DEFINITION FOR PHYSICS TERM

FORM 4
CHAPTER 1: MEASUREMENT

1. Physical Quantities Quantities which can be measured.

2. Base Quantities Quantities which cannot be defined in terms of other physical quantities.
3. Derived Quantities Quantities which can be derived from base quantities by multiplication or division
or both operations.
4. Scalar Quantities Quantities which have only magnitude.
5. Vector Quantities Quantities which have magnitude and direction.

CHAPTER 2: FORCE AND MOTION (I)

1. Distance The total length of path between the initial and final positions.
2. Displacement The shortest distance between the initial position and final position in a specific
direction.
3. Speed Rate of change of distance travelled.
4. Velocity Rate of change of displacement.
5. Acceleration Rate of change of velocity.
6. Free Fall A condition where an object falls due to gravitational pull only.
7. Inertia The tendency of an object to oppose any changes to its original state.
8. Newton’s First Law of An object will remain at rest or move at uniform velocity in straight line unless acted
Motion (Law of Inertia) by an external force.
9. Momentum Product of mass and velocity.
10. Principle of Conservation of Total momentum of a system is conserved if there is no external force acting on the
Momentum system.
11. Newton’s Second Law of Rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the force and acts in the
Motion direction of the applied force.
12. Newton’s Third Law of For every action, there is a reaction force of equal magnitude but act in opposite
Motion direction.
13. Impulse Change of momentum.
14. Impulsive Force Rate of change of momentum.
15. Weight Gravitational force acting on an object.
16. Mass Quantity of matter in an object.
17. Gravitational Field A region where an object experience gravitational force.
18. Gravitational Field Strength Gravitational force acting per unit mass

CHAPTER 3: GRAVITATION

1. Newton’s Universal Law of The gravitational force between two bodies is directly proportional to the product
Gravitation of the masses of both bodies and inversely proportional to the square of the
distance between the centres of the two bodies.
2. Centripetal Force For a body in circular motion, a force acts on the body in a direction towards the
centre of the circle.
3. Kepler’s First Law All planets move in elliptical orbit with the Sun at one focus.
(Law of Orbits)
4. Kepler’s Second Law A line that connects a planet to the Sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times.
(Law of Areas)
5. Kepler’s Third Law
(Law of Periods)
6. Geostationary Satellite
7. Non-Geostationary Satellite
8. Escape Velocity
The square of the orbital period of any planet is directly proportional to the cube of
the radius of its orbit.
The satellite that is always above the same geographical location when view from
the Earth.
The satellite that is always above different geographical location at different times
when view from the Earth.
The minimum velocity needed by an object on the surface of the Earth to overcome
the gravitational force and escape to outer space.

CHAPTER 4: HEAT

1. Heat A type of energy that flow from high temperature to low temperature object.
2. Temperature Degree of hotness.
3. Thermal Equilibrium A situation where two objects in thermal contact having the same temperature and the
net heat flow between the two objects is zero.
4. Heat Capacity Quantity of heat needed to raise the temperature of the object by 1oC.
5. Specific Heat Capacity Quantity of heat needed to change the temperature of 1 kg mass of the substance by
1oC.
6. Latent Heat Quantity of heat that is absorbed or released by a substance during the change of phase
at constant temperature.
7. Specific Latent Heat Quantity of heat that is absorbed or released during the change of phase of 1 kg of a
substance at constant temperature.
8. Specific Latent Heat of Quantity of heat that is absorbed or released during melting or freezing of 1 kg of the
Fusion substance at constant temperature.
9. Specific Latent Heat of Quantity of heat that is absorbed or released during boiling or condensation of 1 kg of
Vaporisation the substance at constant temperature.
10. Boyle’s Law The pressure of a fixed mass of gas is inversely proportional to its volume at constant
temperature.
11. Charles’ Law The volume of a fixed mass of gas at constant pressure is directly proportional to its
absolute temperature.
12. Gay-Lussac’s Law The pressure is directly proportional to the absolute temperature of a fixed mass of gas
(Pressure Law) at constant volume.

