GCSE Double Award Science Physics Unit 2 (Higher Tier) Flashcards

Flashcards for GCSE Double Award Science Physics Unit 2 (Higher Tier)

What is the relationship between frequency and period?

f = 1 / T

What is the wave equation?

v = fλ

What is the frequency range of audible sound for humans?

20 Hz to 20,000 Hz

What is ultrasound?

Sound waves with frequencies greater than 20,000 Hz

What does SONAR stand for?

SOund Navigation And Ranging

What does RADAR stand for?

RAdio Detection And Ranging

What type of wave is used in RADAR?

Electromagnetic waves

What is the order of increasing wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum?

Gamma rays, X-rays, Ultraviolet, Visible light, Infrared, Microwaves, Radio waves

Name three radiations with the shortest wavelengths which can cause cancer.

Gamma Rays , X-rays, Ultraviolet

What is the law of reflection?

The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

List five properties of the image formed by a plane mirror.

Virtual, same size as object, upright, laterally inverted, same distance behind mirror as the object is in front of it.

Define a virtual image.

One from which light rays appear to come, but no rays of light pass through it, and cannot be projected on to a screen.

What is refraction?

The change in direction of a beam of light as it travels from one material to another due to a change in speed in the different materials.

What happens to light when it slows down entering a new medium?

It bends towards the normal.

What happens to light when it speeds up leaving a medium?

It bends away from the normal.

What happens when a ray of light enters glass with an angle of incidence of zero degrees?

It is not refracted (that is, it does not change direction), but it does slow down.

List the colours in the visible spectrum in order of decreasing wavelength.

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

How does a converging lens affect a parallel beam of light?

It refracts it to a focus.

How does a diverging lens affect a parallel beam of light?

It refracts it to produce a divergent beam.

List three rules for drawing ray diagrams for a convex lens.

A ray parallel to the principal axis refracted through the principal focus on the other side of the lens; a ray through the optical centre of the lens that does not change its direction; a ray through the principal focus on one side of the lens, which emerges so that it is parallel to the principal axis on the other side of the lens.

What property do all electrical conductors share?

They have free electrons.

What is direction of conventional current flow?

Positive to negative.

Write the equation for charge in terms of current and time

Q = I x t

What is the unit of electric charge and its symbol?

Coulomb (C)

State the effect of cells connected in series on circuit voltage.

The voltage is the sum of the voltages of each cell.

What is the mathematical expression of Ohm's law?

V = I x R

How is total resistance calculated for resistors in series?

Rtotal = R1 + R2 + R3 + …

State the effect of a short circuit on current.

Caused by low resistance, leading to a significant increase in current that by passes part of the circuit

What is the same for components in parallel circuits?

Voltage

Name the components of a three-pin plug.

Live, Neutral, and Earth wires.

With respect to 3-wire plugs, what color is the live wire and what is its function?

Brown; Carries the alternating potential difference.

What name is given to a long straight current-carrying coil of wire?

Solenoid

State three methods of increasing the magnetic field strength of a solenoid.

Using a larger current; using more turns of wire; putting a soft iron rod into the solenoid.

Use a description of the right-hand grip rule to determine the direction of themagnetic field about a current-carrying coil of wire.

Imagine gripping the solenoid with your right hand so that your fingers point in the conventional current direction. Your thumb then points towards the north pole of the solenoid.

List the planets in our solar system in order from the sun.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

What force is responsible for orbital motion in the solar system?

Gravity

List three uses of artificial satellites.

Astronomy, communications, weather monitoring.

A star is formed predominantly from which element.

Hydrogen gas and dust, known as a stellar nebula.

What fusion process occurs at the core of a protostar to form a star?

High temperatures cause nuclear fusion by forcing Hydrogen nuclei together to form Helium.

State what is balanced when a start is stable (main sequence).

The outward radiation pressure is balanced by the inward gravitational force, so the size of the star remains stable.

When does a Red Giant form?

When almost all the hydrogen is used up in fusion the energy output reduces so much that gravity compresses the star significantly, causing gravitational contraction that is enough for nuclear fusion of the hydrogen in the surrounding layer.

Explain why nothing, not even light, can escape a black hole.

Blackholes have such enormous gravitational fields that nothing can escape from them.

Approximately how old is the universe according to the Big Bang Theory?

14 billion years old

What happens during red-shift?

The light observed from a source moving away from us has a longer wavelength than expected the light is red shifted.