IGCSE COORDINATED SCIENCE > physics formulas > Flashcards

physics formulas Flashcards

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1
Q

Define force.

A

A push or pull acting on an object, measured in newtons.

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2
Q

What is mass?

A

The amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms.

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3
Q

Fill in the blank: Weight is the force of ______ acting on an object.

A

gravity

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4
Q

True or false: Friction always acts in the direction of motion.

A

FALSE

Friction opposes the direction of motion.

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5
Q

What is the formula for acceleration?

A

Acceleration = (final velocity - initial velocity) / time.

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6
Q

Define kinetic energy.

A

The energy an object possesses due to its motion, calculated as 1/2 mv².

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7
Q

What does potential energy depend on?

A

Height and mass of an object in a gravitational field.

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8
Q

Fill in the blank: Work is done when a force causes ______.

A

displacement

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9
Q

True or false: Energy can be created and destroyed.

A

FALSE

Energy can only be transformed from one form to another.

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10
Q

What is the law of conservation of energy?

A

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

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11
Q

Define power.

A

The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred, measured in watts.

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12
Q

What is the formula for gravitational potential energy?

A

Potential Energy = mass × gravity × height.

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13
Q

Fill in the blank: Momentum is the product of mass and ______.

A

velocity

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14
Q

True or false: An object at rest has momentum.

A

FALSE

Momentum is zero if the object is not moving.

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15
Q

What is the formula for momentum?

A

Momentum = mass × velocity.

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16
Q

Define work done.

A

Work done is the product of force and displacement in the direction of the force.

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17
Q

What is Newton’s first law?

A

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon.

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18
Q

Fill in the blank: Newton’s second law states that force equals mass times ______.

A

acceleration

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19
Q

True or false: An unbalanced force is required to change an object’s motion.

A

TRUE

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20
Q

What is Newton’s third law?

A

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

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21
Q

Define energy transfer.

A

The process of energy moving from one system or object to another.

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22
Q

What is the unit of energy?

A

Joule (J).

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23
Q

Fill in the blank: Thermal energy is the total energy of ______ in a substance.

A

particles

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24
Q

True or false: Heat always flows from cold to hot.

A

FALSE

Heat flows from hot to cold.

