Physics Words
- Absorb To soak up or take in
- AC The abbreviation for Alternating Current - current switches between positive and negative values
- Accelerate To get faster - an increase in velocity.
- Acceleration The rate of change of velocity
- Acid rain When rain falls and is acidic rather than neutral.
- Air resistance A force that acts against anything moving through air
- Alpha A type of ionising radiation. The nucleus of a helium atom.
- Alpha particle A type of ionising radiation. The nucleus of a helium atom.
- Alpha radiation A type of ionising radiation. The nucleus of a helium atom.
- Alpha scattering experiment An experiment done in the early 20th Century that provided evidence for atoms being made of electrons orbiting a central, positive nucleus.
- Alternating Current AC stands for this - current switches between positive and negative values
- Aluminium A low density metal (symbol Al)
- Ammeter A device that is used to measure current in Amps
- Amp The unit for current.
- Ampere The unit for current.
- Amplitude The height of a wave
- Angle of incidence The angle between the incident ray and the normal
- Angle of reflection The angle between the reflected ray and the normal
- Angle of refraction The angle between the refracted ray and the normal
- Asteroid A rock that orbits a star
- Atom The smallest particle of an element that can exist
- Background radiation Radiation that is all around you all of the time.
- Balanced forces When the forces acting on an object cancel out - the resultant force is zero.
- Battery A source of electrical power - they give out Direct Current (DC) only
- Becquerel A unit of radioactivity equal to 1 count per second
- Beta particle A type of ionising radiation. A high energy electron from the nucleus
- Beta radiation A type of ionising radiation. The nucleus of a helium atom.
- Big Bang theory A theory about how the universe started.
- Billion One thousand million
- Biofuel A fuel derived from plants
- Biomass The cellular mass of lliving or recently dead organisms.
- Black hole the most concentrated state of matter, from which even light cannot escape
- Boiler A part of a power station where a fuel is burned in order to turn water into steam.
- Bq The abbreviation for Becquerel, a unit of radioactivity
- Braking distance The distance a car travels in the time it takes the car to stop AFTER the driver has put their foot on the brake.
- C The unit for charge - it stands for "coulomb"
- Cable grip The part of a plug that keeps the cable in place.
- Calibrate Check that an instrument is measuring correctly,by comparing against a standard.
- Carbon dioxide A greenhouse gas produced when most fuels burn - it helps cause global warming.
- Carbon dioxide (in Physics) A greenhouse gas produced when most fuels burn - it helps cause global warming.
- Cell (in Physics) A source of electrical energy. Two or more of these put together make up a battery.
- Centre of mass The point of an object that all of its mass can be thought as being centred on.
- Chain reaction This occurs when one nuclear fission reaction produces neutrons that start the next fission reaction.
- Charge An electrical property of a particle - can be positive or negative. It is measured in Coulombs (C).
- Circuit breaker A device that switches off a circuit if there is too much current.
- Circuit diagram A diagram that shows how to set up an electrical circuit.
- Circuit symbols A diagram that shows you which electric device to use.
- CMBR Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation - One of the main sources of evidence for the Big Bang Theory.
- Coal-fired power station A power station that burns coal in order to generate electricity.
- Component (electrical) A device used in an electric circuit, e.g. a bulb or a cell.
- Concave lens Also called a "diverging lens", a lens that spreads rays of light outwards.
- Conduction (electrical) The flow of electricity through a conductor.
- Conduction (thermal) The flow of heat energy through a solid. The energy moves from hot areas to cold areas in the solid.
- Conductivity How well a material conducts heat or electricity.
- Conductor A substance that allows electricity or thermal (heat energy) to pass through it easily.
- Conservation (of energy) When energy is conserved during a process.
- Conservation (of momentum) Momentum is conserved in any collision or explosion, as long as there are no external forces.
- Conservation of energy When energy is conserved during a process.
- Conservation of momentum Momentum is conserved in any collision or explosion, as long as there are no external forces.
- Contact force A force between two objects that arises when they are in contact with each other.
- Control rods Rods that are used in a nuclear power station to control how much energy is generated.
- Convection When heat rises through a liquid or a gas due to a change in density.
- Convection current (in Physics) This current is formed when heat rises through a liquid or a gas due to a change in density.
- Converging lens A lens that converges (brings together) rays of light.
- Convex lens A lens that converges (brings together) rays of light.
- Cooling tower A part of a power station where steam is cooled back into liquid water.
- Copper The best (common) conductor of electricity.
- Cosmic microwave background radiation One of the main sources of evidence for the Big Bang Theory.
- Cosmic radiation A source of background radiation.
- Cost effective When something is able to pay for itself, e.g. a cheap but effective form of house insulation.
- Coulomb The unit for charge - symbol C.
- Count rate The amount of radioactivity being detected every second (measured in Bq).
- Critical angle If light hits a boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle it will undergo total internal reflection.
- Current The rate of flow of charge
- DC The abbreviation for Direct Current - current flows in the same direction.
- Decay (radioactive) When the nucleus of an unstable atom emits either alpha, beta or gamma radiation.
- Decelerate When an object slows down.
- Delocalised electrons Electrons that are free to move around and carry current or heat
- Density Mass divided by volume
- Diffraction When a wave spreads out around a corner or obstacle.
- Diffuse reflection A type of reflection where waves are reflected in many different directions.
- Diode An electrical component that only lets current flow in one direction.
- Direct Current DC stands for this - current flows in the same direction.
- Displacement An element which is more reactive can displace a less reactive element.
- Dissipate To "spread out". For example, when energy spreads out into the surroundings it can be described as "dissipating".
- Distance How far you have gone.
- Distance-time graph A graph that shows an object's distance against time.
- Diverging lens Also called a "concave lens", a lens that spreads rays of light outwards.
- Doppler Effect An apparent change in wavelength of a wave emitted by an object that is moving.
- Double glazing A form of insulation
- Drag A force that acts against anything moving through a gas or a liquid
- Driving force A force that propels an object like a car forwards
- Earth wire One of the three wires in a plug - coloured green and yellow
- Efficiency How much useful energy you get from a device compared to the energy that went into it
- Efficient A device that doesn't waste much energy
- Elastic deformation When a spring is stretched and returns to its original shape.
- Elastic potential energy The energy stored in a stretched elastic band or spring
- Electric current The rate of flow of charge
- Electromagnetic radiation Radiation that travels in waves - for example, light, radio waves and X rays
- Electromagnetic spectrum This is the different forms of electromagnetic radiation arranged in order of wavelength.