Physics iGSCE Definitions

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Moment = force x perpendicular distance of its line of

action to the pivot

Elastic Behaviour – The ability of a material to recover to

its original shape after the forces causing deformation have been removed

Current – The rate of flow of charge at a point in a circuit

Voltage – The energy transferred per unit of charge passed

1 Volt is 1 joule per coulomb

Amplitude

– The maximum displacement of a part of the medium from its rest position

Frequency

– The number of cycles of the waveform per second

Wavelength

– The distance between 2 adjacent points of the same displacement

Period

– The time for 1 complete cycle of the waveform

Critical

angle – The angle of incidence that provides an angle of refraction of 90°

Power

- The rate at which work is done or energy is converted

Half

life – The average time for half the number of undecayed nuclei to decay

Ionising

– The ability to make an atom or molecule lose or gain electrons

Power - The rate at which work is done or energy is converted

Pressure -

Particles in a gas are in a state of continual, random high speed motion

Particles collide with the internal walls of the container

Particles exert forces on the container walls

Pressure is due to all the forces due to collisions spread out over the area of the walls

Becquerel - The number of unstable nuclei to decay per second