IGCSE Physics Syllabus 1 Flashcards

Measurement Tools

• Rulers and measuring cylinders are used for finding length and volume.
• Clocks and digital timers measure various time intervals.

Average Measurements

• To determine an average value for small distances or time intervals, multiple measurements are made and divided for an average.

Scalar and Vector Quantities

• Scalar quantities have magnitude only (e.g., distance, speed, time, mass, energy, temperature).
• Vector quantities possess both magnitude and direction (e.g., force, weight, velocity, acceleration, momentum, field strength).

Vector Operations

• Calculate the resultant of two vectors at right angles using trigonometry or Pythagorean theorem.

Speed and Velocity

• Speed is defined as the distance travelled per unit time, with the formula v = s/t or s = d/t.
• Velocity refers to speed in a specific direction.

Average Speed

• Average speed calculated using total distance travelled divided by total time taken.

Acceleration

• Acceleration is the change in velocity per unit time, represented by the formula a = Δv/Δt.

Distance-Time Graphs

• A flat line indicates an object at rest.
• A straight positive diagonal represents constant speed.
• A positive upward curve shows an accelerating object.
• A curving plateau indicates an object is decelerating.

Speed-Time Graphs

• A horizontal line at the bottom indicates an object at rest.
• A horizontal line at any value shows constant speed.
• A straight positive diagonal indicates constant acceleration.
• Curves reveal changing acceleration; a straight negative diagonal shows deceleration.

Calculating Movement

• Speed in a distance-time graph is determined by the gradient.
• Acceleration in a speed-time graph is also calculated using the gradient.
• The area under a speed-time graph represents the distance travelled.

Acceleration Concepts

• Deceleration is defined as negative acceleration.
• The acceleration of free fall (g) near Earth's surface is approximately 9.8 m/s².

Falling Objects

• In the absence of air resistance, all objects fall with the same acceleration, regardless of mass.
• Falling objects with fluid resistance experience a balance of forces leading to terminal velocity.

Mass and Weight

• Mass is the quantity of matter in an object, measured relative to an observer.
• Weight is the effect of gravitational force/field acting on a mass.

Gravitational Field Strength

• It is a force per unit mass, equal to the acceleration due to gravity, represented by the equation g = W/m.

Density Calculations

• Density is defined as mass per unit volume with the formula ρ = m/v.
• Determine the density of a liquid/regular solid by measuring mass and volume.
• Use liquid displacement to find the volume of an irregularly shaped solid.

Buoyancy

• An object floats if its density is less than the liquid it is in.
• A liquid can float on another liquid if its density is lower and the liquids are immiscible.