General Physics - IGCSE
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40 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Parallax error | It is an error in measurement due to the eye not being in the correct position when taking the readings. |
| Vernier caliper | Used to measure small distances. Each division is 0.01cm or 0.1 mm in width. |
| Micrometer screw gauge | Used to measure small distances. Each division is 0.001 cm or 0.01 mm in width. |
| Motion | It is when a body changes its position with reference to a fixed point |
| Linear motion | It is the motion of a body which moves along a straight line. |
| Displacement | It is the distance traveled in a certain direction by a body between its initial and final position. |
| Speed | It is the distance traveled by a body in unit time. |
| Uniform speed | This is when a body covers equal distances in equal intervals of time |
| Variable speed | This is when a body covers unequal distances in equal intervals of time |
| Velocity | It is the distance traveled by a body in unit time, in a certain direction. |
| Acceleration | It is the change in velocity per unit time. |
| Mass | It is the amount of matter measured in an object and is unaffected by change in temperature, time or place. |
| Gravitational force | It is the downward pulling force acting towards the earth. |
| Weight | It is the downward force acting on a object due to gravity. |
| Scalar quantity | It is a quantity that has a magnitude but no direction |
| Vector quantity | It is a quantity that has a magnitude as well as a direction. |
| Density | It is the mass per unit volume of a substance. |
| Inertia | The property of an object where it needs a force to make it move and a force to make it stop. |
| Force | It is a push or a pull exerted on an object. |
| Newton | It is that force which gives an object a mass of 1 kg and an acceleration of 1 m/s (squared) |
| Newton's first law | A body at rest tries to be at rest and a body in motion tried to be in motion unless acted upon by an external force to change state. |
| Newton's second law | When a force is applied, a body is accelerated. Acceleration is directly proportional to the applied force and inversely proportional to the mass of the body. |
| Newton's third law | Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. |
| Friction | It is the force that tries to stop movement between touching surfaces. |
| Parallelogram rule | When two forces act at a point, and these two forces represent two sides of a parallelogram, the resultant force is the diagonal of the parallelogram. |
| Moment | It is the turning effect of a force on a body. |
| Center of mass | It is the point where all the mass is concentrated in an object. |
| Acceleration of free fall | It is the property of accelerating at 9.8 m/s (squared) when an object is dropped, ignoring air resistance. |
| Centripetal force | It is the force acting towards the center of the circle when an object is moving in a circular path. |
| Hooke's Law | When a spring stretches, the extension of the spring is proportional to the force stretching it, provided that the elastic limit is not exceeded. |
| Law of conservation of energy | Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It changes from one form to another. |
| Nuclear fusion | It is the process where small nuclei of hydrogen atoms join to make larger nuclei of Helium, releasing a large amount of energy. |
| Gravitational energy | It is the energy stored in an object, |
| Kinetic energy | It is the energy a body has because of motion. |
| Work done | It is when the application of a force results in the movement of a body. |
| Power | It is the rate of doing work, or the rate of transferring energy. |
| Pressure | It is the force acting per unit area of an object. |
| Atmospheric pressure | Pressure exerted by the atmosphere at 100000 Pa or 760 mm of mercury. |
| Manometer | It is used to measure the pressure difference between two regions |
| Barometer | It is used to measure the size of atmospheric pressure |
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