PHYSICS FORM 4 (AZEEM) DEFINITION SEMESTER 1 LIST

Chapter 1
Physics Branch of science concerning the study of natural phenomena and properties of
matter, light, and energy.
Physical quantities A quantity that can be measured
Base quantities A quantity that cannot be defined in terms of other quantities
Prefixes A multiplying factor used to represent large or small physical quantities
Derived quantities A quantity that can be obtained by a combination of base quantities by means of
multiplication, division or both
Scalar quantities A physical quantity which has magnitude only
Vector quantities A physical quantity which has both magnitude and direction
Measurements Trials to determine the actual value of a particular physical quantity
Error Difference between the actual value of a quantity and the value obtained in
measurement
Systematic errors Errors due to incorrect calibration of the instrument or incorrect position of the zero
point
Zero error An incorrect position of the zero point
Random errors Errors arise from unknown and unpredictable variations in conditions
Parallax error An error in reading an instrument because the observer’s eye and the pointer are not
in a line perpendicular to the plane of the scale
Consistency Ability to register the same reading when a measurement is made repeatedly
Deviation Difference between the measured value and its mean value or the average value
Accuracy Degree of how close a measurement is from the actual value
Sensitivity Ability to respond quickly to a small change in the value of the quantity to be
measured

Chapter 2
Distance Total path length travelled by the object
Displacement Distance in a specific direction
Speed Rate of change of distance
Velocity Rate of change of displacement
Acceleration Rate of change of velocity
Inertia A tendency of objects to resist change in motion
Law of Inertia/ An object will continue to stay at rest or move with constant velocity unless an
First Law of Motion external force acts upon it
Momentum Product of the mass of an object and its velocity
PHYSICS FORM 4 (AZEEM) DEFINITION SEMESTER 1 LIST

Principle of For an isolated system, momentum is conserved

Conservation of Linear
Momentum
Impulse Change in momentum
Impulsive force Rate of change of momentum and is exerted when there is a collision between
two objects
Newton’s Second Law The net force/resultant force on an object is proportional to the rate of change of
momentum (impulsive force)
Gravitational force A force that pulls objects toward each other
Free fall A state of an object that falls under the influence of gravitational force only
Gravitational field The space surrounding a body for which another body with any mass in the field
experiences an attractive force
Gravitational field The magnitude of the gravitational force acting on a unit mass of an object in the
strength field
Weight The gravitational force acting on the object
State of equilibrium There is no unbalanced force acting on the object
Resultant force/Net A single force that will produce the same effect as the two or more combined
force forces that it replaces
Work done The product of the component of the force along with the direction of
displacement and the magnitude of displacement
Energy Ability to do work
Kinetic energy Energy that a body has as result of its speed
Potential energy Energy that is stored in an object due to its position or its state
Gravitational potential Energy that is stored in an object due to its vertical position at a certain height
energy above the ground
Principle of Energy can be converted from one form to another, but it cannot be created or
conservation of destroyed
energy
Power Rate at which energy is transformed or the rate at which work is done
Efficiency Percentage of energy that does useful work against energy input