Physics Gateway (OCR)

Speed

A scalar quantity that measures how fast an object is moving.

Velocity

A vector quantity that specifies both the speed and direction of an object.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity over time.

Newton's First Law

An object remains at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force.

Newton's Second Law

The force acting on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration.

Newton's Third Law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Weight

The force exerted by gravity on an object.

Mass

The amount of matter in an object, independent of its volume or any forces acting on it.

Resultant Force

The single force that can replace a system of forces acting on an object without changing its effect.

Momentum

The product of an object’s mass and velocity.

Kinetic Energy (KE)

The energy possessed by an object due to its motion.

Potential Energy (PE)

The energy stored due to an object’s position.

Work Done

Work is done when a force moves an object in the direction of the force.

Power

The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred.

Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another.

Elastic Collision

A collision in which both kinetic energy and momentum are conserved.

Inelastic Collision

A collision where only momentum is conserved and kinetic energy is lost.

Wave Speed

The speed at which a wave travels through a medium.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The range of all electromagnetic waves, from radio waves to gamma rays.

Efficiency

A measure of how well energy is converted into useful work.