FE Physics Revision

Lin Shu Nuo 4J (17)

UNIT 13 - THERMODYNAMICS

Internal energy determined by the state of the system

sum of a random distribution of kinetic and potential energies

associated with the molecules of a system

change in internal energy would result in EITHER change in

temperature or change in state

Heat curve during change of state, kinetic energy does not increase (but
potential energy does) because temperature increase is
proportional to increase of kinetic energy of particles

when temperature increases, both kinetic and potential energies

increase

Heat capacity, C amount of heat energy needed to increase temperature of a

substance by 1 K or 1 ºC (unit: J K-1)

Specific heat amount of heat energy needed to increase temperature of a unit

capacity, c mass of a substance by 1 K or 1 ºC (unit: J kg-1 K-1)

Specific latent heat amount of heat energy required to change a unit mass of a
of fusion, lf substance from solid to liquid state without change in
temperature

Specific latent heat amount of heat energy required to change a unit mass of a
of vaporisation, lv substance from liquid to gaseous state without change in
temperature

Formulae: (Q is the amount of heat energy transferred)

(∆θ is the change in temperature of a substance)
(P is the power of an electrical heater which is equal to potential
difference, V, multiplied by current, I)
Q = C∆θ

Q = mc∆θ
 Q = Pt = IVt

m1c1∆θ1 = m2c2∆θ2

Q = mlf

Q = mlv

Example qns 1. How much heat energy is required to heat up 100g of ice from
-8.00˚C to 123˚C steam? (use Q=mc∆θ, lf=Q/m, lv=Q/m)
● cwater = 4200 J kg-1 ˚C-1
● cice = 2100 J kg-1 ˚C-1
● csteam = 2000 J kg-1 ˚C-1
● lf_ice = 336000 J kg-1
● lv_water = 2268000 J kg-1
● amount of heat required
● = (100/1000)(2100)(8) {use cice}
● + (336000)(100/1000)
● + (100/1000)(4200)(100) {use c water}
● + (2268000)(100/1000)
● + (100/1000)(2000)(23) {use c steam}
● = 309000 J (3sf)

UNIT 14 - ELECTROSTATICS

Forces between like charges repel, unlike charges attract

electrical charges

Net charge and positively charged objects still contain negatively charged
conservation of particles (electrons) and negatively charged objects contain
charge positively charged particles (protons) too

net charge in an isolated system is always constant

protons are immobile while electrons are mobile => you can
only remove/add electrons to modify charge, you can’t do so
with protons

Electrical conductors electrical conductors are materials which have free charge
and insulators carriers eg. salt water, metals, graphite
 electrical insulators are materials which do not have free charge
carriers eg. glass, ebonite, polythene

Methods of charging 1 | friction - electrons transfer from one insulator to another

objects through rubbing, resulting in them having an equal amount of
opposite net charge

2 | induction - no contact is needed with charging body (as both

are conductors),

eg1. when positively charged metal sphere A is brought near

neutrally charged metal sphere B, e- cloud is pulled towards
metal sphere A => +A+ -B+

eg2. when positively charged metal sphere C is brought near

neutrally charged metal spheres D and E (which are both in
contact w each other), then D becomes -vely charged and E
becomes +vely charged.

3 | contact - excess charged from charged conductor is shared

between charged conductor and originally neutral conductor

eg. metal sphere A contains 2 C of charge vs metal sphere B is

neutral, when they come into contact the charge is shared (not
necessarily equally) => both become positive (but you don’t
know the amount of charge)

Methods of 1 | bringing insulator over flame/exposing it to humid

discharging objects conditions as these surroundings are highly ionised and the
positive and negative ions in the surrounding air get transferred
to the insulators, discharging them easily

2 | earthing conductors - electrons can flow through a

wire/human body to/from earth, thus discharging the conductor

Electric field is the direction of the force that acts on a positive test charge
placed at that point
 Between two isolated opposite-point charges (+-/-+): the field
lines point away from positive charge and toward negative
charge

Between two isolated similar-point charges (++/--): the field

lines from both charges are directed away from each other

Between parallel uniformly charged plates: field lines are

perpendicular to plates and evenly spaced (thus indicating a
uniform field), and near the edges, the lines start to curve.

UNIT 15 - ELECTRIC CURRENT

Current, I is the rate of flow of charge with respect to time

SI unit: ampere, A or C s-1

Measured directly using an ammeter, connected in series to

the circuit

Electromotive force, ε is the work done by the source in driving a unit charge around
a complete circuit
Potential difference, is the work done to drive a unit charge through a circuit
V component

SI unit: volt, V or J C-1

Measured directly using a voltmeter, connected in parallel to

the circuit

Resistance, R ratio of the p.d. across it to the current flowing through a

conductor

SI unit: ohm, Ω

Factors affecting R 1 | length - resistance occurs as a result of collisions between

charge carriers and atoms of a conductor, and since there
would likely be more collisions in a longer conductor, hence as
length of conductor increases, resistance increases

2 | cross-sectional area - since charges are able to flow through

a conductor with a larger CSA more easily, hence as CSA
increases resistance decreases

3 | resistivity - unique to every material

4 | temperature - when temperature increases in a metallic

conductor, the atomic vibrations within it increase, causing
greater hindrance to electron flow as number of collisions
between charge carriers (electrons) and atoms of the conductor
would increase, thus resistance increases

Ohm’s law states that the p.d. across an ideal conductor is directly
proportional to the current through it, provided temperature
and other physical conditions remain constant

I-V characteristic Metallic wire: has constant resistance

graphs for some
components

Filament lamp: as current increases, heating effect on lamp

increases, thus resistance increases at an increasing rate
Semiconductor diode:
when in forward bias, resistance is low, current flows through
easily
when in reverse bias, resistance is high, negligible current flows
through