Year 10 Physical Sciences 2026 Exam Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Optics, Sound, and Chemistry including bonding, wave properties, and reaction types for the Year 10 Physical Sciences exam.

Convex

A shape of mirror or lens that bulges or flexes outwards.

Concave

A shape of mirror or lens that caves in.

Plane

A flat mirror shape.

LOST

An acronym used to describe the 4 properties of an image: Location, Orientation, Size, and Type (nature).

Frequency ($f$)

The number of complete waves per second, measured in Hertz ($Hz$).

Wavelength ($\lambda$)

The distance between two successive compressions or rarefactions, measured in metres ($m$).

Amplitude ($A$)

The maximum displacement from the rest position, measured in metres ($m$); larger values indicate louder sound.

Period ($T$)

The time for one complete wave cycle, calculated as $T = \frac{1}{f}$, measured in seconds ($s$).

Infrasound

Sound frequencies less than $20\,Hz$, such as those produced by earthquakes, elephants, and whales.

Human Hearing Range

The standard span of hearing for most people, approximately $20\,Hz$ to $20,000\,Hz$.

Ultrasound (medical)

Sound frequencies greater than $20,000\,Hz$, used for imaging, sonar, and industrial testing.

Wave Equation

$v = f \times \lambda$, where wave speed ($m/s$) equals frequency ($Hz$) multiplied by wavelength ($m$).

Nodes

Points in a standing wave where air particles do not move; these are areas of total stillness.

Antinodes

Points in a standing wave where air vibrates the most and the wave reaches its maximum amplitude.

Harmonics

Frequencies that are multiples of the fundamental frequency (e.g., if the fundamental is $100\,Hz$, harmonics are $200\,Hz$, $300\,Hz$, etc.).

Open Pipes

Pipes open at both ends (like a flute) which have antinodes at both ends because air is free to move.

Closed Pipes

Pipes closed at one end (like a clarinet) which must have a node at the closed end where air hits a wall.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in an atom, which determines which element it is.

Mass Number

The sum of the number of neutrons and the number of protons in an atom.

Relative Atomic Mass (RAM)

The average mass of different types of elements with different numbers of neutrons.

Ions

Atoms that have gained or lost electrons to achieve a complete outer shell and become stable.

Cations

Positively charged ions that have lost electrons.

Anions

Negatively charged ions that have gained electrons.

Polyatomic Ion

A group of atoms that stay together and act as a single unit with a charge, such as $SO_4^{2-}$ or $CO_3^{2-}$.

Ionic Bonding

Bonding that occurs between metals and non-metals where atoms transfer electrons and are held by electrostatic forces in a 3D lattice.

Covalent Bonding

Bonding between non-metals and non-metals where atoms share electrons to form molecules.

Metallic Bonding

Bonding involving closely packed metal cations with a 'sea' of delocalised valence electrons.

Malleability

The ability of metals to have layers of atoms move past one another without disrupting the metallic bond, allowing them to become thinner.

Lustre

The shiny appearance of a metal caused by mobile electrons within the lattice reflecting light.

Reactants

The starting substances in a chemical reaction, written on the left side of a word or chemical equation.

Products

The substances formed by a chemical reaction, written on the right side of a word or chemical equation.

Coefficients

Numbers placed in front of chemical formulae in an equation to indicate the quantity of those molecules or atoms.

Precipitate

An insoluble solid that forms when two aqueous solutions react.

Exothermic Reaction

A reaction that releases heat and feels hot; heat is considered a product in the reaction equation.

Endothermic Reaction

A reaction that uses heat and feels cold; heat is considered a reactant in the reaction equation.