GCSE Physics Paper 1 Revision

This set of flashcards covers all the topics a student needs to know for GCSE Physics Paper 1, including energy stores, conservation of energy, thermal energy, electricity, radioactivity, and states of matter.

List the six main energy stores.

Thermal, Chemical, Kinetic, Gravitational Potential, Elastic Potential, Nuclear

What does the law of conservation of energy state?

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred from one form/store to another. This only applies in a closed system.

What units are used to measure kinetic energy?

Joules

In the FIFA method, what does FIFA stand for?

Formula, Insert values, Fine-tune, Give answer

What happens when an object or system is said to be doing work?

It is transferring energy.

What is the equation for work done?

Work done = Force x Distance

What is the definition of power?

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

How is the efficiency of a machine or system measured?

Useful energy output / total energy input (can be a decimal or percentage)

How can the efficiency of a machine or system be improved?

Lubricate moving parts, insulate to reduce heat transfer, streamline the shape to reduce drag.

In what direction does thermal or heat energy always travel?

From hot to cold.

What three factors affect the rate of thermal energy transfer?

Thermal conductivity, thickness of the material, temperature difference.

Define specific heat capacity.

The energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 degree Celsius.

What are the main benefits of fossil fuels?

They are very reliable and produce a continual output of electricity, also, the technology for the power stations already exists.

Name seven different types of renewable energy sources.

Solar, Wind, Wave, Biofuel, Geothermal, Hydroelectric and Tidal.

How does a step-up transformer improve efficiency?

It increases the potential difference/voltage to decrease current, which then reduces heat loss.

What is the purpose of a step-down transformer?

To reduce potential difference to 230 volts in order to be safe for domestic use.

What does an ammeter measure?

Current

What is potential difference?

The work done per unit charge.

What is required for any current to flow in a circuit?

There must be a potential difference.

What is the relationship between resistance and current?

They are inversely proportional; if one doubled, the other would half.

Define Ohm's Law.

Potential difference is directly proportional to the current flowing, assuming all conditions like temperature are constant.

What happens to the temperature of a filament lamp as you increase the potential difference across it?

The temperature increases which increases the resistance in the filament. This is due to the ions, so there's positive charge left behind that are vibrating more, so it's harder for electrons to get through. As this happens, the current stops increasing.

What does a diode do?

A diode allows current to flow in one direction only because it has a really high resistance in the opposite direction.

What happens to the resistance of a thermistor when you increase the temperature?

The resistance goes down.

What happens to the resistance of a light-dependent resistor (LDR) when you increase the light?

The resistance goes down.

What is the same at any point on a series circuit?

Current

How is the potential difference distributed on a Series Circuit?

Shared between components

What happens if one component breaks in a series circuit?

There is no current that flows in the circuit.

What is the relationship between the wires in a UK plug to the words 'brown' and 'blue'?

Brown has an 'R' in it, so that's always on the right. Blue has got an 'L' in it; that's always on the left.

What is the purpose of the earth wire?

To carry any dangerous charge to the ground to prevent electrocution.

Describe the difference between alternating and direct potential difference?

Potential difference that's alternating means it changes polarity or reverses direction. Direct potential difference doesn't change direction

What determines which microwave will heat the food first?

Given that the energy needed to heat up each plate of food would be the same because they're identical, the one with the higher power rating would be able to heat it up in a lower time.

How can electrical devices and appliances lose energy?

Due to heat .This is due to the fact to make electrons flow through a wire, even if they're made of the lowest resistance material, even if it's really good high-grade copper, there's always going to be heat loss due to friction created when electrons move through a wire, causing the ions in the lattice to vibrate

Compared to the other two, what would the relative mass of electrons be?

1 over 2,000

Describe the plum pudding model of the atom.

The atom was like a plum pudding: a ball of positive charge (the muffin) with electrons distributed evenly (the chocolate chips).

What conclusions did the alpha scattering experiment lead Ernest Rutherford to?

Most of the atom is empty space, there is a positive region, a quite dense positive region, it helped find an alpha scattering experiment that did not support the plum pudding model theory, and it does support or lead rise to a new theory, which was the nuclear model.

State what an isotope is.

An atom that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

State what an ion is.

An atom that has gained or lost one or more electrons.

What is Radiation?

Radiation emitted when an unstable nucleus decays can be alpha, beta, or gamma radiation, or sometimes just pure neutrons.

Define Count Rate.

The number of decays measured per second

Define activity.

