + end to –

end of the cell

coulomb (C) the unit of electric charge

critical angle It is the angle of incidence in the dense medium for

which the angle of refraction at the boundary
between dense and rare medium is 90o

current a flow of electric charge (electrons)

diffraction the bending of a wave as it goes through a narrow

gap or around a small object

digital signal a signal that has two distinct values only. Usually on
and off represented by 1 (on) and 0 (off)
diode an electronic component that allows current to flow
in one direction only, used to change an a.c. to d.c.

direct current (d.c.) current that flows in one direction only with fixed value

dispersion the splitting of white light into the colours of the

spectrum by means of a prism

Page 2
earthed connected to the Earth by an electrical conductor so
a current (electrons) can flow to or from earth

efficiency ratio between output useful energy (or power) to the

input energy (or power)
elastic material a material that returns to its original shape when a
distorting force is removed

elastic potential energy stored by an object when it is stretched or

energy squashed , also called strain potential energy

electromagnet a magnet formed by passing an electric current

through a coil of wire

electromagnetic the process by which an emf is generated when a

induction conductor cuts a magnetic field

electromagnetic a family of radiation that travels at 3 x 108 m/s in a

spectrum vacuum

electrostatic charge a property of some particles that causes them to

attract or repel each other, it can be positive or
negative

electrostatic force force exerted by one electrically-charged object on

another

emf the total work done when unit charge moves around
a complete circuit

energy the ability to do work

evaporation the change of liquid to vapour when molecules

leave the surface of the liquid without heating

focal length the distance between the optical centre of a lens

and the principal focus

force a push or a pull on an object

fossil fuel a fuel such as coal, oil or gas, formed over millions
of years from the remains of living things

frequency the number of complete waves passing a point each

second

friction the process that produces the force that opposes

the movement of an object on another

fuse a device containing a wire that melts when an

excessive current flows through it, thus breaking the
circuit and protect the electrical appliance

gamma rays the part of the electromagnetic spectrum of waves

that has the shortest wavelength and highest
frequency

Page 3
Geiger-Müller (GM) a device for measuring the radiation from a
tube radioactive source

gravitational field the gravitational force acting on each kilogram of mass

strength

gravity the process that produces the gravitational force

between two objects

half-life the time taken for half the atoms in a sample of a

radioactive isotope to decay

hertz (Hz) the unit of frequency = 1 cycle per second

incident ray the ray of light striking a mirror or an interface between

two materials

infrared a type of electromagnetic radiation that has frequencies

just above those of red light

insulator (electrical) a substance that is a poor conductor of electric current

insulator (thermal) a substance that is a poor conductor of internal energy

internal energy the energy a body has due to its temperature

ion an atom that has either gained or lost one or more

electrons

ionisation the process of adding or removing an electron to or

from an atom to form an ion

isotopes nuclides that have the same number of protons, but

different numbers of neutrons

joule (J) the unit of work and energy

kilogram (kg) the unit of mass

kinetic energy the energy that an object has due to its movement

latent heat of fusion the energy required to change solid to liquid with no
change in temperature at melting point

latent heat of the energy required to change liquid to vapour with no

vaporisation change in temperature at boiling point

light dependent resistor a device whose resistance changes when light shines
(LDR) on it, as light intensity increases, (R) decreases

light emitting diode a diode that gives out light when there is a current in it
(LDR) in one direction (forward bias)

linear (scale) a scale which goes up in equal steps for equal increases
in the property being measured

logic gate an electronic processor that gives a digital output

dependent on the states of its inputs

Page 4
longitudinal (wave) a wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate in a
direction parallel to the direction of travel of the wave

magnetic field the region in which a magnetic force acts

magnetic induction the process in which iron or steel becomes a temporary

magnet when in a magnetic field

manometer a device used to measure the pressure of a fluid in

relation to the atmospheric pressure

mass amount of matter in a body, ability of resisting motion

microwaves part of the electromagnetic spectrum that has waves of

a wavelength between those of radio waves and
infrared radiation

molecule a particle made up of two or more atoms

moment the turning effect of a force,

MOMENT=FORCE X DISTANCE

motor effect the process in which a current carrying conductor in a

magnetic field experiences a force

NAND-gate a logic gate that gives a high output as long as both

its inputs are not high

neutron a subatomic particle with no electric charge and a

relative mass of 1

newton (N) the unit of force

NOR-gate a logic gate that gives a high output when neither of

its inputs are high

normal the imaginary line at right angles to a surface

north seeking pole the end of a magnet that points north when the magnet
is freely suspended

