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a.c. generator
absorption spectra
acceleration (a)
acceleration of free fall The acceleration of a body falling under gravity. On Earth it has
(g)
the value of 9.81ms2.
acoustic impedance
(Z)
activity (A)
alpha particle
alternating current
ammeter
amount of substance
ampere
amplitude, oscillations
(xo)
amplitude, waves
(xo)
angular momentum
annihilation
antiparticle
area (A)
atom
attenuation coefficient
()
average speed
Avogadro constant
(NA)
back e.m.f
baryon
baryon number
becquerel
beta decay
beta particle
The theory that the universe was created out of nothing from a
single point. The universe was once much smaller, hotter and
denser. It expanded from this state into the universe we see
today.
binary stars
binding energy
black hole
The remains of the core of a very large star after it has gone
supernova. It has an infinite density and a gravitational field
strength so great that even light cannot escape.
Boltzmann constant
(k)
bottom
Type of quark.
Boyles law
Brownian motion
capacitance (C)
capacitor
capacitor discharge
Celsius
centre of gravity
centre of mass
centripetal
acceleration (a)
centripetal force
chain reaction
charge
charm
Type of quark.
circular motion
closed universe
cloud chamber
collimation
comet
components of a
vector
Compton effect
computerised axial
tomography (CAT)
conductor
conservation of
charge
conservation of
energy
conservation of
momentum
conventional current
cosmological principle On a large scale the universe is uniform (i.e. the universe is the
same in all directions and of uniform density, provided a large
enough volume is considered).
coulomb
Coulombs law
couple
critical damping
damped oscillations
de Broglie equation
decay constant ()
degree Celsius
Unit for temperature, e.g. 100oC (not the SI unit; see kelvin).
density ()
diffraction
displacement (s or
x)
displacement, SHM
displacementtime
graph
distance (d)
Doppler effect
down
Type of quark
driving force
driving frequency
dynamo
efficiency
Einsteins
mass/energy equation
elastic collision
(perfectly)
conserved.
elastic potential
energy
electric charge (Q or
q) = current time
electric field
electromagnetic
induction
electromagnetic wave
electromotive force
(e.m.f.)
The electrical energy transferred per unit charge when one form
of energy is converted into electrical energy, measured in volts
(V).
electron
electron diffraction
electron flow
electronvolt
emission spectrum
endoscope
energy (E)
energy levels
equations of motion
equilibrium
exponential
exponential decay
At any given time interval there is the same ratio of final value to
starting value. For example capacitor discharge and radioactive
decay.
farad
Faradays law
field
fission
fission products
flat universe
Flemings left-hand
rule
Flemings right-hand
rule
force (F)
forced oscillation
free-body diagram
A diagram containing only one body with the forces on that body
labelled with arrows.
free fall
free oscillations
frequency (f)
fundamental particle
fusion
g, acceleration of free
fall
galaxy
gamma camera
gamma rays
Geiger tube
geostationary orbit
An orbit of the Earth made by a satellite that has the same time
period as the rotation of the Earth (i.e. 24 hours) and is in the
equatorial plane.
gradient of a graph
The change in y-axis over the change in the x-axis (rise over
step).
gravitational constant
(G)
gravitational field
gravitational field
strength (g)
gravitational force
gravitational potential
energy
hadron
half-life
half-value thickness
harmonics
heat capacity
heavy damping
homogeneous
Of uniform density.
ideal gas
A gas that has internal energy only in the form of random kinetic
energy.
impedance matching
impulse
induced e.m.f.
inelastic collision
infrared
insulator
interference
internal energy
ion
ionisation
isotopes
isotropic
joule
Unit of energy (J), e.g. 1200J. 1J is the work done when a force
of 1N moves its point of application 1m in the direction of the
force.
kelvin
kilowatt
kilowatt-hour
kinetic energy
Kirchhoffs second
law
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Larmor frequency
(fL)
latent heat of
vaporisation
Lenzs law
lepton
lepton number
light damping
light year
line spectrum
linear momentum (p) The product of an objects mass and velocity, given by p = mv.
