SPM PHYSICS

LIST OF DEFINITION
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION TO
PHYSICS
Physical quantities

MEANING/DEFINITION

Base quantities

Physical quantities that cannot be defined in term of other physical quantities.

Derived quantities

Physical quantities derived by combining base quantities. This can be done by multiplication or division or
both.

Precision /Consistency

The ability to measured values remain constant throughout.

Accuracy

The ability of an apparatus to give readings nearest to the actual value.

Sensitivity

Ability to detect small changes in measuring physical quantities.

Errors

Incorrectly reading and measuring..

Systematic errors

Cumulative errors that can be corrected, if errors are known like incorrect position of the zero point and
incorrect calibration of the measuring instrument.

Random errors

Arise from unknown and unpredictable variations in condition, and will produce a different error every
time you repeat the experiment. They may vary from observation to observation.

Parallax error

Is an error in reading an instrument because the observers eye and the pointer are not in a line
perpendicular to the plane of the scale.

Zero error

The measuring instrument does not start from exactly zero.

A quantity that can be measured.

CHAPTER 2

FORCE AND
MOTION

v/
u

DEFINITION

Linear motion

Motion in a straight line.

Scalar quantity

A quantity which has only magnitude.

Vector quantity

A quantity which has both magnitude and direction.

Velocity

The rate of change of displacement.

s
v=
t

Speed

The rate of change of distance.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity.

vu
a=
t

Distance

The total length of the path travelled.

Displacement

The distance travelled in a specific direction.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist change to its state of motion.

First Newtons Law

An object at rest tends to stay at rest and a moving object tends to continue its uniform motion with the
same speed and in the same direction unless being acted upon by an external force.
(Inertia)

Second Newton s
law

The net force on an object is proportional to the rate of change in momentum.

F=ma

Third Newtons
law

To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.

Momentum

The product of its mass and velocity

P=mv

The principle of

The total momentum of a system is constant, if no external force acts on the system.

UNIT

ms-1

ms-2

Kg ms-1
Ns-1

conservation of
momentum
Force
Impulse

The resistant of change to its state of motion or moves in the object.

Change in momentum.
mvmu/ Ft

N
kg ms-1
Ns-1

impulsive force

The rate of change of momentum.

mvmu
F=
t

Weight

Mass

The force of gravity which is exerted on it by earth.

W=mg
The amount of matter in the object.

Free fall
Work

An object falling under the force of gravity only without any external forces.
The product of force and the displacement.
W =Fs

Energy
Gravitational field

The capacity to do work.

The region in which an object experiences a force due to gravitational attraction.

J
ms-1

Ep

Potential energy

The energy stored in the object because of its position or its state.
E p=mgh

Ep

Elastic potential
energy

The energy possessed by an object due to its compressed or rarefaction.

1
E p= Fx
2

Ek

Kinetic energy

The energy possessed by an object due to its motion

1
2
Ek = mv
2

The principle of
conservation of
energy

State that the energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can be transformed from one form to another, but the
total energy in a system is constant.

Power

The rate at which work is done or energy is transformed.

W
P=
t

kg

Chapter 3
FORCE AND
PRESSURE
Elasticity
Hookes law

p Pressure
Archimedes
principle

Bernoullis
principle
Pascal principle

DEFINITION

UNIT

The property of an object that enables it to return to its original shape and dimensions ( sizes ) after an applied external force
is removed.
State that the extension of a spring is directly proportional to the stretching force acting on it provided the elastic limit of the
spring is not exceeded.
F=kx

Nm-1

The force acting perpendicularly on unit area of a surface.

p=F / A

Nm-1
Pa

State that an object, whether completely or partially immersed in a fluid is acted on by a buoyant force which is equal to the
weight of the displaced fluid.
p=mg

Nm-1
Pa

*m=mass of liquid displaced

State that the in a steady flow of a fluid the pressure of the fluid decreases when the velocity of the fluid increases.
A 1 v 1= A2 v 2
State that in an enclosed fluid an externally applied pressure is transmitted uniformly in all directions.
F1 A1
=
F2 A2

Chapter 4

DEFINITION

HEAT

Temperature

The hotter measured on the object.

