PHYSICS DEFINITIONS A level, Edexcel
Exam Questions and Answers (Latest
Update 2025)GRADED A+
Speed - CORRECT ANSWERS The rate of change of distance
Velocity - CORRECT ANSWERS The rate of change of displacement
Displacement (mechanics) - CORRECT ANSWERS The vector measurement of distance in a
certain direction
Vector Quantity - CORRECT ANSWERS Has both magnitude and direction
Scalar Quantity - CORRECT ANSWERS Has only magnitude
Average speed - CORRECT ANSWERS Calculated by dividing the total distance for a journey by
the total time for the journey
Instantaneous speed - CORRECT ANSWERS The speed at any particular instant in time on a
journey, which can be found from the gradient of the tangent to a distance-time graph
Acceleration - CORRECT ANSWERS The vector defined as the rate of change of velocity
Displacement-time graph - CORRECT ANSWERS A graph showing the positions visited on a
journey, with displacement on the y-axis and time on the x-axis
,Velocity-time graph - CORRECT ANSWERS A graph showing the velocities on a journey, with
velocity on the y-axis and time on the x-axis
Resultant force - CORRECT ANSWERS The total force (vector sum) acting on a body when all
the forces acting are added together accounting for their directions
Free-body force diagram - CORRECT ANSWERS Has the object isolated, and all the forces that
act on it are drawn in at the points where they act, using arrows to represent the forces
Equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWERS When there is zero resultant force and zero resultant
moment; zero acceleration
Principle of moments - CORRECT ANSWERS A body will be in equilibrium if the sum of
clockwise moments acting on it is equal to the sum of anti-clockwise moments
Centre of gravity - CORRECT ANSWERS The point through which the weight of an object
appears to act
Newton's first law of moments - CORRECT ANSWERS An object will remain at rest, or in a state
of uniform motion, until acted upon by a resultant force
Newton's second law of moments - CORRECT ANSWERS If an object's mass is constant, the
resultant force needed to cause an acceleration is given by the equation F = ma
Newton's third law of motion - CORRECT ANSWERS For every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction
Kinematics - CORRECT ANSWERS The study of the description of the motion of objects
, Uniform motion - CORRECT ANSWERS Motion when there is no acceleration
Resolution / resolving vectors - CORRECT ANSWERS The determination of a pair of vectors, at
right angles to each other, that sums to give the single vector they were resolved from
Projectile - CORRECT ANSWERS A moving object on which the only force of significance acting
is gravity. The trajectory is thus pre-determined by its initial velocity
Gravitational potential energy - CORRECT ANSWERS The energy an object has by virtue of its
position in a gravitational field
Kinetic energy - CORRECT ANSWERS The energy an object has by virtue of its movement
Conservation of energy - CORRECT ANSWERS The rule that states that energy can never be
created or destroyed
Work done - CORRECT ANSWERS The product of a force and the distance moved in the
direction of the force
Energy - CORRECT ANSWERS The property of an object that gives it the capacity to do work. A
change in the amount of energy of an object could be equated to work being done
Power - CORRECT ANSWERS The rate of energy transfer
Efficiency - CORRECT ANSWERS The ability of a machine to convert energy usefully
Momentum - CORRECT ANSWERS Mass x velocity
Exam Questions and Answers (Latest
Update 2025)GRADED A+
Speed - CORRECT ANSWERS The rate of change of distance
Velocity - CORRECT ANSWERS The rate of change of displacement
Displacement (mechanics) - CORRECT ANSWERS The vector measurement of distance in a
certain direction
Vector Quantity - CORRECT ANSWERS Has both magnitude and direction
Scalar Quantity - CORRECT ANSWERS Has only magnitude
Average speed - CORRECT ANSWERS Calculated by dividing the total distance for a journey by
the total time for the journey
Instantaneous speed - CORRECT ANSWERS The speed at any particular instant in time on a
journey, which can be found from the gradient of the tangent to a distance-time graph
Acceleration - CORRECT ANSWERS The vector defined as the rate of change of velocity
Displacement-time graph - CORRECT ANSWERS A graph showing the positions visited on a
journey, with displacement on the y-axis and time on the x-axis
,Velocity-time graph - CORRECT ANSWERS A graph showing the velocities on a journey, with
velocity on the y-axis and time on the x-axis
Resultant force - CORRECT ANSWERS The total force (vector sum) acting on a body when all
the forces acting are added together accounting for their directions
Free-body force diagram - CORRECT ANSWERS Has the object isolated, and all the forces that
act on it are drawn in at the points where they act, using arrows to represent the forces
Equilibrium - CORRECT ANSWERS When there is zero resultant force and zero resultant
moment; zero acceleration
Principle of moments - CORRECT ANSWERS A body will be in equilibrium if the sum of
clockwise moments acting on it is equal to the sum of anti-clockwise moments
Centre of gravity - CORRECT ANSWERS The point through which the weight of an object
appears to act
Newton's first law of moments - CORRECT ANSWERS An object will remain at rest, or in a state
of uniform motion, until acted upon by a resultant force
Newton's second law of moments - CORRECT ANSWERS If an object's mass is constant, the
resultant force needed to cause an acceleration is given by the equation F = ma
Newton's third law of motion - CORRECT ANSWERS For every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction
Kinematics - CORRECT ANSWERS The study of the description of the motion of objects
, Uniform motion - CORRECT ANSWERS Motion when there is no acceleration
Resolution / resolving vectors - CORRECT ANSWERS The determination of a pair of vectors, at
right angles to each other, that sums to give the single vector they were resolved from
Projectile - CORRECT ANSWERS A moving object on which the only force of significance acting
is gravity. The trajectory is thus pre-determined by its initial velocity
Gravitational potential energy - CORRECT ANSWERS The energy an object has by virtue of its
position in a gravitational field
Kinetic energy - CORRECT ANSWERS The energy an object has by virtue of its movement
Conservation of energy - CORRECT ANSWERS The rule that states that energy can never be
created or destroyed
Work done - CORRECT ANSWERS The product of a force and the distance moved in the
direction of the force
Energy - CORRECT ANSWERS The property of an object that gives it the capacity to do work. A
change in the amount of energy of an object could be equated to work being done
Power - CORRECT ANSWERS The rate of energy transfer
Efficiency - CORRECT ANSWERS The ability of a machine to convert energy usefully
Momentum - CORRECT ANSWERS Mass x velocity
