DEFINITIONS, LAWS, AND PRINCIPLES: PHYSICS (PAPER 1)

VECTORS AND SCALARS

Vector a vector is a physical quantity with magnitude and direction.
Scalar a scalar is a physical quantity with magnitude only.
Resultant vector the single vector having the same effect as two or more vectors together.
Frame of reference a coordinate system used to represent and measure properties of objects, such as position.
One dimensional motion motion along a straight line.
MOTION IN ONE DIMENTION
Distance the total path length travelled
Displacement the difference in position in space.
Average speed the total distance travelled per total time
Average velocity the rate of change of position.
Acceleration the rate of change of velocity.
Instantaneous velocity the rate of change in position, i.e. the displacement divided by a very small time interval or
the velocity at a particular time
Instantaneous speed the magnitude of the instantaneous velocity
Uniform/constant velocity motion at constant velocity, i.e. no acceleration
Uniform accelerated motion the velocity of an object changes with the same amount during each time interval.
ENERGY
Gravitational potential energy the energy an object has because of its position in the gravitational field relative to some
reference point
Kinetic energy the energy an object possesses as a result of its motion.
Mechanical energy the sum of the gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy.
The law of the conservation of energy the total energy of an isolated system remains constant.
Isolated system a system that does not interact with its surroundings
The principle of conservation of the total mechanical energy in an isolated system/in the absence of dissipative forces remains
constant.
mechanical energy
WAVES
Pulse a single disturbance in a medium.
Transverse pulse a pulse in which the particles of the medium move at right angles to the direction of motion
of the pulse
Amplitude the maximum disturbance of a particle from its rest (equilibrium) position.
The principle of superposition the algebraic sum of the amplitudes of two pulses that occupy the same space at the same
time
Constructive interference the phenomenon where the crest of one pulse overlaps with the crest of another to produce a
pulse of increased amplitude.
Destructive interference the phenomenon where the crest of one pulse overlaps with the trough of another, resulting in
a pulse of reduced amplitude.
Transverse wave a wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate at right angles to the direction of motion
of the wave.
Wavelength the distance between two successive points in phase.
Frequency the number of wave pulses per second.
Period the time taken for one complete wave pulse.
Crest highest point (peak) on a wave.
Trough lowest point on a wave
Wave speed the distance travelled by a point on a wave per unit time.
Longitudinal wave a wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of motion of the
wave.
Compression a region of high pressure in a longitudinal wave.
Rarefaction a region of low pressure in a longitudinal wave.
SOUND
Pitch the effect produced in the ear due to the sound of a particular frequency. Pitch is directly
proportional to frequency.
Loudness a subjective term describing the strength of the ear's perception of a sound. Loudness is
directly proportional to amplitude.
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
Photon a packet of energy found in light.
MAGNETISM
Magnetic field a region in space where a magnet or ferromagnetic material will experience a force (non-
contact).
Ferromagnetic materials materials that are strongly attracted by magnets and are easily magnetised. Examples are
iron, cobalt, nickel and their alloys.
Non-contact force a force exerted on an object without touching the object.
Electric field a region in space where an electric charge will experience an electric force.
Gravitational field a region in space where a mass will experience a gravitational force.
ELECTROSTATICS
The principle of conservation of charge the net charge of an isolated system remains constant during any physical process
The principle of charge quantization all charges in the universe consist of an integer multiple of the charge on one electron, i.e.,
1,6 x 10-19 C.
Polarisation the partial or complete polar separation of positive and negative electric charge in a system.
ELECTRIC CIRCUITS
Potential difference the energy transferred per unit electric charge flowing through a conductor.
Emf the work done per unit charge by the source (battery). It is equal to the potential difference
measured across the terminals of a battery when no charges are flowing in the circuit.
Terminal potential difference the voltage measured across the terminals of a battery when charges are flowing in the
circuit.
Current the rate of flow of charge.
Resistance the ratio of the potential difference across a resistor to the current in the resistor.

