IB Notes: SL Physics Definitions + Astrophysics

Physics Definitions
Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................................. 1
2. Mechanics ......................................................................................................................... 2
3. Thermal Physics .............................................................................................................. 2
4. Oscillations and Waves ................................................................................................ 3
5. Electric Currents............................................................................................................ 3
6. Fields and Forces........................................................................................................... 4
7. Atomic & Nuclear Physics ............................................................................................ 4
8. Energy, Power and Climate Change ......................................................................... 6
E. Astrophysics .................................................................................................................... 6
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2. Mechanics
Term
st
Newtons 1st law of motion
Definition

nd
Newtons 2nd law of motion

An object continues in uniform

motion in a straight line unless a
resultant external force acts on it.
Resultant force causes
acceleration.
acceleration
The resultant force is proportional
to the rate of change of momentum.
momentum
The resultant force is proportional
to acceleration.
acceleration
F=ma
rd
Newtons 3rd law of motion
For every action on one object there is

an equal but opposite reaction on
another object.
Linear momentum
The total linear momentum of a system

interacting particles remains constant
provided there is no resultant external
forces.
forces
Power (P)
The rate of which energy is

transferred.
Efficiency
The ratio of useful energy to the total

energy transferred .
3. Thermal Physics
Term
Definition
Specific heat capacity
The energy required to raise the

temperature by 1K per 1kg of the
substance.
Thermal capacity (C)

temperature by 1K of a substance.
Specific latent heat (L)
The amount of energy per unit mass

absorbed or released during a change
of phase.
phase
L=Q/m
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4. Oscillations and Waves

Term
Definition
Simple harmonic motion
The motion that takes place when the

acceleration of an object is always
directed towards, and is proportional
to, its displacement from a fixed point
a= x2
Damping
The presence of resistance forces on

oscillations.
Under-damping
When the oscillations continue with a

decreased amplitude until eventually
the amplitude reaches zero and the
oscillations stop.
Resonance
The state in which the frequency of the

externally applied periodic force equals
the natural frequency of the system.
5. Electric Currents
Ter
Term
Definition
Electric potential difference (V)
The work done per unit charge moving a

positive test charge between two
points in a circuit.
Electronvolt
Resistance
Ohms Law
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Electrical energy per unit charge.

A unit of energy.
energy The energy gained by
an electron accelerated through a
potential difference of 1 volt.
volt
The ratio of the voltage across a
conductor to the current flowing
through it.
R=V/I
The current through a resistor is
proportional to the voltage across it
(as long as temperature remains
constant)
6. Fields and Forces

Term
Definition
Newtons law of gravitation
Every single particle of mass in the

universe exerts a force on every other
particle of mass.
Gravitational Field Strength
The force per unit mass on a small test

mass in a gravitational field.
Law of conservation of charge
Electric charge cannot be created or

destroyed. It can be moved from one
destroyed
place to another.
The force between two point charges is
directly proportional to the product of
their charge and inversely proportional
to the square of their separation.
separation
Coulombs Law
Electric Field
An area around an electric charge

char
where a force exists if another charge
enters the field.
Electric field strength
The force per unit charge on a tiny

positive test charge.
7. Atomic & Nuclear Physics

Term
Definition
Nucleon
The constituents of a nucleus. Protons

and nucleons.
Atomic number Z
The number of protons in the nucleus.
Mass Number A
The number of nucleons (protons and

nucleons) in the nucleus.
Radioactive Half-life
The time taken for half of the

undecayed nuclei, remaining in a given
sample, to decay.
The time taken for the activity of a
given sample to fall to half of its
original value.
value
Unified mass unit
1/12 of the mass of a neutral carbon-12

carbon 12
atom
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Mass defect
The difference between the mass of an

atom and the mass of its individual
nucleons.
nucleons
Binding Energy
The work (energy) required to

completely separate the nucleons
nucleons of an
atom.
The amount of energy that is released
when a nucleus is assembled from its
component nucleons.
Binding Energy per nucleon
The work (energy) required to

completely separate the nucleons
nucleons of an
atom divided by the total number of
nucleons.
Fission
A heavy nucleus splits up into lighter

nuclei and release energy in the
process.
Fusion
Combining two light nuclei into one

heavier nuclei and release energy in the
process.
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8. Energy, Power and Climate Change

