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OLevelSc(Physics)v2.0
Generalnotesanddefinitionsforinstantrevision
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PhysicsDefinitions
1.
2.
3.

SpeedDistancetravelledperunittime.
VelocityRateofchangeofdisplacement.
AccelerationRateofchangeofvelocity.

4.

Electromagneticinductionisthephenomenonofproducinganemfinacircuitdueto
changingmagneticfield.

5.

Amplitudereferstothemaximumdisplacementfromrestposition.

6. Wavelengthreferstothedistancebetweenonecresttothenextsuccessivecrest.

7.
8.

Frequencyreferstothenumberofwavesproducedperunittime.
Periodreferstothetimetakenforonecompletewave.

9.

Speedreferstothedistancetravelledbythewaveperunittime.

10.
11.
12.

Echoisreflectedsoundfromhardandsmoothsurfaces.
Soundisproducedbyvibrationsplacedinamedium
AWaveisaphenomenoninwhichenergyistransferredthroughvibrations

13.

Transversewavesarewaveswherethedirectionoftravelisperpendiculartothe
directionofvibrationofparticleinamedium.(Light/wateraretransversewaves)

14.

Longitudinalwavesarewaveswherethedirectionoftravelisparalleltothedirection
ofvibrationofparticlesinamedium.(Soundislongitudinalwave)

15.
16.

KineticenergyTheabilitytodoworkduetotheobjectsspeed.
GravitationalPotentialenergyTheabilitytodoworkduetotheobjectsheight.

Inertiaisanobjectsresistancetoachangeinvelocity.(Heavierobjectshavegreaterinertia)
18. Workisdonewhenanobjectmovesinthesamedirectionoftheforceactingonit.

19. Refractionisthebendingoflightrayasittravelsacross2differentmediums.
20. DensityMassperunitvolume
17.

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GeneralPhysicsnotes
(ExamNotesforthissubjectispostedinrandomorder)

Readthruthissetofnotesbeforeenteringtheexamhall!

Ifyouseethissymbol: thetopicmightbeonlyforstudentstakingPurePhysics.

ThisisthefirstreleaseofPhysicsNotesfromRayNotes,pleasefeedbackorprovide
suggestionsforimprovements.

Waystoincreaseemfinsolenoid
1. Useastrongermagnet.
2. Increasethespeedofmovingthemagnets.
3. Increasethenumberofturnsonthecoil.

Waystoincreaseemfina.c.generator
1. Decreasedistancebetweenthemagnetandcoil.
2. Useastrongermagnet.
3. Increasespeedofmovingthemagnets
4. Increasenumberofturnsinthecoil.
(emfreferstoelectromotiveforce,whichcanalsobeconsideredasvoltage)

Whenawaterwavemovesfromdeeptoshallow,
Wavelengthbecomeshorter
Frequencyremainsthesame
Speedbecomesslower
Extrainfo:
Temperaturecanbemeasuredusingthefollowingmethods:

Expansionoffixedmassofliquid.
Changesofresistanceofapieceofmetalwithtime.
Expansionofgasatconstantpressure.

Factorsthataffectspeedofsound
1. TemperatureThehigher,thefaster
2. MediumSolidisfasterthanliquid,whichisfasterthangas
3. HumidityMorehumidfasterthanlesshumid

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CharacteristicsofImageformedonplanemirror
1) Samesize
2) Laterallyinverted
3) Imageisvirtual

WhatisMomentofaforceaboutapoint?
Theturningeffectitcausesonthebodyaboutthepivot.

Principleofmoments

Thesumofclockwisemomentsaboutapointisequaltothesumofanticlockwisemomentsabout
thesamepoint,
Moment=ForcexPerpendiculardistancefrompivot.

CenterofGravity/Mass
Thepointwhichtheweightoftheobjectappearstoact.

Whyconstanttemperatureatmelting?

Duringmelting,heatenergyisusedtoweakentheattractionbetweenthesolidparticlessothat
theycanrollandslideoveroneanotherandbecomeliquidparticles.
TheheatenergyisnotusedtoincreasetheKineticenergyofparticles.