The number of decays in the actual source per second, and that's measured in becquerels or BQ.

How is Alpha radiation stopped?

Stopped by anything as thin as paper

How is Beta radiation stopped?

Stopped by a thin sheet of aluminum

What is Gamma radiations range?

You could say it's infinite range

How is Gamma radiation stopped?

Stopped by very thick lead or very thick concrete

How is Alpha Radiation used?

Used in smoke alarms. This is because it's highly ionizing; it ionizes air to allow a current to flow between two points. When smoke particles get into the smoke alarm, that stops the current flowing because smoke particles are not charged

How is Beta Radiation used?

Used to monitor the thickness of aluminum foil

How is Gamma Radiation used?

Used in radiotherapy; to destroy cancerous cells in the body

What is the same as a alpha particle?

A helium nucleus

Radioactive decay is random and you cannot tell when an individual nucleus will decay, what can we use to make predictions?

The idea of half-life to make predictions based on large numbers of nuclei

Define half-life.

The time taken for the number of nuclei to decrease by half

Define what contamination is.

There's an unwanted presence of radioactive material that's inside the object, material, or the person.

Define what irradiation is.

Refers to something being exposed, exposing an object or a person to nuclear radiation

Where does background radiation mostly come from in the UK?

Radon gas, about 50% from radon gas, which is from rocks in particular areas like Devon and Cornwall that have a lot of granite

Which radioactive decay is the Splitting of a large nucleus?

Nuclear fission

Which radioactive decay is the joining together of two light nuclei?

Nuclear fusion

What type of movement accounts for a gas's Kinetic Energy?

They move freely as well in random motion at a range of speeds

What dictates the speed of gas particles at a given temperature?

Lighter gas particles move faster than heavier gas particles at the same temperature.

How does increasing the temperature of a gas affect its pressure?

Increasing the temperature increases the speed of the particles, leading to more frequent and forceful collisions, thus increasing the pressure.

What is the relationship between the pressure and volume of a gas at a constant temperature?

Pressure and volume are inversely proportional. Decreasing the volume increases the frequency of collisions and thus increases the pressure.

What are the three main states of matter?

Solid, liquid, and gas.

Describe the arrangement and movement of particles in a solid.

Particles are closely packed in a fixed arrangement and vibrate in place.

Describe the arrangement and movement of particles in a liquid.

Particles are closely packed but can move past each other.

Describe the arrangement and movement of particles in a gas.

Particles are widely separated and move randomly.

What is the process of a substance changing from a solid to a liquid called?

Melting.

What is the process of a substance changing from a liquid to a gas called?

Boiling/Evaporation.

What is the process of a substance changing from a gas to a liquid called?

Condensation.

What is the process of a substance changing from a liquid to a solid called?

Freezing.

What is sublimation?

The process of a substance changing directly from a solid to a gas without passing through the liquid state.

Lighter gas particles move faster than heavier gas particles at the same temperature.

What dictates the speed of gas particles at a given temperature?

Increasing the temperature increases the speed of the particles, leading to more frequent and forceful collisions, thus increasing the pressure.

How does increasing the temperature of a gas affect its pressure?

Pressure and volume are inversely proportional. Decreasing the volume increases the frequency of collisions and thus increases the pressure.

What is the relationship between the pressure and volume of a gas at a constant temperature?

Solid, liquid, and gas.

What are the three main states of matter?

Particles are closely packed in a fixed arrangement and vibrate in place.

Describe the arrangement and movement of particles in a solid.

Particles are closely packed but can move past each other.

Describe the arrangement and movement of particles in a liquid.

Particles are widely separated and move randomly.

Describe the arrangement and movement of particles in a gas.

Melting.

What is the process of a substance changing from a solid to a liquid called?

Boiling/Evaporation.

What is the process of a substance changing from a liquid to a gas called?

Condensation.

What is the process of a substance changing from a gas to a liquid called?

Freezing.

What is the process of a substance changing from a liquid to a solid called?

The process of a substance changing directly from a solid to a gas without passing through the liquid state.

What is sublimation?

It increases the kinetic energy of the particles.

How does heating a substance affect the kinetic energy of its particles?

The total kinetic and potential energy of all the particles in a system.

What is internal energy?

The energy required to change the state of 1kg of a substance without changing its temperature.

Define specific latent heat.

Fusion is for melting/freezing, while vaporization is for boiling/condensing.

What is the difference between specific latent heat of fusion and specific latent heat of vaporization?