CHAPTER 5: WAVES

1. Progressive Wave A wave where the profile of the wave propagates with time.
2. Stationary Wave A wave where the profile of the wave does not propagate with time.
3. Transverse Wave A wave where the particles of the medium vibrate in the direction perpendicular to the
direction of propagation of the wave.
4. Longitudinal Wave A wave where the particles of the medium vibrate in the direction parallel to the
direction of propagation of the wave.
5. Oscillation A to-and-fro motion along a fixed path that occur at constant period.
6. Amplitude Maximum displacement of a particle from its equilibrium position.
7. Period Time taken by a particle to make one complete oscillation.
8. Frequency Number of complete oscillations in one second.
9. Wavelength Distance between two consecutive points that oscillate in phase.
10. Wavefront Distance between two consecutive points that oscillate in phase and having same
distance from the source.
11. Wave speed Distance travelled per second by a wave profile.
12. Damping The reduction in amplitude in an oscillating system due to loss of energy.
13. External Damping Oscillating system loses energy to overcome friction or air resistance.
14. Internal Damping Oscillating system loses energy because of the stretching and compression of the
 vibrating particles in the system.
15. Natural Frequency The frequency of a system that oscillates freely without external force.
16. Resonance An oscillating system that is driven at its natural frequency by a periodic force oscillates
at maximum amplitude.
17. Reflection A phenomenon that occurs when all or a part of the waves return after they encounter
an obstacle.
18. Refraction The change in direction of propagation of waves caused by the change in the velocity of
waves when the wave propagates from one medium to another medium.
19. Diffraction The spreading of wave when it propagates through a gap or around an obstacle.
19. Interference The superposition or two or more waves from a coherent source of waves.
20. Coherent Sources Two sources that are having same amplitude, same frequency and constant phase
difference or no phase difference.
21. Constructive When two crests or two troughs are in superposition that produces maximum combined
Interference displacement.
22. Destructive When a crest and a trough are in superposition to produce zero combined displacement.
Interference
23. Monochromatic Light Light with only one wavelength.
24. Principle of When two waves overlap, the resultant displacement is the sum of the individual
Superposition displacements of the two waves.
25. Electromagnetic Waves A spectrum of wave that made up of an electric field and a magnetic field that oscillates
perpendicularly to one another.

CHAPTER 6: LIGHT AND OPTICS

1. Refractive Index Ratio of speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in medium.
2. Refraction of Light The change in speed of light when travelling from one medium to another medium.
3. Critical Angle The incident angle that produce a refracted angle of 90o when light travelled from denser
to less dense medium.
4. Total Internal A phenomenon where light rays are reflected internally when the incident angle is
Reflection greater than the critical angle and the light is travelling from denser to less dense
medium.
5. Power of lens The reciprocal of focal length.
6. Focal Length The distance between the optical centre of the lens and the focal point.
7. Virtual Image The image that cannot be seen on the screen.
8. Real Image The image that can be seen on the screen.
FORM 5
CHAPTER 1: FORCE AND MOTION (II)

1. Resultant Force The single force that represents the vector sum of two or more forces acting on an
object.
2. Free Body Diagram of A diagram that shows all the forces acting on that object only.
an Object
3. Resolution of Forces The process of resolving a force into two components.
4. Equilibrium of Forces The forces acting on an object produce a zero resultant force.
5. Elasticity The property of material that enables an object to return to its original shape and size
after the force applied on it is removed.
6. Hooke’s Law The extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied on the spring
provided the elastic limit of the spring is not exceeded.
7. Spring Constant Force per unit length of extension.

CHAPTER 2: PRESSURE

1. Pressure Normal force per unit area.

2. Atmospheric Pressure Pressure due to the weight of the layer of air acting on the surface of the earth.
3. Pascal’s Principle The pressure applied on an enclosed fluid is transmitted uniformly in all directions in the
fluid.
4. Buoyant Force The upward force acting on an object which is fully or partially immersed in a fluid.
5. Archimedes’ Principle An object which is fully or partially immersed in a fluid will experience a buoyant force
which is equal to the weight of fluid displaced.
6. Bernoulli’s Principle When the velocity of a fluid increases, the pressure in the fluid decreases and vice versa.