Note:
Convectionoccurswhenthereisdifferenceindensity
Radiationoccurswhenthereisdifferenceinsurroundingtemperatures.

Whenathermometerisplacedintohotwater,whythereadingdropsfirstthenincreases.
Theglassbulbexpandsbeforethemercuryexpands.

Energychangesofaoscillatingpendulumasitcomestorest.
Duetofrictionandairresistance,kineticenergywillbechangedtoheatenergy.

Precautionswhenhandlingradioactivesubstances
1) Radioactivesubstancesshouldnotbetouched.
2) Donotpointtheirraysatanyperson.
3) Wearaphotosensitivebadgetocheckwhetherapersonisexposedtoanoverdoseofradiation.

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OperationofTransformer
1.
2.
3.
4.

Alternatingcurrentissuppliedtoprimarycoil.
Alternatingcurrentcausesironcoretomagnetiseandmagneticfieldtochange.
Magneticfieldsfollowironcoreandlinktosecondarycoil.
Henceemfisinducedinsecondarycoilbyelectromagneticinduction.

OperationofACGenerator
1. Turnthewire.
2. Thewirecutsthroughthemagneticfieldasitturns.
3. Thisproducesaninducedemf.
4. Becauseoftheload,aninducedcurrentisproduced.

ElectromagneticSpectrum

GammaRay|XRay|Ultraviolet|VisibleLight|Infrared|Microwave|Radiowave
HighestFrequency
ShortestWavelength

Killcancer
cells

LowestFrequency
LongestWavelength
Xray
Photographs

Checking
signatures

Enableus
tosee

TVRemote
control

Cooking
Food

TV,Radio
broadcast

Note:
Animagethatisrealisalwaysinverted!
AnimagethatisVirtualisalwaysupright!
(REALINVERTED)
(VIRTUALUPRIGHT)
Note:Ifanobjectismovingatconstantspeed,theresultantforceiszero!
Ifacarisdrivingaroundacircleataconstantspeed,itsvelocityisnotconstant!
*TheCarisaccelerating!
(BecauseVelocityhasmagnitudeanddirection.Whenthecaristurningaroundthecircle,its
directionchangesconstantly)

Remember:Speedhasmagnitudeonly,Velocityhasmagnitudeanddirection.
*Accelerationistherateofchangeofvelocity.Achangeinvelocityisacceleration.

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HowtocheckifpointCisthecenterofgravityoftheobject?

IfthemetalsheetcanbebalancedonthetipofthefingerdirectlybelowpointC,thenitisthe
centerofgravity.

Howtomeasureperiodofapendulum?

Measurethetimetfor20oscillationswithastopwatch

Calculatetheaveragetimefor1completeoscillation,T= /20

Extrainfo:Whenthecurrentintheelectriccircuitincreases,itstemperatureincreases,and
thenitwillcauseitsresistancetoincrease.
CurrentIncreaseTemperatureincreaseResistanceincrease
ExamplesofEnergyChanges

KinetictoGravitationalPotentialEnergy(GPE)
Amanrunningupaflightofstairs.

ChemicaltoHeat
AlightedCandle
GavitationalPotentialEnergy(GPE)toKineticEnergy
Acarspeedingdownahill.

Note:Heat/energyfromthesunreachesEarthbyRadiation!!

Heater

Water

Whynoconvectioncurrentifheatedfromtop?
Thehotlessdensewaterremainsatthetopwhilethecolddenserwaterremainsatthe
bottom.Hencenoconvectioncurrentisproduced.

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Howheatislostwhenahotbowlismovedfromoventotable?

Heatislostbyradiationbecausethehotbowlisatahighertemperaturethanits
surroundings.
Heatisalsolostbyconvection.Thehotairabovethehotbowlislessdensethanthe
surroundingair.

Generalnote:ConvectionisduetodifferenceinDensity.Radiationisduetodiffintemp.

ConstrictioninClinicalThermometer:
Usedtopreventmercuryfromfallingbackintothebulbwhenitisremovedfromthepatients
mouthorarmpit.

