PHY DEF AND PRINCIPLE
1. Motion (Kinematics)
● Speed: Distance travelled per unit time.
● Velocity: Speed in a given direction.
● Acceleration: Rate of change of velocity.
● Uniform acceleration: Velocity changes by equal amounts in equal time intervals.
● Distance–time graph principle: Gradient of displacement–time graph = speed.
● Velocity–time graph principles: Gradient = acceleration; area under graph = distance
travelled.
● Displacement: Change in position of a body.
● Resultant velocity: Combined velocity of a body when two velocities act
simultaneously.
● Free fall: Motion of a body under the influence of gravity only.
2. Forces and Motion
● Force: An interaction that can cause a change in motion or shape.
● Weight: Force acting on a body due to gravity.
● Mass: Quantity of matter in a body.
● Newton’s First Law: A body remains at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by
an external force.
● Newton’s Second Law: Force is equal to the rate of change of momentum.
● Newton’s Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
● Momentum: Product of mass and velocity.
● Impulse: Change in momentum of a body.
● Friction: Force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact.
● Terminal velocity: Constant velocity reached when resistance (e.g., air) balances
weight.
3. Work, Energy and Power
● Work done: Product of force and displacement in the direction of the force.
● Kinetic energy: Energy possessed by a body due to its motion.
● Potential energy: Energy possessed by a body due to its position.
● Gravitational potential energy: Energy possessed by a body due to its position in a
gravitational field.
● Power: Rate of doing work.
● Efficiency: Ratio of useful energy output to total energy input.
4. Thermal Physics
● Temperature: Measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of a substance.
● Heat: Energy transferred due to temperature difference.
● Internal energy: Total kinetic and potential energy of the particles of a substance.
● Specific heat capacity: Energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance
by 1°C (or 1 K).
● Specific latent heat: Energy required to change the state of 1 kg of a substance without
change in temperature.
● Conduction: Transfer of thermal energy through a substance without bulk movement of
the substance.
● Convection: Transfer of thermal energy by movement of fluid (liquid or gas).
● Radiation: Transfer of thermal energy by infrared waves, without needing a medium.
5. Waves and Sound
● Wave: Disturbance that transfers energy without transfer of matter.
● Amplitude: Maximum displacement of a particle from its mean position.
● Wavelength: Distance between two consecutive points in phase.
● Frequency: Number of waves passing a point per second.
● Period: Time for one complete wave to pass a point.
● Wave speed: Distance travelled per unit time.
● Transverse wave: Wave in which particle vibration is perpendicular to direction of wave
propagation.
● Longitudinal wave: Wave in which particle vibration is parallel to direction of wave
propagation.
● Echo: Reflection of sound that arrives at the listener after the direct sound.
● Ultrasound: Sound with frequency above 20 kHz.
6. Light
● Reflection: Change in direction of light when it strikes a surface and returns into the
same medium.
● Refraction: Bending of light as it passes from one medium to another.
● Critical angle: Angle of incidence in the denser medium at which angle of refraction =
90°.
● Total internal reflection: Reflection of light back into the denser medium when
incidence > critical angle.
● Dispersion: Splitting of white light into its component colours.
● Lens: Transparent medium that refracts light to form an image.
7. Electricity
● Current: Rate of flow of electric charge.
● Voltage (potential difference): Energy per unit charge.
● Resistance: Ratio of voltage to current.
● Ohm’s Law: Current is directly proportional to voltage across a conductor at constant
temperature.
● Conductor: Material that allows electric charge to flow easily.
● Insulator: Material that resists flow of electric charge.
● Series circuit: Components connected so current passes through each consecutively.
● Parallel circuit: Components connected so current divides among them.
8. Magnetism
● Magnetic field: Region where magnetic force is experienced.
● Magnetic flux: Number of magnetic field lines passing through a surface.
● Electromagnet: Magnet formed by current-carrying coil of wire.
● Magnetic induction: Production of magnetism in a substance by placing it in a magnetic
field.
● Magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor: Force experienced by a conductor
carrying current in a magnetic field.
9. Atomic Physics
● Atom: Smallest particle of an element that retains its chemical properties.
● Isotope: Atoms of the same element with same number of protons but different number
of neutrons.
● Nucleus: Central part of an atom containing protons and neutrons.
● Radioactive decay: Process in which unstable nuclei emit radiation.
● Alpha particle: Helium nucleus emitted during radioactive decay.
● Beta particle: Electron emitted during radioactive decay.
● Gamma radiation: Electromagnetic radiation emitted from radioactive nucleus.
● Half-life: Time taken for half the nuclei in a sample to decay.
● Nuclear fission: Splitting of a heavy nucleus into lighter nuclei with energy release.
● Nuclear fusion: Joining of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus with energy
release.