Physics 5059 Definitions V1
‘O’-Level Physics 5059 Compulsory Definitions List V1
Term / Phrase
Definition
C1: Physical Quantities, Units and Measurement
Scalar quantities
Scalar quantities are physical quantities that have magnitude only.
Vector quantities
Vector quantities are physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction.
C2: Kinematics
Speed
Speed is the rate of change of distance travelled.
Velocity
Velocity is the rate of change of displacement.
Uniform acceleration
Uniform acceleration is a constant rate of change of velocity.
C4: Mass, Weight and Density
Mass
Mass is a measure of the amount of substance in a body.
Gravitational field
Gravitational field is a region in which a mass experiences a force due to gravitational attraction.
Gravitational field strength
Gravitational field strength is the gravitational force per unit mass.
C5: Turning Effect of Forces
Principle of moments
The principle of moments states that when a body is in equilibrium, the sum of clockwise moments about a pivot is equal to the sum of anticlockwise moments about the same pivot.
C6: Pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force acting perpendicularly per unit area.
C7: Energy, Work and Power
Principle of conservation of energy
The principle of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be converted from one form or another, and the total energy in an isolated system is constant.
C11: Thermal Properties of Matter
Heat capacity
The heat capacity of a substance is the amount of thermal energy required to raise its temperature by 1 K (or 1 °C).
Specific heat capacity
The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of the substance by 1 K (or 1 °C).
Latent heat
The latent heat of a substance is the energy it releases or absorbs during a change of state, without a change in its temperature.
Latent heat of fusion [vaporisation]
The latent heat of fusion [vaporisation] is the amount of thermal
Term / Phrase
Definition
C1: Physical Quantities, Units and Measurement
Scalar quantities
Scalar quantities are physical quantities that have magnitude only.
Vector quantities
Vector quantities are physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction.
C2: Kinematics
Speed
Speed is the rate of change of distance travelled.
Velocity
Velocity is the rate of change of displacement.
Uniform acceleration
Uniform acceleration is a constant rate of change of velocity.
C4: Mass, Weight and Density
Mass
Mass is a measure of the amount of substance in a body.
Gravitational field
Gravitational field is a region in which a mass experiences a force due to gravitational attraction.
Gravitational field strength
Gravitational field strength is the gravitational force per unit mass.
C5: Turning Effect of Forces
Principle of moments
The principle of moments states that when a body is in equilibrium, the sum of clockwise moments about a pivot is equal to the sum of anticlockwise moments about the same pivot.
C6: Pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force acting perpendicularly per unit area.
C7: Energy, Work and Power
Principle of conservation of energy
The principle of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be converted from one form or another, and the total energy in an isolated system is constant.
C11: Thermal Properties of Matter
Heat capacity
The heat capacity of a substance is the amount of thermal energy required to raise its temperature by 1 K (or 1 °C).
Specific heat capacity
The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of the substance by 1 K (or 1 °C).
Latent heat
The latent heat of a substance is the energy it releases or absorbs during a change of state, without a change in its temperature.
Latent heat of fusion [vaporisation]
The latent heat of fusion [vaporisation] is the amount of thermal