NOT-gate a logic gate that has only one input and the output is
high if that input is not high

nuclear fission the splitting of a nucleus into two more or less equal
halves by a slow speed neutron

nuclear fusion the process in which two small nuclei join together to
form a larger nucleus

nucleon number or the number of protons plus the number of neutrons

mass number in the nucleus of an atom

nucleus (of an atom) the tiny core of an atom that contains most of the mass
of the atom, made up of protons and neutrons

Page 5
nuclide an atom of specified proton number and nucleon
number

ohm (Ω) the unit of electrical resistance

optical centre the point in a lens where light passes through the
lens without being deviated

OR-gate a logic gate that gives a high output when either of its
inputs is high

pascal (Pa) the unit of pressure

periodic time time of one complete wave

pitch the position of a note on the musical scale

plane mirror a mirror with a flat surface

plum pudding model the picture of an atom as a sphere of positive charge

with electrons embedded in it

potential difference the difference in electric potential energy per unit

(p.d.) charge between two points

potential divider a device used to give a variable potential difference

power the rate at which work is done or energy is

transformed

pressure force per unit area, PRESSURE = FORCE / AREA

primary coil the coil in a transformer across which a potential is

applied

principal focus (of a the point through which rays of light initially parallel
lens) to the axis of the lens pass after refraction

prism a block of material through which light can pass

proton a subatomic particle with a positive charge and a

relative mass of 1

proton number the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom

radiation transfer of energy by waves

radio waves part of the electromagnetic spectrum of waves that

have the longest wavelength

radioactivity the spontaneous random decay of unstable nuclides

range (of an the difference between the lowest value and the
instrument) highest value an instrument can measure

rarefaction a region of low pressure below normal pressure where

particles of medium are far apart from each other

Page 6
real image an image formed by a lens or mirror that the rays
actually pass through and can be received on a
screen

reflected ray a ray of light leaving the surface of a mirror or

interface between two materials

reflection the process in which light or other radiation bounces

off a mirror or other surface

refracted ray a ray of light that has passed through the interface
between two materials

refraction change of direction of a wave when it goes through

an interface into a different material where its speed
is different

relay an electromagnetic switch used to operate high

power circuit with low power circuit

resistance the opposition of a material to the passage of

current
resistance = potential difference/current

resultant force the unbalanced force when two or more forces act
on an object

secondary coil the coil in a transformer across which an emf is

induced

sensitivity (of a the minimum change that an instrument can measure

measuring instrument)

solenoid a long spiral coil

south seeking pole the end of a magnet that points south when the magnet
is freely suspended

specific heat capacity the energy required to change the temperature of unit
mass of a material by 1 °C

specific latent heat of the energy required to change unit mass of solid to liquid
fusion with no change in temperature at melting point

specific latent heat of the energy required to change unit mass of liquid to
vaporisation vapour with no change in temperature at boiling point

speed the distance travelled per unit time

step-down transformer a device that changes large potential difference into a

smaller one

step-up transformer a device that changes a small potential difference into

a larger one

terminal velocity the maximum speed of an object falling through a fluid

Page 7
thermal capacity the energy required to change the temperature of the
whole body by 1 °C

thermistor a device whose resistance changes when its

temperature changes ,as (T) increases (R) decreases

thermocouple a device made up of two wires made from different

materials that generates an emf when the junctions
linking the wires are at different temperatures

total internal reflection the reflection of all the light incident on the interface
between a dense and a rare medium back into the
dense medium as light goes from dense to rare

transformer a device that changes the voltage of an alternating

current to a higher or lower value

transformer rules Vp/Vs =Np/Ns , Iin Vin = Iout Vout , (100% effeciency)

transverse (wave) a wave in which the particles of medium vibrate at right

angles to the direction of travel of the wave

ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum of waves that

have frequencies just above than those of violet
light

vacuum a region in which there is no matter

variable resistor a resistor whose resistance may be changed

velocity the speed of an object in a particular direction (vector)

virtual image an image in which the rays of light do not pass through
and can't be received on a screen

visible light part of the electromagnetic spectrum that our eyes are
sensitive to

volt (V) the unit of e.m.f., voltage and potential difference

voltmeter a device for measuring p.d (connected in parallel)

watt (W) the unit of power; 1 watt is 1 joule per second

wavefront an imaginary line joining points on the crest of a wave

wavelength the distance between two successive crests or two

successive troughs or length of one complete wave

weight the gravitational pull on an object

work work is done when a mass moves in the direction of

the force........WORK = FORCE X DISTANCE

x-rays part of the electromagnetic spectrum of waves that

have very short wavelengths and high frequency

Page 8