UNIT
C
K

Heat

The one form energy was transfer by hot object to cold object.

Thermal
equilibrium

Produce when the net rate of heat transfer is zero.

Q Specific heat
capacity

The quantity of heat energy required to increase the temperature of 1 kg of the substance by 1C or 1 K.

J kg-1 C1

Q=mc

Specific latent
heat

The heat required for an object to change phase without a change in temperature.

Specific latent
heat of fusion

The quantity of heat energy required to change 1kg of the substance from a solid to a liquid without a
change in temperature.

J kg-1

Q=mL
Specific latent
heat of
vaporisation

The quantity of heat energy required to change 1kg of the substance from a liquid to a gaseous without a
change in temperature.

Condensation

A process matter changes from liquid to gaseous at random temperature lowest from that the boiling
point.

Boiling

A process the liquid become vapour into bubble form gaseous to all boiling point of liquid.

Boyles 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.

Q=mL

p1 V 1 = p 2 V 2

J kg-1

Charles Law

States that the volume of a fixed mass of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature provided
the pressure of the gas is kept constant.

V1 T1
=
V2 T2
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 1 P2
=
T1 T 2

LIGHT
Reflected of light
waves

Occur when a light wave propagates into the plane reflector and it is reflection.

Reflected of light
waves law

It can be seen that : Angle of incident = angle of reflection

i=r
The normal line, incident ray, reflection ray on the same plane.

Refraction of light
waves

Is phenomenon where the direction of light is changed when it crosses the boundary between two
materials of different optical densities.

Refraction of light
waves law

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
Sin i /sin r (Snells law)

Total internal
reflection

Total reflection of a beam of light at the boundary of two mediums, when the angle of incidence in the
optically denser medium exceeds a specific critical angle.

n=

1
sin c

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

P=

1
f

IMAGE CHARACTERISTICS
Virtual -an image which cannot be projected (focused) onto a screen
Real -an image which can be projected (focused) onto a screen
Inverted -an image which left and right are interchanged
Upright -an image which in vertical position
Diminished -image formed is smaller than the object

Magnified -image formed is larger than the object

WAVES
Waves
Wavefront
Transverse Wave

A type of disturbance produced by an oscillating or vibrating motion in which a point or body moves back
and forth along a line about a fixed central point produces waves.
Line or plane on which the vibrations of every point are in phase and are at the same distance from the
source of the wave.

Longitudinal Wave
Amplitude

Period

Wave in which the vibration of particles in the medium is perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the
wave.
Wave in which the vibration of particles in the medium is parallel to the direction of propagation of the wave.
Maximum displacement forms its equilibrium position measure of height of the wave crest or depth of the
wave trough.
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.

f=

Wavelength
Wave speed

Natural frequency
Interference of
waves
Constructive
interference
Destructive
interference
Antinode
Node
Electromagnetic
Waves
Monochromatic
light

s
Hz

1
T

Distance between successive points of the same phase in a wave.

Distance travelled by a wave in one second in direction of propagation.

v =f
Damping
Resonance

Decrease in the amplitude of an oscillating system is called damping.

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.
Fundamental frequency of which an object vibrates. It is the frequency of a system which oscillates freely
without external force.
Superposition of two waves originating from two coherent.
Constructive interference occurs when the both crests or both troughs of both waves coincide to produce a
wave with crests and troughs of maximum amplitude
Destructive interference occurs when the crest of one wave coincides with the trough of the other wave, thus
cancelling each other with the result that the resultant amplitude is zero.
Point where constructive interference occurs.
Point where destructive interference occurs.
Propagating waves in space with electric and magnetic components. These components oscillate at right
angles to each other and to the direction of propagation of wave.
Light with only one wavelength and colour.

m
ms-1

Principle of
superposition

Principle of superposition states that at any instant, the wave displacement of 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.

