CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICS

Physical quantities QUANTITIES that are measurable

Base quantities PHYSICAL QUANTITIES that cannot be defined in terms of other physical
quantities but has its own definition
Scalar quantity QUANTITY which has only magnitude or size
(time, temperature, mass, volume, distance, density, power)
Vector quantity QUANTITY which has both magnitude or size and direction
(force, velocity, displacement, acceleration, momentum)
Systematic errors CUMULATIVE ERRORS that can be corrected, if the errors are known.
(zero error, incorrect calibration of measuring instrument)
Random errors ERRORS that arise from unknown and unpredictable variations in condition,
and will produce a different error every time. Random errors are caused by
factors that are beyond the control of observers.
(human limitations, lack of sensitivity, natural errors, wrong technique)
Zero error ERROR that arises when the measuring instrument does not start from exactly
zero
Parallax error ERROR in reading an instrument because the observer’s eyes and the pointer
are not in a line perpendicular to the plane of scale

CHAPTER 2 – FORCE AND MOTION

Speed RATE OF CHANGE of distance
Velocity RATE OF CHANGE of displacement
Acceleration RATE OF CHANGE of velocity
Inertia PROPERTY of matter that causes it to resist any change in its motion or state of
rest
Momentum PRODUCT of mass and velocity
Impulsive force RATE OF CHANGE in momentum
Forces in An object is said to be in a state of equilibrium when forces act upon an object
equilibrium and it remains stationary or moves at a constant velocity
Resultant force SINGLE FORCE which combines two or more forces which act on an object
Work Work is done when a force causes an object to move in the direction of the force
Power RATE at which work is done or energy is changed and transferred
Elasticity PROPERTY of an object that enables it to return to its original shape after an
applied force is removed
Hooke’s Law Hooke’s law states that the force, F applied to a spring is directly proportional
to the spring’s extension or compression, x, provided the elastic limit is not
exceeded.
Principle of Principle of conservation of energy states that total energy in an isolated system
conservation of is neither increased nor decreased by any transformation. Energy cannot be
energy created nor destroyed, but it can be transformed from one kind to another, and
the total amount stays the same

Principle of The principle of conservation of momentum states that, in any collision or

conservation of interaction between two or more objects in an isolated system, the total
momentum momentum of the system will remain constant; that is, the total initial
 momentum will equal the total final momentum.
Newton’s first Newton’s first law of motion states that a body will either remain at rest or
law of motion continue with constant velocity unless it is acted on by an external unbalanced
force.
Newton’s Newton’s second law of motion states that the acceleration a body experiences
second law of is directly proportional to the net force acting on it, and inversely proportional
motion to its mass. F =ma
Newton’s third Newton’s third law of motion states that to every action there is an equal but
law of motion opposite reaction.

CHAPTER 3 –FORCES & PRESSURE

Pressure FORCE acting normally on a unit surface area
Buoyant force NET FORCE acting upwards due to the difference between the forces acting on
the upper surface and the lower surface
Pascal’s Principle Pascal’s principle states that a pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted
F1 F2
uniformly in all directions throughout the fluid.( = )
A1 A 2
Archimedes’ Archimedes’ principle states that the buoyant force on a body immersed in a
principle fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by that object
(buoyant force = weight of water displaced)
Bernoulli’s Bernoulli’s principle states that the pressure of a moving fluid decreases as the
principle speed of the fluid increases, and the converse is also true.

CHAPTER 4 – HEAT
Thermal A STATE when heat transfer between the two objects are equal and the net rate
equilibrium of heat transfer between the two objects are zero
Heat capacity HEAT ENERGY required to raise its temperature by 1°C or 1 K
Specific heat HEAT ENERGY required to produce 1°C or 1 K rise in temperature in a mass
capacity of 1 kg.
Latent heat HEAT ABSORBED OR RELEASED when a substance changes its state
without a change in temperature is called the latent heat of the substance
Specific latent HEAT ENERGY required to change 1 kg of a substance from solid state to
heat of fusion liquid state, without a change in temperature
Specific latent HEAT ENERGY required to change 1 kg of a substance from liquid state to
heat of gaseous state, without a change in temperature
vapourisation
Boyle’s Law Boyle’s Law states that the pressure of a fixed mass of gas is inversely
proportional to its volume provided the temperature of the gas is kept constant
(PV = k)
Pressure Law The pressure law states that the pressure of a fixed mass of gas is directly
proportional to its absolute temperature (in Kelvin), provided the volume of the
gas is kept constant
(P/T = k)
Charles’ Law Charles’ law states that the volume of a fixed mass of gas is directly
proportional to its absolute temperature (in Kelvin), provided the pressure of the
gas is kept constant(V/T = k)

CHAPTER 5 – LIGHT
Refraction PHENOMENON where the direction of light is changed when it crosses the
boundary between two materials of different optical densities as a result of a
change in the velocity of light.
Apparent depth, d DISTANCE of the image from the surface of water (or the boundary between
the two mediums involved)
Real depth, D DISTANCE of the object from the surface of the water (or the boundary
between the two mediums involved)
Total internal TOTAL REFLECTION of a beam of light at the boundary of two mediums,
reflection when the angle of incidence in the optically denser medium exceeds a specific
critical angle
Critical angle GREATEST ANGLE OF INCIDENCE in the optically denser medium for
which the angle of refraction, r = 90°
Power of lens MEASURE OF ITS ABILITY to converge or diverge an incident beam of light
Laws of Reflection ~the angle of incidence, i, is equal to the angle of reflection, r (i = r)
-~the incident ray, normal and reflected ray will all lie in the same plane
Law of Refraction - The incident ray and the refracted ray are on the opposite sides of the
normal at the point of incidence, all three lie in the same plane
- Obey snell’s law
Snell’s Law sin i
The value of is a constant.
sin r

