AQA A level Physics Paper 1
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_4xyb7t
1. Current: Rate of flow of charge
2. Coulomb: The amount of charge passing a point when a current of 1A flows for
1s
3. Potential difference: The work done per unit charge in moving a small point
positive charge between two points
4. Threshold Voltage for a Diode: The voltage at which a current will begin to flow
at, assumed to be +0.6V if not stated
5. Reverse Bias: When very little currency can flow in the reverse direction of a
diode
6. Variable Resistor: Can be used to change the current through a circuit can also
be called a rheostat
7. NTC Thermistor: (A type of semiconductor) that has decreasing resistance when
its temperature increases - negative temperature coefficient
8. Transitional Temperature: The critical temperature at and below which a super-
conductor has zero resistivity
9. Semiconductor: A group of materials which conduct electricity (not as well as
metals), when their temperature rises they can release more charge carriers and
their resistance decreases
10. Resistance: The ratio of a components potential difference to its current
11. Volt: The potential difference across a component when 1 joule of energy is used
to move a coulomb of charge through a component
12. Ohm's Law: Provided that the physical conditions remain the same, the current
through an ohmic conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across
it
13. Ohmic conductor: A material that follows Ohm's law when physical compo-
nents remain the same
14. Diodes: Components made from semi conductors that only allow current to flow
in one direction
15. Resistivity: The resistance of a 1m length of wire with a 1m^2 cross sectional
area
16. Superconductor: A material that has zero resistivity when it is cooled below its
critical temperature
17. Critical Temperature: The temperature below which a material will have zero
resistance and will become a superconductor
18. Power: The rate of transfer of energy
19. EMF: The work done in moving a unit charge through a battery
20. Lost Volts: Work done per unit charge in overcoming the internal resistance
within a battery
1/7
, AQA A level Physics Paper 1
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_4xyb7t
21. Terminal PD: The potential difference between the two terminals of the power
supply
22. Potential Divider: A circuit with a constant voltage source and more than one
resistor connected in series that can be used to vary the output voltage
23. Threshold Frequency: The minimum frequency that must be incident on the
surface of a metal for the emission of photoelectrons to occur
24. Electromagnetic Force: A fundamental force that causes interactions between
charged particules. Virtual photons are the exchange particles
25. Gravitational Force: A fundamental force which causes attraction between
objects with a force proportional to their mass
26. Strong Nuclear Force: A fundamental force with a short range which is attrac-
tive between 0.5-3 fm and repulsive between 0-0.5fm
27. Alpha Decay: Occurs in nuclei of 82 protons or more that consists of an alpha
particle being emitted
28. Photons: Virtual particles that are discrete packets of energy
29. Antiparticle: Opposite in charge to the particle but have the same rest mass
and rest energy
30. PET Scan: Positron Emission Tomography
31. Rest Energy: The amount of energy that would be produced if all of a particle's
mass was transformed into energy
32. Fundamental Particle: A particle that cannot be split up into smaller particles
33. Stopping Potential: The work done by the potential difference in stopping the
fastest moving electrons
34. Electron Volt: The kinetic energy that an electron has after being accelerated
from rest through a potential difference of 1 volt
35. 1 eV =: 1.6x10^-19 Joules
36. Ground State: The lowest energy level that an electron can occupy in an atom
(n=1)
37. Excitation: When an electron gains the exact amount of energy needed to move
up to a higher energy level in an atom
38. Ionisation: The process when an electron gains enough energy from a photon
to leave the ground state of the atom that it's in
39. Ionisation Energy: The amount of energy needed to remove an electron from
the ground state of an atom
40. Radian: The angle that is equal to the arc length divided by the radius of the
circle 2pi radians = 360 degrees
41. Angular Speed: The angle an object rotated through per second (omega = 2pi
x frequency)
42. Frequency: The number of complete revolutions per second
2/7
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_4xyb7t
1. Current: Rate of flow of charge
2. Coulomb: The amount of charge passing a point when a current of 1A flows for
1s
3. Potential difference: The work done per unit charge in moving a small point
positive charge between two points
4. Threshold Voltage for a Diode: The voltage at which a current will begin to flow
at, assumed to be +0.6V if not stated
5. Reverse Bias: When very little currency can flow in the reverse direction of a
diode
6. Variable Resistor: Can be used to change the current through a circuit can also
be called a rheostat
7. NTC Thermistor: (A type of semiconductor) that has decreasing resistance when
its temperature increases - negative temperature coefficient
8. Transitional Temperature: The critical temperature at and below which a super-
conductor has zero resistivity
9. Semiconductor: A group of materials which conduct electricity (not as well as
metals), when their temperature rises they can release more charge carriers and
their resistance decreases
10. Resistance: The ratio of a components potential difference to its current
11. Volt: The potential difference across a component when 1 joule of energy is used
to move a coulomb of charge through a component
12. Ohm's Law: Provided that the physical conditions remain the same, the current
through an ohmic conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across
it
13. Ohmic conductor: A material that follows Ohm's law when physical compo-
nents remain the same
14. Diodes: Components made from semi conductors that only allow current to flow
in one direction
15. Resistivity: The resistance of a 1m length of wire with a 1m^2 cross sectional
area
16. Superconductor: A material that has zero resistivity when it is cooled below its
critical temperature
17. Critical Temperature: The temperature below which a material will have zero
resistance and will become a superconductor
18. Power: The rate of transfer of energy
19. EMF: The work done in moving a unit charge through a battery
20. Lost Volts: Work done per unit charge in overcoming the internal resistance
within a battery
1/7
, AQA A level Physics Paper 1
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_4xyb7t
21. Terminal PD: The potential difference between the two terminals of the power
supply
22. Potential Divider: A circuit with a constant voltage source and more than one
resistor connected in series that can be used to vary the output voltage
23. Threshold Frequency: The minimum frequency that must be incident on the
surface of a metal for the emission of photoelectrons to occur
24. Electromagnetic Force: A fundamental force that causes interactions between
charged particules. Virtual photons are the exchange particles
25. Gravitational Force: A fundamental force which causes attraction between
objects with a force proportional to their mass
26. Strong Nuclear Force: A fundamental force with a short range which is attrac-
tive between 0.5-3 fm and repulsive between 0-0.5fm
27. Alpha Decay: Occurs in nuclei of 82 protons or more that consists of an alpha
particle being emitted
28. Photons: Virtual particles that are discrete packets of energy
29. Antiparticle: Opposite in charge to the particle but have the same rest mass
and rest energy
30. PET Scan: Positron Emission Tomography
31. Rest Energy: The amount of energy that would be produced if all of a particle's
mass was transformed into energy
32. Fundamental Particle: A particle that cannot be split up into smaller particles
33. Stopping Potential: The work done by the potential difference in stopping the
fastest moving electrons
34. Electron Volt: The kinetic energy that an electron has after being accelerated
from rest through a potential difference of 1 volt
35. 1 eV =: 1.6x10^-19 Joules
36. Ground State: The lowest energy level that an electron can occupy in an atom
(n=1)
37. Excitation: When an electron gains the exact amount of energy needed to move
up to a higher energy level in an atom
38. Ionisation: The process when an electron gains enough energy from a photon
to leave the ground state of the atom that it's in
39. Ionisation Energy: The amount of energy needed to remove an electron from
the ground state of an atom
40. Radian: The angle that is equal to the arc length divided by the radius of the
circle 2pi radians = 360 degrees
41. Angular Speed: The angle an object rotated through per second (omega = 2pi
x frequency)
42. Frequency: The number of complete revolutions per second
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