ELECTRICITY
Q Charge
I Current

Work done to move a unit of voltage in a circuit.

Rate of flow of charge.

I =Q/t
V

Potential
difference

Work done in moving one coulomb of charge from one point to another in an electric field.

Electric field
Circuit
Resistance

A field in which electric force acts in a particle with electric charge.

Closed loop through which charge can continuously flow.
Measure of the ability of the conductor to resist the flow of an electric current through it.

V =W /Q

R=V /I
Superconductor
E

Electromotive
force

Conductor in which its resistance will suddenly become zero when it is cooled below a certain temperature
called the critical temperature
Total energy supplied by a cell to move a unit of electrical charge from one terminal to the other through
the cell and the external circuit.

E=
Power rating
Ohms law

W
Q

Rate at which it consumes electrical energy.

Ohms law states that the electric current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the
potential difference across the ends of conductor, if temperature and other physical conditions remain
constant.

VI

ELECTROMAGNETISM
Electromagnet
Magnetic field
Radial field
Electromagnetic
induction
Transformer

Device in which magnetism is produced by an electric current temporary magnet which acts as a magnet
when the current is switched on and ceases to be a magnet when the current is switched off.
Region in which a magnetic material experiences a force as the result of a magnet or a current-carrying
conductor.
Magnetic field with the field lines pointing towards or away from the centre of a circle.
Production of an electric current by a changing magnetic field.
Equipment to raise or lower the potential difference of an alternating current supply.

V s Ns
=
V p Np

Faradays law
Lenzs law
Energy loss

The magnitude of the induced electromotive force (e.m.f.) is directly proportional to the rate of change of
magnetic flux linkage with the solenoid or the rate at which a conduct or cuts through the magnetic flux
Lenzs law states that an induced electric current always flows in such a direction so as to oppose the
change (or motion) producing it.
Energy loss in electricity transmission cables due to the heat generated in the cable.

E=I 2 Rt

.
Chapter 4 ElectronicsThermoionicemission
EMISSION of electrons from
hot
metal surface
Work function
MINIMUM ENERGY required to eject electrons from surface
Cathode ray
fast
moving ELECTRONS travel in a
straight
line in
vacuum

Cathode rayoscilloscope
measuring and testing INSTRUMENT used in study of electricity and electronics
ConductorSemiconductorInsulator
MATERIAL which allows current to flow thorugh themMATERIAL whose resistance is between good conductor and insulatorMATERIAL which
does not conduct electric current
Junctionvoltage

POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE acting from n-type to p-type material of a diode across the depletionlayer
Rectification
CONVERSION of a.c. to d.c. by diode
Smoothing
PROCESS where output is smoothed by connecting a capacitor across load that acts as areservoir and maintains potential difference across
load
Logic gates
ELECTRONIC SWITCHES with one or more inputs and one output.
Chapter 5 RadioactivityAtom
An atom consists of a nucleus which is made up of protons and neutrons, withelectrons 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 nucleonnumber(similar chemical properties but differs in physical
properties)
Radioactivity
SPONTANEOUS DISINTEGRATION of
unstable
nucleus into a more
stable
nucleuswith the emission of energetic particles or protons

Radioactive decay
PROCESS where an unstable nucleus becomes a more stable nucleus by emittingradiations
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 valueTIME TAKEN for half the atoms in a given sample to decay
Nuclear fission
PROCESS involving the splitting of a heavy nucleus into two nuclei of roughly equalmass and shooting out several neutrons at the same
time.
Nuclear fusion
PROCESS involving the fusion of two or more small and light nuclei come togetherto form a heavier nucleus.
PRINCIPLEEinsteins Principle ofMass-Energy Conservation
The change of energy is linked to the change of mass by the equation