CHAPTER 1 – WAVES

Transverse Wave WAVE in which the vibration of particles in the medium is perpendicular to the
direction of propagation of the wave
(water waves, light waves, electromagnetic waves)
Longitudinal Wave WAVE in which the vibration of particles in the medium is parallel to the
direction of propagation of the wave
(sound waves, ultrasound)
Amplitude MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT form its equilibrium position
Period TIME TAKEN to complete an oscillation, from one extreme point to the other
and back to the same position
Frequency NUMBER OF COMPLETE OSCILLATIONS made by a vibrating system in
one second
Wavelength DISTANCE between successive points of the same phase in a wave
Damping DECREASE in the amplitude of an oscillating system is called damping.
Resonance Resonance occurs when a system is made to oscillate at a frequency equivalent
 to its natural frequency by an external force. The resonating system oscillates at
its maximum amplitude.
Natural frequency FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY of which an object vibrates. It is the
frequency of a system which oscillates freely without external force
Reflection of wave Reflection of wave occurs when a wave strike an obstacle
Refraction of wave Refraction of wave occurs when a wave travel from one medium to another
Diffraction of waves PHENOMENON in which waves spread out as they passed through an aperture
or round a small circle

Interference of SUPERPOSITION of two waves originating from two coherent sources

waves
Constructive Constructive interference occurs when the both crests or both troughs of both
interference waves coincide to produce a wave with crests and troughs of maximum
amplitude
Destructive Destructive interference occurs when the crest of one wave coincides with the
interference trough of the other wave, thus cancelling each other with the result that the
resultant amplitude is zero.
Antinode POINT where constructive interference occurs.
Node POINT where destructive interference occurs.
Electromagnetic waves PROPAGATING WAVES in space with electric and magnetic components.
Thesecomponents oscillate at right angles to each other and to the direction of
propagation of wave
Monochromatic LIGHT with only one wavelength and colour
light

Principle of Principle of superposition states that at any instant, the wave displacement of
superposition the combined motion of any number of interacting waves at a point is the sum
of the displacements of all the components waves at that point.

CHAPTER 2 – ELECTRICITY

Charge, Q WORK DONE to move a unit of voltage in a circuit

Current, I RATE of flow of charge
Potential WORK DONE in moving one coulomb of charge from one point to another in
difference, V an electric field
Electric field A FIELD in which electric charge experiences an electric force
Resistance, R MEASURE of the ability of the conductor to resist the flow of an electric
current through it
Superconductor CONDUCTOR in which its resistance will suddenly become zero when it is
cooled below a certain temperature called the critical temperature
Electromotive TOTAL ENERGY supplied by a cell to move a unit of electrical charge from
force (e.m.f.) one terminal to the other through the cell and the external circuit
Power rating RATE at which it consumes electrical energy.
Ohm’s Law Ohm’s law states that the electric current, I flowing through a conductor is
directlyproportional to the potential difference across the ends of conductor, if
temperature and other physical conditions remain constant.
CHAPTER 3 – ELECTROMAGNETISM
Magnetic field REGION in which a magnetic material experiences a force as the result of a
magnet or a current-carrying conductor
Radial field MAGNETIC FIELD with the field lines pointing towards or away from the
centre of a circle.
Electromagnetic PRODUCTION of an electric current by a changing magnetic field (conductor
induction cuts across amagnetic flux –OR– a change of magnetic flux linkage with a coil)
Root mean square VALUE of a steady current/ voltage, which would produce the same heating
current/ voltage effect in a given resistor.
Faraday’s Law The magnitude of the induced electromotive force (e.m.f.) is directly
proportional to therate of change of magnetic flux linkage with the solenoid or
the rate at which a conductor cuts through the magnetic flux.
Lenz’s Law Lenz’s law states that an induced electric current always flows in such a
direction so as to oppose the change (or motion) producing it.

CHAPTER 4 – ELECTRONIC

Thermoionic EMISSION of electrons from hot metal surface

emission
Cathode ray Fast moving ELECTRONS travel in a straight line in vacuum
Cathode ray measuring and testing INSTRUMENT used in study of electricity and
oscilloscope electronics
Conductor MATERIAL which allows current to flow thorugh them
Semiconductor MATERIAL whose resistance is between good conductor and insulator
Logic gates ELECTRONIC SWITCHES with one or more inputs and one output.
doping Process of adding a small amount of impurities into semiconductor
Rectification CONVERSION of a.c. to d.c. by diode

CHAPTER 5 – RADIOACTIVITY

Atom An atom consists of a nucleus which is made up of protons and neutrons, with
electrons orbiting the nucleus.
Nuclide TYPE of nucleus with particular proton number and nucleon number
Proton number NUMBER of protons in the nucleus of an atom
Nucleon number NUMBER of protons and neutrons in an atom
Isotopes ATOMS of an element which have the same proton number but different
nucleon number(similar chemical properties but differs in physical properties)
Radioactivity SPONTANEOUS DISINTEGRATION of unstable nucleus into a more stable
nucleus with the emission of energetic particles or protons
Radioactive decay PROCESS where an unstable nucleus becomes a more stable nucleus by
emitting radiations
Radioisotope ISOTOPE that has unstable nucleus that tends to undergo radioactive decay
Half life TIME TAKEN for the activity of atoms to fall to half its original value
Nuclear fission PROCESS involving the splitting of a heavy nucleus into two nuclei of roughly
equal mass and shooting out several neutrons at the same time.
Nuclear fusion PROCESS involving the fusion of two or more small and light nuclei come
together to form a heavier nucleus.
Einstein’s Principle of The change of energy is linked to the change of mass by the equation E = mc 2
Mass-Energy
Conservation