Physics

Forces

A push or pull that can change the motion of an object

Motion

The movement of an object from one place to another

Speed

How fast something moves

Distance

How far an object travels ( speed x time )

Time

How long something takes ( distance/speed )

Force diagram

A drawing that shows the forces acting on an object ( distance/time )

Resultant force

The overall force acting on an object after all forces are combined

Balanced forces

Forces that are equal in size and opposite in direction

Unbalanced forces

Forces that cause an object to speed up slow down or change direction

Friction

A force that slows moving objects when surfaces rub together

Air resistance

A type of friction caused by air pushing against a moving object

Gravity

A force that pulls objects towards Earth

Mass

The amount of matter in an object

Weight

The force caused by gravity acting on an object

Pressure

Force spread over an area

Hooke’s law

The extension of a spring is proportional to the force applied

Contact force

A force that acts when objects touch

Non-contact force

A force that acts without objects touching

Relative motion

How movement appears compared to another object

Journey

A trip from one place to another

Distance-time graph

A graph showing how distance changes over time

Deformation

A change in shape caused by a force

Magnet

A material that creates a magnetic field

Magnetism

A force caused by magnets attracting or repelling

Magnetic field

The area around a magnet where magnetic forces act

Magnetic material

A material that can be attracted to a magnet

Compass

A tool that uses a magnet to show direction

Static charge

Electric charge that builds up on an object

Electric field

The area around a charged object where electric forces act

Electricity

The flow of electric charge

Circuit

A complete path for electricity to flow around

Series circuit

A circuit with one loop for current to flow through

Parallel circuit

A circuit with more than one path for current to flow through

Current

The flow of electric charge in a circuit

Potential difference

The energy transferred per unit of charge in a circuit

Voltage

Another word for potential difference

Resistance

A measure of how difficult it is for current to flow

Ohm’s law

Current equals voltage divided by resistance

Conductor

A material that allows electricity to flow through easily

Insulator

A material that does not allow electricity to flow easily

Circuit symbol

A simple drawing used to represent electrical components

Battery

A source of electrical energy in a circuit

Bulb

A component that produces light using electricity

Switch

A device that opens or closes a circuit

Charge

A property of matter that causes electric forces

Electromagnet

A magnet made by passing electricity through a coil of wire

Energy

The ability to do work or cause change

Energy store

A way energy is kept in an object or system

Energy transfer

The movement of energy from one store to another

Thermal energy

Energy related to heat

Kinetic energy

Energy stored in moving objects

Gravitational potential energy

Energy stored because of height

Chemical energy

Energy stored in fuels food and batteries

Sound energy

Energy transferred by vibrations through a medium

Light energy

Energy carried by light waves

Electrical energy

Energy transferred by moving electric charges

Wasted energy

Energy not usefully transferred often as heat

Efficiency

A measure of how much useful energy is transferred

Energy transfer diagram

A diagram showing how energy moves between stores

Fuel

A substance that releases energy when burned

Renewable energy

Energy from sources that will not run out quickly

Non-renewable energy

Energy from sources that will eventually run out

Generating electricity

Producing electrical energy from other energy sources

Hypothesis

A scientific idea that can be tested

Prediction

A statement about what will happen in an experiment

Working safely

Following rules to avoid danger in experiments

Scientific question

A question that can be investigated scientifically

Observation

Information gathered using senses or tools

Experiment

A test carried out to investigate a scientific idea

Variable

A factor that can change in an experiment

Independent variable

The variable that is changed in an experiment

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured in an experiment

Control variable

A variable kept the same for a fair test

Fair test

An experiment where only one variable is changed

Data

Facts and measurements collected during an experiment

Conclusion

A summary of what the results show

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true value

Repeatability

Getting similar results when repeating an experiment

Safety goggles

Protective glasses worn during experiments

Laboratory

A room where scientific experiments are carried out