ElectricCircuits
Note:Justrememberthatforwhatevercircuits,thevoltageisalwaysconstant!

Soifthecurrentincrease,theresistancemustdecrease..
Iftheresistanceincrease,thecurrentmustdecrease..

Inotherwords,thehigherthecurrentinthecircuit,theloweristheresistanceofthe
circuit.

Voltage=ResistancexCurrent

Constant

Calculatingresistance:

Forparallelcircuits
1
/R1+1/R2+1/R3=Totalresistance
ForSeriescircuit
R1+R2+R3=Totalresistance

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Whenalightbulbisswitchedon,whythefilamentreachesaconstanttemperature?

Thepowerdissipatedinthefilamentbecomesequaltotherateofheatradiatedbyit.

Note:Colourislinkedtoradiation.
Blackisgoodabsorber&emitterofheat.

WhybettertopushatBthanA?

TheturningeffectproducedwhenforceisappliedatBisgreater.
(Turningeffect=ForcexDistance)

Effectofapplyingforceonarustybolt/nut.

Itwillchangetheshapeofedgesofnut.
Heatwillbeproducedbecauseoffriction,Itmightalsobreak.

WhyraynotchangedirectionatB?

Therayisperpendiculartotheboundary.

Imageproducedbyamagnifyingglass:
Virtual,Upright,Magnified.

Emfofacell
Totalenergyusedtodriveunitchargeroundthecompletecircuit.

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Bendsaway
fromnormal

LIGHTRAY

AIR

AIR

SOLID
SOLID
Airtosolid
Bendsto
normal.
Bendsto
normal

Solidtoair
Bendsaway
fromnormal

Note:WhendoingcalculationsforPhysics,AllunitsmustbechangedtoitsSIunits.
E.g.MassmustbecalculatedinKG,DistancemustbecalculatedinMetres.
Ifnot,answerswillbewrong.

ComparingspeedsofLight

Inavacuum,speedofredlightandspeedofbluelightisthesame.
(Allelectromagneticwavestravelatsamespeedinavacuum.)

Inaglass,speedofbluelightisslowerthanspeedofredlight
becauseBluelighthasshorterwavelengthbutsamefrequency.

Howsoundwavestravelthroughair?
Byproducingalternatecompressionsandrarefactionsalongthepathofairparticles.

Goodradiatorofheat
Blacksurface
Roughsurface

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IcepointThemeltingpointofpureiceundernormalpressureactingonit.

ProcessofcreatingConvectioncurrent
1.
2.
3.
4.

Thebottomlayerisheated,themoleculesmovefaster.
Thedensitydecreasesandhotwaterrises.
Cooleranddenserwaterabovesinksdownandtakesitsplace.
Convectioncurrentisduetoachangeindensity.

Differencebetweenevaporation&boiling:

EVAPORATION
1)
2)
3)

BOILING

Takesplaceonthesurface
Occursthroughouttheliquid
Temperaturemaychangeinthisprocess Temperatureremainsconstant
Takesplaceatanytemperature
Takesplaceataconstanttemp.

CharacteristicsofImageformedonplanemirror.
1. Itissamesizeastheobject
2. Itisvirtual
3. Laterallyinverted

Inasoundwave,
Thefrequencyaffectsthepitch
Amplitudeaffectstheloudness
Qualityaffectsthetoneofthesound.
Bothwaveshavedifferentquality
(Differentsoundtones)

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HumanHearingrange

20Hz20KHz(20000Hz)
Lowerfrequency(Below20Hz)Infrasound
HigherFrequency(Above20000Hz)Ultrasound

CompressionandRarefactionsofsoundwave

Compressionoccurwhentheairparticlesareclosertogetherandtheairpressureishigher
thanthesurroundingpressure.

Rarefactionoccurswhentheairparticlesarefurtherapartandtheairpressureislower
thanthesurroundingpressure.

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Compression&Rarefaction
onlyoccurinLongitudinal
Waves
(Nottransversewaves)

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