Edexcel International GCSE Physics Flashcards

Flashcards for Edexcel International GCSE Physics revision.

Current

The rate of flow of charge round the circuit.

Voltage

What drives the current round the circuit, like 'electrical pressure'.

Resistance

Anything in the circuit that slows the flow down.

Magnets

That magnets have two poles.

Magnetic Field

A region where magnetic materials experience a force.

Magnetic Field Lines

Used to show the size and direction of magnetic fields, pointing from NORTH to SOUTH.

Natural Length

The length of the unstretched metal wire

Stopping Distance

The distance covered in the time between the driver first spotting a hazard and the car coming to a complete stop.

Wavefronts

Imaginary planes that cut across all the waves, connecting the points on adjacent waves which are vibrating together.

Wavefronts

Are imaginary distances from a light source.

Half life

The time where half the material has decayed.

Wavelength

The distance from one peak to the next.

Frequency

How many complete waves there are per second.

Amplitude

The height of the wave from rest to crest.

Speed

How fast the wave goes.

Period

Is the time it takes for one complete wave to pass a point.

Moment

The turning effect of a force.

Momentum

Mass x Velocity

Vector Quantity

Has size and direction.

Scalar quantity

They only have size and no direction.

Terminal Velocity

The maximum velocity or 'terminal velocity'.

Force

A push or a pull.

Acceleration

How quickly velocity is changing.

Speed

How fast you're going.

Velocity

How fast you're going, and the direction specified.

Weight

Mass x Gravitational Field Strength

Mass

The amount of 'stuff' in an object.

Moment

Is the turning effect of a force

Centre of Gravity

The point through which the weight of a body acts.

LDR

A light-dependent resistor, changes resistance depending on how much light impacts it.

Thermistor

A temperature-dependent resistor.

LED

Emit light when a current flows through them in the forward direction.

Electrical Plug wires

The three wires in a plug: Live, Neutral and Earth

Live Wire

Alternates between +ve and -ve.

Neutral Wire

Always at 0 V.

Earth Wire

Just for safety.

Waves

Carry and transfer energy in the direction the waves move.

Friction

Cause things to slow down.

Vacuum

When there's no air, hamsters and feathers dropped simultaneously will hit the ground together.

Radio Waves

Are radio waves longer than about 10 cm.

Infrared Radiation

Are heat radiation.

Fluorescence

Is a property of certain chemicals, where ultraviolet radiation is absorbed and then visible light is emitted.

Circuit Breakers

Is an electrical safety device.

Electrical Appliances

Transfer energy electrically.

Electrical Conductors

Conduct charge easily.

Electrical Insulators

Don't conduct charge very well.

D.C.

Also known as direct current

A.C.

Known as alternating current

Static Charge

A charge which builds up in one place and is not free to move.

Thermal Conduction

Is a process where vibrating particles transfer energy from their kinetic energy store to the kinetic energy stores of neighbouring particles.

Convection

Occurs when the more energetic particles move from the hotter region to the cooler region.

Work Done

Just 'Energy Transferred'.

Power

Is the rate at which energy is transferred.

Watts

Measure of machine rate.

Power

The rate at which work is done.

Boiler

The charge is transferred to the cells thermal energy store.

Gamma Rays

Used to generate electricity by killing microbes.

Static Charges

Can be caused by friction.

Thermal Radiation

Is the transfer of energy by heating by infrared electromagnetic waves.

Conduction

Occurs mainly in solids.

Current

The rate of flow of charge around the circuit.

Voltage

What drives that current around the circuit.

Resistance

Anything in the circuit which slows the flow down.

LEDs

Emit light when a current flows through them in the forward direction.

LDRs

Depends on how much light falls on it.

Fossil Fuels

Energy resources that will run out one day.

Thermal Conductivity

Used to describe how well a object transfers energy by conduction.

High Thermal Conductivity

They transfer energy between their particles quickly.

Refractive Index

It is defined as: refractive index, n = speed of light in a vacuum, c speed of light in that material, v

Moment

The turning effect of a force.

Optical Fibres

Carry data over long distances as pulses of light

Electric motor

Energy is transferred electrically

Momentum

Mass x velocity

Sound Waves

They are caused by vibrating particles.

Density

Measure of the 'compactness' of a substance It relates the mass of a substance to how much space it takes up.

Pressure

Measure of the force is being applied to the surface of something.