Download Yr 10 Terms and definitions

Terms and definitions for Yr 10 Physics
ELECTRICITY
electricity
Anything to do with how charges behave especially the movement of charge.
component part of a circuit
a collection of linked wires and components that allows electric current to
circuit
flow
measure of how much energy per charge is gained or lost by charges moving
voltage
from point to point
current
measure of the amount of charge moving past a point per second
cell
A single circuit component that provides energy to the circuit.
circuit component that measures the amount of current flowing through a
ammeter
wire
voltmeter
circuit component that measures the voltage change between two points
resistor
a circuit component that opposes flow of electric current through a circuit.
circuit component that provides energy to the circuit (made from many cells
battery
in a single package)
wire
a thin conductor used to link components together in a circuit
a quantity that describes how easy or difficult it is for current to flow when a
resistance
voltage is present.
lamp
circuit component that converts electric energy into light (and heat) energy
switch
circuit component that is used to let current flow or turn it off
conductor
substance that allows electricity to move through it easily
insulator
substance that does not allow electricity to move through it easily
series
connecting components so that the circuit does not divide/split between them
connecting components ‘side-by-side’ so that they are in different branches
parallel
of the circuit.
FORCES
Force
A push or a pull
Mass
The amount of matter in an object
Weight
The force of gravity on an object
Friction
A force that acts against (opposes) or prevents motion
Spring balance
An instrument to measure weight
Balanced forces
The forces in one direction equal the forces in other direction (left
and right or up and down) and they cause no change in the motion
of the object.
Unbalanced forces
When the force in one direction does not equal the force in other
direction and it causes a change in the motion of the object
Gravity
Force of attraction between any 2 masses
MOTION
speed
the distance travelled per unit of time v=d/t
distance
how far something travels
acceleration
Change (increase) of speed
deceleration
decrease of speed
kinetic energy
energy of motion
potential energy
Energy of position
conservation of energy The total energy stays the same, but can change type or “place”
SI units
standard international system of units used by scientists