Term
nd
Definition
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
It is impossible to take heat from an

object and use it all to do work without
losing some to the surroundings.
Degraded energy
Energy that is released to its

surroundings after any process.
Energy Density
The amount of energy that can be

extracted per kg of fuel.
Critical Mass
Minimum mass required for a chain

reaction.
reaction
Albedo
The fraction of radiation that is

reflected back by a planet into space.
Emissivity
The ratio of power radiated per unit

area by an object to the power
radiated power unit area by a black
body at the same temperature.
1 is a good emitter
0 is a bad emitter
Surface Heat capacity CS

temperature of unit area of a planets
surface by one degree.
-2
-1
Jm K
Coefficient of volume expansion
The fractional change in volume per

unit temperature change
E. Astrophysics
Term
Definition
Light Year (ly)
The distance light travels in a year.

year.
Stellar Cluster
A concentrated group of stars of

similar age because they formed from
the same collapsing gas cloud.
Luminosity (L)
The total amount of energy emitted by

the star per second.
second
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Apparent Brightness (b)
The amount of energy per second

received per unit area on earth.
Black body
A black body absorbs all wavelengths

of light and reflects none.
none
Parsec (Pc)
The distance to a star that has a

parallax angle of 1 arc second.
second
Apparent magnitude (m)
The measure of how bright a star is

from Earth
Earth.
rth
Absolute Magnitude (M)
The apparent magnitude a star would

have it were located 10 parsecs away
from earth.
Critical Density
The density required to create a flat

universe
i.e density of universe = critical density
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IB Notes: SL Physics Definitions + Astrophysics

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IB Notes: SL Physics Definitions + Astrophysics

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Physics Definitions

Newtons 1st law of motion

Newtons 2nd law of motion

An object continues in uniform

Newtons 3rd law of motion

For every action on one object there is

The total linear momentum of a system

The rate of which energy is

The ratio of useful energy to the total

Specific heat capacity

The energy required to raise the

Thermal capacity (C)

The energy required to raise the

Specific latent heat (L)

The amount of energy per unit mass

4. Oscillations and Waves

Simple harmonic motion

The motion that takes place when the

The presence of resistance forces on

When the oscillations continue with a

The state in which the frequency of the

Electric potential difference (V)

The work done per unit charge moving a

Electrical energy per unit charge.

6. Fields and Forces

Newtons law of gravitation

Every single particle of mass in the

Gravitational Field Strength

The force per unit mass on a small test

Law of conservation of charge

Electric charge cannot be created or

An area around an electric charge

Electric field strength

The force per unit charge on a tiny

7. Atomic & Nuclear Physics

The constituents of a nucleus. Protons

The number of protons in the nucleus.

The number of nucleons (protons and

The time taken for half of the

Unified mass unit

1/12 of the mass of a neutral carbon-12

The difference between the mass of an

The work (energy) required to

Binding Energy per nucleon

The work (energy) required to

A heavy nucleus splits up into lighter

Combining two light nuclei into one

8. Energy, Power and Climate Change

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

It is impossible to take heat from an

Energy that is released to its

The amount of energy that can be

Minimum mass required for a chain

The fraction of radiation that is

The ratio of power radiated per unit

Surface Heat capacity CS

The energy required to raise the

Coefficient of volume expansion

The fractional change in volume per

Light Year (ly)

The distance light travels in a year.

A concentrated group of stars of

The total amount of energy emitted by

Apparent Brightness (b)

The amount of energy per second

A black body absorbs all wavelengths

The distance to a star that has a

Apparent magnitude (m)

The measure of how bright a star is

Absolute Magnitude (M)

The apparent magnitude a star would

The density required to create a flat

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