CHAPTER 3: ELECTRICITY

1. Electric Field The region around a charged particle where any electric charge in the region will
experience an electric force.
2. Electric Field Strength The electric force acting on a unit positive charge placed at the point.
3. Electric Current Rate of flow of charge in a conductor.
4. Potential Difference Work done in moving one coulomb of charge from one point to another point.
5. Resistance Ratio of potential difference to current that flowing through the conductor.
6. Ohm’s Law The potential difference is directly proportional to the current if the temperature of the
conductor is constant.
7. Resistivity A measure of a conductor’s ability to oppose the flow of electric current.
8. Superconductor Materials that conduct electricity without any resistance.
9. Critical Temperature The temperature when the resistivity of a superconductor becomes zero.
10. Electromotive Force The work done by an electrical source to move one coulomb of charge around a
complete circuit.
11. Internal Resistance The resistance caused by electrolyte in the dry cell.
12. Electrical Power Rate of electrical energy transferred.

CHAPTER 4: ELECTROMAGNETISM

1. Catapult Field Resultant magnetic field produced by the interaction between the magnetic field from a
current-carrying conductor and the magnetic field from a permanent magnet.
2. Electromagnetic The production of an induced e.m.f. in a conductor when there is change of magnetic
Induction flux.
3. Magnetic Field The region which a magnetic material experience magnetic force.
4. Faradays’ Law The magnitude of induced e.m.f. is directly proportional to the rate of cutting of
magnetic flux.
5. Lenz’s Law The induced current always flows in a direction to oppose the change of magnetic flux
that causing it.
6. Ideal Transformer The transformer that does not experience any loss of energy that is the efficiency is
100%.

CHAPTER 5: ELECTRONICS

1. Thermionic Emission The emission of free electrons from a heated metal surface.
2. Cathode Rays High velocity electron beam.
3. Semiconductor Diode An electronic component which allows electric current to flow in one direction only.
4. Rectification The process of converting an alternating current into a direct current.
5. Full-wave rectification A process where both halves of every cycle of an alternating current is made to flow in
the same direction.
6. Semiconductor A type of material where its electrical conductivity is between conductor and insulator.
7. Doping A process of adding a small amount of impurities into the semiconductor to increase the
electrical conductivity.

CHAPTER 6: NUCLEAR PHYSICS

1. Radioactive Decay A process in which an unstable nucleus becomes more stable by emitting radioactive
radiation.
2. Alpha Particle A helium nucleus which consist of two protons and two neutrons.
3. Beta Particle A fast moving electron.
4. Gamma rays A high frequency electromagnetic wave.
5. Half-life The time taken for a sample of radioactive nuclei to decay to half of its initial number.
6. Activity of a Number of decays per second // Number of radioactive particles emitted per second.
Radioactive Sample
7. Nuclear Energy Atomic energy released during nuclear reactions.
8. Nuclear Fission A nuclear reaction when a heavy nuclear splits into two or more lighter nuclei while
releasing a large amount of energy.
9. Nuclear Fusion A nuclear reaction in which small and light nuclei fuse to form a heavier nucleus while
releasing a large amount of energy.
10. Mass Defect The loss of mass.
11. Chain Reaction Self-sustaining reaction

CHAPTER 7: QUANTUM PHYSICS

1. Black Body An idealized body that is able to absorb all electromagnetic radiation that falls on it and
emit thermal radiation depending on its temperature.
2. Quantum of energy Discrete energy packet and not a continuous energy.
3. Photon Light energy exists in the form of an energy packet.
4. Wave-Particle Duality All particles can exhibit wave characteristics.
5. Photoelectric Effect A phenomenon where electrons are emitted from the metal when the metal surface is
illuminated by a beam of light at certain frequency.
6. Threshold Frequency Minimum frequency required to produce photoelectric effect on a metal.
7. Work Function The minimum energy required for a photoelectron to be emitted from a metal surface.