GSCE AQA Physics

What is the formula for calculating speed?

Speed = Distance / Time.

What is the formula for calculating acceleration?

Acceleration = Change in velocity / Time taken.

What is the unit for force?

Newton (N).

What is the unit for energy?

Joule (J).

What is the unit for power?

Watt (W).

What is the unit for current?

Ampere (A).

What is the unit for voltage?

Volt (V).

What is the unit for resistance?

Ohm (Ω).

What is the formula for calculating density?

Density = Mass / Volume.

What is the unit for density?

Kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m³).

What is kinetic energy?

Energy due to motion.

What is the formula for calculating kinetic energy?

KE = 0.5 × Mass × (Velocity)².

What is gravitational potential energy?

Energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field.

What is the formula for calculating gravitational potential energy?

GPE = Mass × Gravitational field strength × Height.

What is work done?

The energy transferred when a force moves an object through a distance.

What is the formula for calculating work done?

Work done = Force × Distance moved in direction of force.

What is power?

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

What is the formula for calculating power?

Power = Work done / Time taken OR Power = Energy transferred / Time taken.

What is Hooke's Law?

The extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied

What is the formula for Hooke's Law?

F = kx

What is a scalar quantity?

A quantity that has magnitude only (e.g.

What is a vector quantity?

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction (e.g.

What is the relationship between force

mass

What is momentum?

The product of an object's mass and its velocity.

What is the formula for calculating momentum?

Momentum = Mass × Velocity.

What is the principle of conservation of momentum?

In a closed system

What is impulse?

The change in momentum.

What is the formula for impulse?

Impulse = Force × Time OR Impulse = Change in momentum.

What is Ohm's Law?

The current through an ohmic conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across it

What is the formula for Ohm's Law?

V = IR

How do you calculate total resistance in a series circuit?

R_total = R1 + R2 + R3 + …

How do you calculate total resistance in a parallel circuit?

1/R_total = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 + …

What is the formula for calculating electrical power?

P = IV OR P = I²R OR P = V²/R.

What is the formula for calculating energy transferred in an electrical circuit?

E = Pt OR E = IVt.

What is a transverse wave?

A wave in which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.

What is a longitudinal wave?

A wave in which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.

What is the wave speed equation?

Wave speed = Frequency × Wavelength.

What is the unit for frequency?

Hertz (Hz).

What is the unit for wavelength?

Metre (m).

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

A continuous spectrum of all possible electromagnetic waves

List the electromagnetic waves in order of increasing wavelength.

Gamma rays

Which electromagnetic waves are ionising?

Gamma rays and X-rays (and sometimes high energy UV).

What is reflection?

The bouncing back of light (or other waves) when it hits a surface.

What is refraction?

The bending of light (or other waves) as it passes from one medium to another

What is the law of reflection?

Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection.

What is critical angle?

The angle of incidence beyond which total internal reflection occurs.

What is total internal reflection?

When light travelling in a denser medium hits a boundary with a less dense medium at an angle greater than the critical angle

What is the formula for refractive index?

n = sin(i) / sin(r) OR n = c / v (speed of light in vacuum / speed of light in medium).

What is the definition of current?

The rate of flow of charge.

What is the formula for charge

current

What is potential difference (voltage)?

The energy transferred per unit charge between two points in a circuit.

What is a fuse and its purpose?

A safety device that melts and breaks the circuit if the current becomes too high.

What is an earth wire?

A safety wire connected to the metal casing of an appliance to provide a low resistance path for current to flow to the Earth in case of a fault.

What is the purpose of a circuit breaker?

An automatic safety device that switches off the circuit when the current exceeds a safe level.

What is the National Grid?

A network of cables and transformers that transmits electricity from power stations to consumers.

What is a step-up transformer?

A transformer that increases voltage and decreases current.

What is a step-down transformer?

A transformer that decreases voltage and increases current.

Why is the National Grid efficient for transmitting electricity?

Transmitting at high voltage and low current reduces energy losses due to heating in the cables.

What is the formula for efficiency?

Efficiency = Useful energy output / Total energy input (x 100%).

What is the relationship between wave speed

frequency

What is the formula for force due to gravity (weight)?

Weight = Mass × Gravitational field strength (g).

What is absolute zero?

The lowest possible temperature

What is specific heat capacity?

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 °C.

What is the formula for specific heat capacity?

Energy transferred = Mass × Specific heat capacity × Change in temperature.

What is specific latent heat?

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

What is the formula for specific latent heat?

Energy transferred = Mass × Specific latent heat.

What is the law of conservation of energy?

Energy cannot be created or destroyed

What is a system in physics?

An object or group of objects.

What is thermal conductivity?

A measure of how well a material conducts heat.

What is convection?

The transfer of heat in fluids (liquids and gases) by the movement of the fluid itself.

What is conduction?

The transfer of heat through direct contact between particles.

What is radiation (thermal)?

The transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves (infrared radiation).

What is Boyle's Law (for a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature)?

Pressure is inversely proportional to volume (P₁V₁ = P₂V₂).

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

Pressure is directly proportional to absolute temperature (P₁/T₁ = P₂/T₂).

What is the activity of a radioactive source?

The rate at which unstable nuclei decay (measured in Becquerels

What is half-life?

The time it takes for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay

What are the three main types of radioactive decay?

Alpha (α)

What is an alpha particle?

Consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons (a helium nucleus). Highly ionising

What is a beta particle?

A high-energy electron emitted from the nucleus. Moderately ionising

What is a gamma ray?

Electromagnetic radiation from the nucleus. Weakly ionising

What is nuclear fission?

The splitting of a large atomic nucleus into smaller nuclei

What is nuclear fusion?

The joining of two small atomic nuclei to form a larger nucleus

What is background radiation?

Radiation that is naturally present in the environment from sources like cosmic rays

What is irradiation?

Exposure to radiation.

What is contamination (radioactive)?

The presence of unwanted radioactive materials on objects or within a person.

How is the plum pudding model different from the Rutherford model of the atom?

Plum pudding: positive sphere with electrons embedded. Rutherford: central positive nucleus with electrons orbiting.

What did the Geiger-Marsden experiment (gold foil experiment) suggest about the atom?

Most of the atom is empty space

What is an isotope?

Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

What is the atomic number (Z)?

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus.

What is the mass number (A)?

The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

What is the unit of magnetic field strength?

Tesla (T).

How is a magnetic field produced?

By moving electric charges (currents).

What is a permanent magnet?

A magnet that retains its magnetism without an external power source.

What is an electromagnet?

A temporary magnet created by passing an electric current through a coil of wire.

What is the motor effect?

A force experienced by a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.

What is the formula for the force on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field?

F = BIL

What is Fleming's Left-Hand Rule used for?

To determine the direction of the force

What is electromagnetic induction?

The generation of an electromotive force (and thus current) by changing the magnetic field passing through a coil.

What is the dynamo effect?

The generation of an electric current by moving a conductor in a magnetic field.

What is the principle of conservation of energy? (retest)

Energy cannot be created or destroyed