Measured in kgms1; a vector quantity.
longitudinal wave
magnetic field
magnetic field
strength
magnetic flux ()
The product of magnetic flux density and the area at right angles
to the flux. Given by = BA cos , measured in weber (Wb).
The product of the magnetic flux and the number of turns on the
coil it passes through. Given by magnetic flux linkage = N,
often measured in weber turns.
magnetic moment
magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI)
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mass (m)
mass spectrometer
meson
meteorite
microwaves
mole
molecular ordering
molecular spacing
molecule
moment of a force
The turning effect due to a single force, calculated from the force
multiplied by the perpendicular distance from a given point,
measured in newton metres (Nm), e.g. 4Nm. A vector quantity.
momentum
monochromatic light
moon
nebulae
neutrino
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neutron
neutron star
nuclear reactor
nucleon
nucleon number
nucleus
nuclide
newton
Newtons law of
gravitation
ohm
Ohms law
Olbers paradox
13
open universe
The situation if the mean density of the universe is less than the
critical density. The universe will continue to expand.
pair production
The process of creating a particleantiparticle pair from a highenergy photon. For example X-ray electron + positron.
parallel circuits
parsec
period (T)
perpendicular
phase difference,
oscillations ()
phase difference,
waves ()
phase of a substance
photoelectric effect
photon
piezoelectric effect
pion
planet
plasma
positron emission
tomography
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body.
potential difference
(p.d.)
potential divider
potential energy
potential gradient
power (P)
precession
pressure (p)
Force per unit area, measured in pascals (Pa), e.g. 100 000Pa.
1Pa = 1Nm1. A scalar quantity.
principle of moments
progressive wave
proton
proton number
pulsar
pulse repetition
frequency
quantum
quark
quasar
radian (rad)
15
radio waves
radioactive decay
radioactivity
random
red giant
A star in the later stages of its life that has nearly exhausted the
hydrogen in its core. It therefore begins to fuse helium, cools
and expands.
redshift
resistance (R)
resolution of vectors
resonance
resultant force
resultant velocity
scalar
scattering
series circuit
simple harmonic
motion (SHM)
slow neutrons
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spectral line
spectrum
speed (s)
spin
spontaneous
standing wave
star
A large body in space emitting heat and light from nuclear fusion
within its core.
state of a substance
stationary wave
strange
Type of quark.
strangeness
strong interaction
The force between nucleons that holds the nucleus together. All
particles that contain quarks can interact via the strong nuclear
force.
Sun
supernova
superposition
The principle that states that when two or more waves of the
same type exist at the same place the resultant wave will be
found by adding the displacements of each individual wave.
temperature (T or )
tensile force
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to stretch it. When both forces have the value T, the tensile force
is also T, not 2T.
tesla
thermal equilibrium
threshold frequency
thrust
The time taken for one complete wave to pass a given point,
measured in seconds (s).
top
Type of quark.
torque
tracer
transducer
transformer efficiency
transformer, stepdown
transformer, step-up
transmutation
18
transverse wave
triangle of forces
turning forces
turns ratio
The ratio of turns of wire on the input side to the output side of a
transformer. This equals the ratio of the input e.m.f. to the output
e.m.f.
ultrasound
ultraviolet
universe
All the space, matter and energy that exists (i.e. everything that
physically exists).
up
Type of quark.
vector
velocity (v)
velocity selector
velocitytime graph
volt
voltmeter
volume (V)
watt
wave
wavelength ()
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identical point on the next wave (e.g. the distance from one peak
to the next peak), measured in metres (m).
waveparticle duality
The theory that states all objects can exhibit both wave and
particle properties.
weak interaction
weber
Unit of magnetic flux (Wb), e.g. 4Wb. 1Wb is the flux when a
magnetic flux density of 1T passes through an area of 1m2 at
right angles.
weight (w)
white dwarf
The end product of low mass stars when the outer layers have
dispersed into space.
work (W)
X-rays
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