AS PHYSICS: In an exam ANSWERS

Define……
Define…. Exam Answer
change in velocity / time taken
acceleration or
rate of change of velocity
work done (from electrical to other forms) / charge
electric potential difference (p.d.). or
energy (transformed)(from electrical to other forms) / charge

the coulomb. (coulomb is) ampere second

the Young modulus. Young modulus = stress / strain

the ohm. ohm is volt per ampere or volt / ampere

density. (density =) mass / volume

electric field strength. force per unit positive charge

pressure. force / area (normal to the force)

velocity. change of displacement / time (taken)

frequency is the number of vibrations/oscillations per unit time

the frequency of a sound wave. or
the number of wavefronts passing a point per unit time
 energy transformed from chemical to electrical / unit charge (driven around a
electromotive force (e.m.f.) of a cell.
complete circuit)

strain. (strain =) extension / original length

the moment of a force. force × perpendicular distance (of line of action of force) to/from a point

work (done) / time (taken)

power. or
energy (transferred) / time (taken)

stress force / (cross-sectional) area

strain extension / original length

the volt. joule / coulomb

force. rate of change of momentum

displacement distance in a specified direction (from a point)

power work (done) / time (taken)

linear momentum. (momentum =) mass × velocity

resistance potential difference / current

AS PHYSICS: In an exam Answers
Describe……

change/difference in the observed/apparent frequency when the source is moving

Describe Doppler effect.
(relative to the observer)

Describe what is meant by high precision the measurements have a small range

Describe what is meant by low accuracy the (average of the) measurements is not close to the true value
AS PHYSICS: In an exam Answers
Explain……
Explain what is meant by..

quantised.
charge exists only in discrete amounts
In relation to charge
(gravitational potential energy is) the energy/ability to do work of a mass that it
gravitational potential energy
has or is stored due to its position/height in a gravitational field
kinetic energy is energy/ability to do work a object/body/mass has due to its
kinetic energy
speed/velocity/motion/movement

centre of gravity. the point from where (all) the weight (of a body) seems to act

work done. force × distance moved in the direction of the force

diffracted waves. waves spread at (each) slit/gap

coherent waves. constant phase difference (between (each of) the waves)

(interference is) the sum/addition/combination of the displacements of

interference.
overlapping/meeting waves
AS PHYSICS: In an exam Answers
State……

State what is meant by gravitational

energy of a mass due to its position in a gravitational field
potential energy

State what is meant by work done (work = ) force × distance moved in the direction of the force

State what is meant by elastic potential the energy (stored) in a body due to its
energy. extension/compression/deformation/change in shape/size

Displacement of particles perpendicular to direction of energy propagation

State what is meant by a transverse
vibrations/oscillations (of the particles/wave) are perpendicular to the direction
wave.
(of the propagation of energy)

waves meet / overlap (at a point)

State the principle of superposition.
(resultant) displacement is sum of the individual displacements

State what is meant by an electric

movement / flow of charge carriers
current.

State Newton’s second law of motion. (resultant) force proportional/equal to rate of change of momentum

State what is meant by a longitudinal vibrations/oscillations (of the particles/wave) are parallel to the direction or in
wave. the same direction (of the propagation of energy)
 sum/total momentum (of system of bodies) is constant
State the principle of conservation of
or
momentum
sum/total momentum before = sum/total momentum after

force/load is proportional to extension/compression (provided proportionality

State Hooke’s law.
limit is not exceeded)

the number of oscillations per unit time of the source/of a point on the wave/of
State what is meant by the frequency of a a particle (in the medium)
progressive wave. or
the number of wavelengths/wavefronts per unit time passing a (fixed) point

State what is meant by the diffraction of a wave incident on/passes by or through an aperture/edge
wave. wave spreads (into geometrical shadow)

State the two conditions for an object to resultant force (in any direction) is zero
be in equilibrium. resultant moment/torque (about any point) is zero

total/sum of electromotive forces or e.m.f.s = total/sum of potential differences

State Kirchhoff’s second law.
or p.d.s around a loop/(closed) circuit

precision is determined by the range in the

State what is meant by precision.
measurements/values/readings/data/results

a body/mass/object continues (at rest or) at constant/uniform velocity unless

State Newton’s first law of motion.
acted on by a resultant force

State the conditions required for the (two) waves travelling (at same speed) in opposite directions overlap
formation of a stationary wave. waves (are same type and) have same frequency/wavelength
State what is meant by a scalar quantity a scalar has magnitude (only)

State what is meant vector quantity. a vector has magnitude and direction

mass is the property (of a body/object) resisting changes in motion

State what is meant by the mass of a
or
body.
mass is the quantity of matter (in a body)
time for one oscillation/one vibration/one cycle
or
For a progressive wave, state what is
time between adjacent wavefronts/points in phase
meant by the period
or
shortest time between two wavefronts/points in phase

distance moved by wavefront/energy during one cycle/oscillation/period (of

source)
or
minimum distance between two wavefronts
For a progressive wave, state what is
or
meant by the wavelength.
distance between two adjacent wavefronts
or
minimum distance between two points having the same displacement and
moving in the same direction

sum of current(s) into junction = sum of current(s) out of junction

State Kirchhoff’s first law. or
(algebraic) sum of current(s) at a junction is zero
State the relationship between the
intensity ∝ (amplitude)2
intensity and the amplitude of a wave.

State what is meant by kinetic energy. energy (of a mass/body/object) due to motion/speed/velocity

when (two or more) waves meet (at a point)

State the principle of superposition.
(resultant) displacement is the sum of the individual displacements

State what is meant by coherent. constant phase difference (between the waves)

State what is meant by an electric field. region (of space) where a force acts on a (stationary) charge

For a progressive water wave, state what distance (in a specified direction of particle/point on wave) from the
is meant by displacement equilibrium position

the maximum distance (of particle/point on wave) from the equilibrium position
For a progressive water wave, state what
or
is meant by amplitude.
the maximum displacement (of particle/point on wave)

State what is meant by a field line (line of

path/direction in which a (free) positive charge will move
force) in an electric field.

State the property of an object that

experiences a force when the object is mass
placed in a gravitational field
State the property of an object that
experiences a force when the object is charge
placed in an electric field.

force on body A (by body B) is equal (in magnitude) to force on body B (by
State Newton’s third law of motion.
body A)

State what is meant by an antinode of the

position where) maximum amplitude
stationary wave.