The rate of change of velocity. Acceleration The rate of change of velocity.

The maximum displacement of a point from its rest position. Amplitude The maximum displacement of a point from its rest position.

Boiling The process in which energy absorbed by a substance results in a change of state from liquid to gas, without a change in temperature.

The point through which the whole weight of an object appears to act. Centre of Gravity The point through which the whole weight of an object appears to act.

Condensation The process in which energy taken away from substance results in a change of state from gas to liquid, without a change in temperature.

Conduction The transfer of thermal energy through a medium without any flow of the medium.

Convection The transfer of thermal energy by means of current movement in a fluid (liquid or gas), due to a difference in density.

Critical Angle The angle of incidence in an optically denser medium for which the angle of refraction in the optically less dense medium is 90°.

Density Mass per unit volume.

Displacement Shortest distance from initial to the final position of an object, taking direction into consideration. A vector quantity.

Length of path taken by an object. A scalar quantity. Distance Length of path taken by an object. A scalar quantity.

The repetition of sound due to the reflection of sound. Echo The repetition of sound due to the reflection of sound.

Rate of flow of electric charge. Electric Current Rate of flow of electric charge.

A region in which an electric charge experiences an electric force. Electric Field A region in which an electric charge experiences an electric force.

Electric Force The attractive or repulsive force that electric charges exert on one another.

Electromagnetic Induction The process through which an induced EMF is produced in a conductor due to a charging magnetic field.

Electromotive Force (EMF) The work done by the source in driving a unit charge around a complete circuit.

Energy The ability to do work.

Electromagnetic Induction Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction The magnitude of the induced EMF in a circuit is directly proportional to the rate of change of magnetic flux in the circuit.

First Law of Reflection The incident ray, reflected ray and the normal at the point of incidence all lie in the same plane.

The distance between the optical centre and focal point. Focal Length The distance between the optical centre and focal point.

The number of oscillations produce per second. Frequency The number of oscillations produce per second.

Friction The contact force that opposes or tends to oppose motion between surfaces in contact.

Gravitational Field A region in which a mass experiences a force due to gravitation attraction.

Gravitational Field Strength The gravitational force acting per unit mass.

Gravitational Potential Energy Amount of work done in order to raise the body to the height from a reference point.

Heat Refers to the amount of thermal energy that is being transferred from a hotter to a colder region.

Heat Capacity The amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by 1 Kelvin.

Ice Point The lower fixed point. It is the temperature of pure melting ice at one atmosphere, and it is assigned a value of 0°C..

Inertia The reluctance of an object to change its state of rest or motion, due to its mass.

The energy a body possesses due to its motion. Kinetic Energy The energy a body possesses due to its motion.

Kinetic Model of Matter The theory that tiny particles that make up matter are always in continuous random motion.

Latent Heat The energy released or absorbed by a substance during a change of state, without a change in its temperature.

Latent Heat of Fusion The amount of thermal energy required to change a substance from one solid state to liquid state, without a change in its temperature.

Latent Heat of Vaporisation The amount of thermal energy required to change a substance from one liquid state to gaseous state, without a change in its temperature.

Lenz’s Law The direction of the induced EMF and hence the induced current in a closed circuit is always such that its magnetic effect opposes the motion or change producing it.

Waves that travel parallel to the direction of the vibration. Longitudinal Waves Waves that travel parallel to the direction of the vibration.

Loudness Related to the amplitude of a sound wave – the larger the amplitude, the louder the sound.

Magnetic Field The region surrounding a magnet, in which a body of magnetic material experiences a magnetic force.

The amount of matter in a body. Mass The amount of matter in a body.

Melting The process in which energy absorbed by a substance results in a change of state from solid to liquid, without a change in temperature.

Moment of a Force The product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force.

Motor Effect A current-carrying conductor experiences a force when placed in a magnetic field.

Newton’s First Law of Motion Every object will continue in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless a resultant force acts on it.

Newton’s Second Law of Motion When a resultant force acts on an object of a constant mass, the object will accelerate in the direction of the resultant force. The product of the mass and acceleration of the object gives the resultant force.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Ohm’s Law The current passing through a metallic conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across it, provided the physical conditions remain constant.

A complete to-and-fro movement of an object. Oscillation A complete to-and-fro movement of an object.

Time taken for one complete oscillation. Period Time taken for one complete oscillation.

Pitch Related to the frequency of a sound wave – the higher the frequency of a sound wave, the higher the pitch.

The work done to drive a unit charge through the component. Potential Difference The work done to drive a unit charge through the component.

Potential Divider A line of resistors connected in series. It is used to provide a fraction of the voltage of a source to another part of the circuit.

The rate of work done or rate of energy conversion. Power The rate of work done or rate of energy conversion.

The force acting per unit area. Pressure The force acting per unit area.

Principle of Conservation of Energy Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be converted from one form to another. The total energy in an isolated system is constant.

When a body is in equilibrium, the Principle of Moments When a body is in equilibrium, the sum of clockwise moments about a pivot is equal to the sum of anti-clockwise moments about the same pivot.

Radiation The transfer of thermal energy in the form of a electromagnetic waves such as infrared radiation without the aid of a medium.

The bending of light as it passes from one optical medium to another. Refraction The bending of light as it passes from one optical medium to another.

Resistance The ratio of the potential difference across it to the current flowing through it.

Second Law of Reflection The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

Quantities in that have Scalar Quantities Quantities in that have magnitude only.

Solidification The process in which energy taken away from a substance results in a change of state from liquid to solid, without a change in temperature.

Sound A form of energy that is transferred from one point to another as a longitudinal wave through vibration of particles in the medium.

Specific Heat Capacity The amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by 1 Kelvin.

Specific Latent Heat of Fusion The amount of thermal energy required to change unit mass of the substance from one solid state to liquid state, without a change in its temperature.

Specific Latent Heat of Vaporisation The amount of thermal energy required to change unit mass of the substance from one liquid state to gaseous state, without a change in its temperature.

The distance moved per unit time. Speed The distance moved per unit time.

Steam Point The upper fixed point. It is the temperature of steam from water boiling at one atmosphere, and is assigned a value of 100°C.

Transverse Waves Waves with particles that travel perpendicular to the direction of the wave propagation.

Refers to how hot or cold an object is. Temperature Refers to how hot or cold an object is.

Terminal Velocity The velocity of an object reached in free fall where its weight is equal to the air resistance against it.

Total Internal Reflection The complete reflection of a light ray side in an optically denser medium at its boundary with an optically less dense medium.

Transformer A device that can change a high alternating voltage/current to a low alternating voltage/current, or vice versa.

Ultrasound A sound with frequencies above the upper limit of the human range of audibility.

both magnitude and direction. Vector Quantities Quantities that have both magnitude and direction.

Rate of change of displacement. Velocity Rate of change of displacement.

Wavefront A imaginary line on a wave that joins all adjacent points that are in phase.

The shortest distance between any two points with the same phase. Wavelength The shortest distance between any two points with the same phase.

The distance travelled by a wave per second. Wavespeed The distance travelled by a wave per second.

The gravitational force, or gravity, acting on an object. Weight The gravitational force, or gravity, acting on an object.

Work Done The product of the force and the distance moved by the object in the direction of the force.