Physics Units 3 & 4 and Music Elements & Compositional Devices Study Review

A 56-card vocabulary review set covering key concepts, laws, and definitions from Queensland Senior Physics Units 3 and 4 along with essential Music Elements and Compositional Devices.

Normal force

The force acting along an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the surface.

Uniform circular motion

The motion of an object travelling at a constant speed in a circle.

Centripetal force

The force acting on an object travelling in a circle that constantly either pulls or pushes the object towards the centre of motion (symbol: $F_{\text{c}}$; SI unit: newton; unit symbol: $\text{N}$).

Newton’s law of universal gravitation

States that the force of attraction between each pair of point particles is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Third law of planetary motion (law of periods)

The square of the sidereal period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of its mean distance from the Sun: $T^2 \propto r^3$.

Coulomb’s law

States that like electric charges repel and opposite electric charges attract, with a force proportional to the product of the electric charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them, expressed by the formula $F = \frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}\frac{Qq}{r^2}$.

Electric field strength

The intensity of an electric field at a particular location (symbol: $E$; SI unit: newton per coulomb; unit symbol: $\text{N C}^{-1}$).

Magnetic flux

A measurement of the total magnetic field that passes through a given area; a measure of the number of magnetic field lines passing through the given area (symbol: $\phi$; SI unit: weber; unit symbol: $\text{Wb}$).

Magnetic flux density

The strength of a magnetic field or the number of magnetic field lines per unit area (symbol: $B$; SI unit: weber per square metre; unit symbol: $\text{Wb m}^{-2}$ or $\text{T}$).

Electromagnetic induction

The production of an electromotive force (EMF) or voltage across an electrical conductor due to its dynamic interaction with a magnetic field.

Faraday’s law

A law stating that when the magnetic flux linking a circuit changes, an electromotive force (EMF) is induced in the circuit proportional to the rate of change of the flux linkage.

Lenz’s law

States that the direction of an induced electric current is such that it produces a current whose magnetic field opposes the change in the circuit or the magnetic field that produces it.

Inertial frame of reference

A non-accelerating frame of reference in which Newton’s laws of motion hold.

The two postulates of special relativity

The two assumptions of the theory of special relativity: 1, that the laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames of reference; 2, that the speed of light in a vacuum has the same value $c$ in all inertial frames of reference.

Simultaneity

Two events are simultaneous in a given reference frame if light signals from the events reach an observer who is midway between them at the same time.

Time dilation

A difference in the elapsed time measured by two clocks, either due to them having a velocity relative to each other.

Mass-energy equivalence relationship

Relates change in mass to change in energy, given by $\Delta E = \Delta mc^2$.

Black-body radiation

The radiation emitted by a black body from the conversion of thermal energy, and which has a characteristic frequency distribution that depends on the temperature.

Photon

A quantum of all forms of electromagnetic radiation.

Threshold frequency

The minimum frequency of a photon that can eject an electron from a surface.

Planck’s constant

A fundamental constant used in quantum mechanics that relates frequency to energy (symbol: $h$; SI unit: joule second; unit symbol: $\text{J s}$), equal to $6.626 \times 10^{-34}\,\text{J s}$. Also known as the Planck constant.

Work function

The minimum energy required to remove an electron from a solid (symbol: $W$; SI unit: joule; unit symbol: $\text{J}$). Formula: $W = hf_0$.

Wave-particle duality

Every particle or quantum entity may be partly described in terms not only of particles, but also of waves.

Bohr model

Electrons orbit the nucleus in particular circular orbits called stationary states with fixed angular momentum and energy, their distance from the nucleus (their radius) being proportional to their energy. When an electron moves between these stationary states, it is accompanied by the emission or absorption of a photon.

Antiparticles of matter

A particle that has the same mass and opposite charge and/or spin as a corresponding particle; for example, positron and electron.

Baryon

Composite subatomic particle made up of three quarks (or three antiquarks) held together by the strong nuclear force.

Lepton number

A conserved quantum number representing the difference between the number of leptons and the number of antileptons in an elementary particle reaction: $L = (n_l - n_{\bar{l}})$.

Conservation of baryon number

In any interaction baryon number is conserved.

Duration

The relative lengths of sounds and silences in music. Concepts include beat and pulse, metre, accent and syncopation, tempo and rhythm.

Tempo

Speed of a piece of music performed, usually beats per minute (BPM).

Beat

The underlying pulse of music that provides a sense of steady time.

Pulse

The consistent, recurring underlying beat that listeners can feel throughout a piece.

Metre

The organisation of beats into regular groups such as 2, 3 or 4.

Accent

Emphasis placed on a particular beat or note, making it sound stronger or prominent.

Syncopation

The emphasis of normal weak beats or offbeats, creating rhythmic tension and disrupting the expected metrical pattern.

Rest

A period of silence with a specific rhythmic duration.

Dynamics

The variation in volume or intensity of music such as piano (soft), forte (loud).

Articulation

The way individual notes are performed, including how they are started, sustained and released such as staccato or legato.

Phrasing

The shaping and grouping of musical notes into meaningful musical ideas, similar to phrases in speech.

Harmony

The combination of two or more different pitches sounding together and the progression of chords in music.

Interval

The distance in pitch between two notes.

Key Signature

The group of sharps or flats placed at the beginning of a staff that indicates the key and the notes that are consistently altered.

Ternary

A 3-part form, commonly organised as ABA, where the 1st section returns after a contrasting middle section.

Rondo

A form in which a main theme repeatedly returns between contrasting sections, commonly as ABACA OR ABACABA.

Sonata

A large-scale instrumental form, traditionally featuring contrasting sections; sonata form itself commonly consists of exposition, development and recapitulation.

Monophonic

A texture consisting of a single melodic line. If every instrument or voice have the same melodic line but in different octaves, it is considered monophonic.

Homophonic

A texture in which one melody is supported by chords or accompanying parts.

Polyphonic

Two or more independent melodic lines competing simultaneously.

Alberti Bass

A broken-chord accompaniment pattern where chord notes are played in the order low-high-middle-high.

Riff

A short, repeated and recognisable musical pattern, usually melodic or rhythmic.

Ostinato

Short musical rhythm that overall stays the same.

Pedal Point

Sustained or repeated note usually in the bass that continues while the harmony changes above it.

Countermelody

A secondary melody that occurs simultaneously with and complements the main melody.

Fragmentation

Breaking a larger musical idea into smaller fragments and using those fragments as a new music idea.

Word Painting

A technique where the music directly reflects the meaning of the lyrics through pitch, rhythm, dynamics, melody or musical elements.

Augmentation

The lengthening of the note values of an existing musical line while maintaining its basic melodic shape.