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25
What is **specific heat capacity**?
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C.
26
Define **conduction**.
The transfer of heat through a material without the movement of the material itself.
27
What is **convection**?
The transfer of heat by the movement of fluids (liquids or gases).
28
Fill in the blank: **Radiation** transfers heat through ______.
electromagnetic waves
29
True or false: Insulators are materials that conduct heat well.
FALSE ## Footnote Insulators resist heat flow.
30
What is the **formula for density**?
Density = mass/volume.
31
Define **pressure**.
Force applied per unit area, measured in pascals (Pa).
32
What is the formula for **pressure**?
Pressure = force/area.
33
Fill in the blank: **Buoyancy** is the upward force exerted by a ______.
fluid
34
True or false: Objects denser than water will float.
FALSE ## Footnote Objects denser than water sink.
35
What is **Archimedes' principle**?
A body submerged in fluid experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced.
36
Define **wave**.
A disturbance that transfers energy through matter or space.
37
What are the two main types of **waves**?
Transverse and longitudinal waves.
38
Fill in the blank: In a **transverse wave**, particles move ______ to the direction of wave travel.
perpendicular
39
True or false: Sound waves are transverse waves.
FALSE ## Footnote Sound waves are longitudinal.
40
What is the **frequency** of a wave?
The number of waves that pass a point in one second, measured in hertz (Hz).
41
Define **wavelength**.
The distance between two consecutive points in phase on a wave.
42
What is the formula for **wave speed**?
Wave speed = frequency × wavelength.
43
Fill in the blank: The **amplitude** of a wave is the maximum ______ from the rest position.
displacement
44
True or false: Light waves require a medium to travel.
FALSE ## Footnote Light can travel through a vacuum.
45
What is **refraction**?
The bending of waves as they pass from one medium to another.
46
Define **reflection**.
The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a barrier.
47
What is **diffraction**?
The spreading of waves when they pass through a narrow opening.
48
Fill in the blank: **Sound** travels faster in ______ than in air.
water
49
True or false: Light travels faster than sound.
TRUE
50
What is the **electromagnetic spectrum**?
The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation.
51
Define **static electricity**.
Electric charge at rest, typically produced by friction.
52
What is **current**?
The flow of electric charge, measured in amperes (A).
53
Fill in the blank: **Voltage** is the electric potential difference between ______.
two points
54
True or false: Resistance opposes the flow of electric current.
TRUE
55
What is the formula for **Ohm's law**?
Voltage = current × resistance.
56
Define **circuit**.
A closed loop through which electric current can flow.
57
What is the difference between **series** and **parallel circuits**?
In series, components are connected end-to-end; in parallel, they are connected across the same voltage.
58
Fill in the blank: **Power** in a circuit is calculated as ______.
voltage × current
59
True or false: A short circuit can cause a circuit to overload.
TRUE
60
What is **magnetism**?
The force exerted by magnets when they attract or repel each other.
61
Define **magnetic field**.
The region around a magnet where magnetic forces can be detected.
62
What is an **electromagnet**?
A magnet created by electric current flowing through a coil of wire.
63
Fill in the blank: **Magnetic poles** are labeled as ______ and south.
north
64
True or false: Like poles of magnets attract each other.
FALSE ## Footnote Like poles repel each other.
65
What is **electromagnetic induction**?
The process of generating electric current from a changing magnetic field.
66
Define **nuclear energy**.
Energy released during nuclear fission or fusion.
67
What is **fission**?
The splitting of a heavy nucleus into smaller nuclei, releasing energy.
68
Fill in the blank: **Fusion** occurs when light nuclei combine to form a ______.
heavier nucleus
69
True or false: Nuclear power plants use fission to generate electricity.
TRUE
70
What is **radioactivity**?
The spontaneous emission of particles or radiation from an unstable nucleus.
71
Define **half-life**.
The time taken for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay.
72
What is **carbon dating**?
A method used to determine the age of organic materials using carbon-14.
73
Fill in the blank: **Alpha particles** are made of ______.
two protons and two neutrons
74
True or false: Beta particles are negatively charged.
TRUE
75
What is **gamma radiation**?
High-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted from a nucleus.
76
Define **ionizing radiation**.
Radiation that has enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms.
77
What is the **unit of radiation dose**?
Sievert (Sv).
78
Fill in the blank: **Radiation** can cause ______ damage to living tissue.
cellular
79
True or false: All radiation is harmful.
FALSE ## Footnote Some radiation is non-ionizing and safe.
80
What is the **big bang theory**?
The leading explanation for the origin of the universe, proposing it began from a singularity.
81
Define **black hole**.
A region of space with a gravitational pull so strong that nothing can escape from it.
82
What is **dark matter**?
A form of matter that does not emit light or energy, detectable through its gravitational effects.
83
Fill in the blank: **Light years** measure ______ in astronomy.
distance
84
True or false: The universe is expanding.
TRUE
85
What is **redshift**?
The phenomenon where light from distant galaxies shifts to longer wavelengths, indicating they are moving away.
86
Define **supernova**.
A powerful explosion of a star at the end of its life cycle.
87
What is a **neutron star**?
A dense remnant of a supernova, primarily composed of neutrons.
88
Fill in the blank: **The Milky Way** is an example of a ______ galaxy.
spiral
89
True or false: Our solar system is located in the Andromeda galaxy.
FALSE ## Footnote Our solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy.
90
What is **gravity**?
A force that attracts two bodies toward each other, proportional to their masses.
91
Define **centripetal force**.
The force that keeps an object moving in a circular path.
92
What is **escape velocity**?
The minimum speed needed for an object to break free from a celestial body's gravitational pull.
93
Fill in the blank: **Kepler's laws** describe the motion of ______.
planets
94
True or false: The Earth orbits the Sun in a perfect circle.
FALSE ## Footnote The Earth's orbit is elliptical.
95
What is **Newton's law of universal gravitation**?
Every mass attracts every other mass with a force proportional to the product of their masses.
96
Define **solar system**.
A collection of celestial bodies, including the Sun, planets, moons, and asteroids.
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