DEFINITIONS, LAWS, AND PRINCIPLES: CHEMISTRY (PAPER 2)

MATTER AND CLASSIFICATION

Homogeneous mixture a mixture of uniform composition and in which all components are in the same phase, e.g., a
solution of salt and water.
Heterogeneous mixture a mixture of non-uniform composition and of which the components can be easily identified,
e.g., sand and water.
Element pure substance consisting of one type of atom.
Compound a pure substance consisting of two or more different elements.
Pure substance a substance that cannot be separated into simpler components by physical methods.
Electrical conductor a material that allows the flow of charge.
Semiconductor a substance that can conduct electricity under some conditions, but not others
Electrical insulator a material that prevents the flow of charge.
Thermal conductor a material that allows heat to pass through easily
Thermal insulator a material that does not allow heat to pass through it.
 STATES OF MATTER AND THE KINETIC MOLECULAR THEORY
Diffusion the movement of atoms or molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower
concentration.
Brownian motion the random movement of microscopic particles suspended in a liquid or gas, caused by
collisions between these particles and the molecules of the liquid or gas.
Freezing point the temperature at which a liquid change to a solid by the removal of heat.
Boiling point the temperature of a liquid at which its vapour pressure equals the external (atmospheric)
pressure.
Melting point the temperature at which a solid, given sufficient heat, becomes a liquid
Melting the process during which a solid change to a liquid by the application of heat.
Evaporation the change of a liquid into a vapour at any temperature below the boiling point.
Freezing the process during which a liquid change to a solid by the removal of heat.
Sublimation the process during which a solid change directly into a gas without passing through an
intermediate liquid phase.
Condensation the process during which a gas or vapour changes to a liquid, either by cooling or by being
subjected to increased pressure.
ATOMIC STRUCTURE
Atomic number the number of protons in an atom of an element.
Isotopes atoms of the same element having the same number of protons, but different numbers of
neutrons.
Relative atomic mass the mass of a particle on a scale where an atom of carbon-12 has a mass of 12.
Atomic orbitals the most probable regions in space where electrons that have the specific energy
corresponding to the orbital are found.
Hund's rule no pairing in p orbitals before there is not at least one electron in each of them.
Pauli's Exclusion Principle maximum of two electrons per orbital provided that they spin in opposite directions.
 PERIODIC TABLE
Groups the vertical columns in the periodic table.
Periods the horizontal rows in the periodic table.
Atomic radius radius of an atom, i.e., the mean distance from the nucleus to the border of the outer orbital.
Ionisation energy energy needed per mole to remove an electron(s) from an atom in the gaseous phase.
First ionisation energy energy needed per mole to remove the first electron from an atom in the gaseous phase.
Electron affinity the energy released when an electron is attached to an atom or molecule to form a negative
ion.
Electronegativity a measure of the tendency of an atom in a molecule to attract bonding electrons.
CHEMICAL BONDING
Chemical bond a mutual attraction between two atoms resulting from the simultaneous attraction between
their nuclei and the outer electrons.
Covalent bond the sharing of electrons between atoms to form molecules.
Molecule a group of two or more atoms that are covalently bonded and that functions as a unit.
Ionic bonding the transfer of electrons to form cations (positive ions) and anions (negative ions) that attract
each other to form a formula-unit.
formula-unit the most simple empirical formula that represents the compound.
Ion a charged particle made from an atom by the loss or gain of electrons.
Anion (negative ion) a charged particle made from an atom by the gain of electrons
Cation (positive ion) a charged particle made from an atom by the loss of electrons.
Metallic bonding the bond between positive ions and delocalised valence electrons in a metal.
Valence electrons the electrons in the highest energy level of an atom in which there are electrons.
 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGE
Physical change a change in which no new substances are formed, energy changes are small in relation to
chemical changes and mass, numbers of atoms and molecules are conserved
Chemical change new chemical substances are formed, energy changes are much larger than those of the
physical change and mass and atoms are conserved, but the number of molecules is not.
Endothermic reaction energy is absorbed during the reaction
Exothermic reaction energy is released during the reaction
QUANTITATIVE ASPECTS OF CHEMICAL CHANGE
Mole the amount of substance having the same number of particles as there are atoms in 12 g
carbon-12.
Relative atomic mass mass of a particle on a scale where an atom of carbon-12 has a mass of 12.
Molar mass the mass of one mole of a substance measured in g·mol-1.
Empirical formula the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound.
Water of crystallisation water that is stoichiometrically bound into a crystal
Concentration the number of moles of solute per cubic decimetre of solution.
Avogadro's law one mole of any gas occupies the same volume at the same temperature and pressure.
Percentage composition the mass of each atom present in a compound expressed as a percentage of the total mass of
the compound.