Year 10 Physics and Earth Science Revision

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering Newton's Laws of Motion, speed/acceleration calculations, energy forms, star lifecycles, and global Earth systems based on the provided revision notes.

How do you calculate the average speed of a cyclist who travels $36$ kilometres in $1.5$ hours?

$\text{Average speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{36}{1.5} = 24$ km/h

What is the difference between instantaneous speed and average speed?

Instantaneous speed is the speed at a specific point in time, while average speed is the total distance traveled over a period of time.

What is the standard unit used for acceleration?

$$m/s^2$$

Between a Land Rover at rest and a bicycle at rest, which has more inertia and why?

The Land Rover has more inertia because inertia is dependent on mass, and the Land Rover has a significantly larger mass than the bicycle.

According to the physics of car safety, why do unbelted passengers get injured when a car stops suddenly?

Due to inertia, the passengers' bodies continue moving forward at the car's initial speed until an external force (like the dashboard or windshield) stops them.

Define reaction time and explain its relationship to reaction distance.

Reaction time is the time it takes for a driver to respond to a stimulus; reaction distance is the distance the car travels during that reaction time before the brakes are applied.

What is the word equation for total stopping distance?

$$\text{Stopping Distance} = \text{Reaction Distance} + \text{Braking Distance}$$

Which of Newton's Laws of Motion is expressed by the formula $F = ma$?

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Explain the difference between velocity and speed.

Speed is a scalar quantity (magnitude only), while velocity is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction.

What is the value of $50$ km/h in m/s?

$13.89$ m/s ($50 \text{ km/h} \times \frac{1000}{3600}$)

What is the net force required to accelerate a $1200$ kg car at $1.67$ $m/s^2$?

$F = ma = 1200 \times 1.67 = 2004$ N

What is the difference between mass and weight?

Mass is the amount of matter in an object ($kg$), while weight is the force exerted on an object by gravity ($N$).

In the context of the ramp experiment, what is the relationship between ramp height and time taken for the trolley to reach the bottom?

As the ramp height increases, the average time taken for the trolley to travel down the ramp decreases.

Identify the type of energy stored due to an object's vertical position.

Gravitational potential energy (GPE)

What is the formula for kinetic energy?

$$KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$$

Identify the energy form used and produced by a heater.

Used: electrical; Produced: heat and light.

What element is the first to be fused in stars, and what is the last element formed by fusion?

Hydrogen is fused first (forming Helium); Iron is the last element formed by fusion reactions.

What does a 'red shift' in the visible light spectra of galaxies indicate?

It indicates that the galaxies are moving away from the observer, suggesting the universe is expanding.

Define an Astronomical Unit (AU).

The average distance from the Earth to the Sun.

How does the parallax method measure distances to stars?

It measures the apparent shift in a star's position against a distant background as the Earth orbits the sun.

What is the difference between absolute magnitude and apparent magnitude?

Apparent magnitude is how bright a star appears from Earth; absolute magnitude is the star's actual brightness (luminosity) at a standard distance of $10$ parsecs.

Name the four spheres of the Earth.

Biosphere, Geosphere (Lithosphere), Hydrosphere, and Atmosphere.

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions; climate is the long-term pattern of weather for a particular region over many years.

What are the common names for the greenhouse gases $CO_2$, $CH_4$, and $N_2O$?

Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide.

In oceanography, what does the term 'thermohaline' refer to?

Currents driven by differences in temperature ('thermo') and salinity ('haline'), which affect water density.