Summary Physics & Chemistry IEB Definitions

Physical​ ​Sciences
Definitions
Physics:


Term Definition Symbol

Vector A​ ​physical​ ​quantity​ ​that​ ​has​ ​both​ ​magnitude​ ​and​ ​direction
such​ ​as​ ​acceleration.

Scalar A​ ​physical​ ​quantity​ ​that​ ​has​ ​magnitude​ ​only​ ​such​ ​as
distance.

Resultant​ ​Vector The​ ​single​ ​vector​ ​which​ ​has​ ​the​ ​same​ ​effect​ ​as​ ​the​ ​original
vectors​ ​acting​ ​together.

Distance Length​ ​of​ ​path​ ​travelled​ ​(scalar).



Displacement A​ ​change​ ​in​ ​position​ ​(vector). s

Speed The​ ​rate​ ​of​ ​change​ ​of​ ​distance​ ​(scalar).

Velocity The​ ​rate​ ​of​ ​displacement​ ​(vector). v

Acceleration The​ ​rate​ ​of​ ​change​ ​of​ ​velocity. a



Weight The​ ​gravitational​ ​force​ ​the​ ​Earth​ ​exerts​ ​on​ ​any​ ​object​ ​on w​ ​or​ ​F​g
or​ ​near​ ​its​ ​surface.

Normal​ ​force The​ ​perpendicular​ ​force​ ​exerted​ ​by​ ​a​ ​surface​ ​on​ ​an​ ​object F​N
in​ ​contact​ ​with​ ​it.

Frictional​ ​force The​ ​force​ ​that​ ​opposes​ ​the​ ​motion​ ​of​ ​an​ ​object​ ​and​ ​acts f​ ​or​ ​F​f
(due​ ​to​ ​a parallel​ ​to​ ​the​ ​surface​ ​with​ ​which​ ​the​ ​object​ ​is​ ​in​ ​contact​ ​.
surface)



Newton’s​ ​first An​ ​object​ ​continues​ ​in​ ​a​ ​state​ ​of​ ​rest​ ​or​ ​uniform​ ​velocity
law unless​ ​it​ ​is​ ​acted​ ​upon​ ​by​ ​a​ ​net​ ​or​ ​resultant​ ​force.

, Inertia The​ ​property​ ​of​ ​an​ ​object​ ​which​ ​causes​ ​it​ ​to​ ​resist​ ​a
change​ ​in​ ​its​ ​state​ ​of​ ​rest​ ​or​ ​uniform​ ​motion.

Newton’s When​ ​a​ ​net​ ​force​ ​is​ ​applied​ ​to​ ​an​ ​object​ ​of​ ​mass,​ ​it
second​ ​law accelerates​ ​in​ ​the​ ​direction​ ​of​ ​the​ ​net​ ​force.​ ​The
acceleration​ ​is​ ​directly​ ​proportional​ ​to​ ​the​ ​net​ ​force​ ​and
inversely​ ​proportional​ ​to​ ​the​ ​mass.

Newton’s​ ​third When​ ​object​ ​A​ ​exerts​ ​a​ ​force​ ​on​ ​object​ ​B,​ ​object​ ​B
law simultaneously​ ​exerts​ ​an​ ​oppositely​ ​directed​ ​force​ ​of​ ​equal
magnitude​ ​on​ ​object​ ​A.

Coulomb’s​ ​law The​ ​force​ ​between​ ​two​ ​charges​ ​is​ ​directly​ ​proportional​ ​to
the​ ​product​ ​of​ ​the​ ​charges​ ​and​ ​indirectly​ ​proportional​ ​to
the​ ​square​ ​of​ ​the​ ​distance​ ​between​ ​the​ ​charges.

Electric​ ​field A​ ​region​ ​of​ ​space​ ​in​ ​which​ ​an​ ​electric​ ​charge​ ​experiences
a​ ​force.

Magnitude​ ​of The​ ​force​ ​per​ ​unit​ ​positive​ ​charge. E
electric​ ​field
(strength)

Newton’s​ ​law​ ​of Every​ ​particle​ ​in​ ​the​ ​universe​ ​attracts​ ​every​ ​other​ ​particle
Universal with​ ​a​ ​force​ ​that​ ​is​ ​directly​ ​proportional​ ​to​ ​the​ ​product​ ​of
Gravitation their​ ​masses​ ​and​ ​inversely​ ​proportional​ ​to​ ​the​ ​square​ ​of
the​ ​distance​ ​between​ ​them.



Potential The​ ​work​ ​done​ ​per​ ​unit​ ​positive​ ​charge. V
difference

Current The​ ​rate​ ​of​ ​flow​ ​of​ ​charge. I

Ohm’s​ ​law Current​ ​through​ ​a​ ​conductor​ ​is​ ​directly​ ​proportional​ ​to​ ​the
potential​ ​difference​ ​across​ ​the​ ​conductor​ ​at​ ​constant
temperature.

Resistance A​ ​material’s​ ​opposition​ ​to​ ​the​ ​flow​ ​of​ ​electric​ ​current. R

EMF The​ ​total​ ​energy​ ​supplied​ ​per​ ​coulomb​ ​of​ ​charge​ ​in​ ​a​ ​cell.



Magnetic​ ​flux The​ ​product​ ​of​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​turns​ ​on​ ​the​ ​coil​ ​and​ ​the​ ​flux
through​ ​the​ ​coil.