GCSE Science

Physics

Knowledge Organiser

Forces and Motion

1 What does a vector have that a scalar does not? 2 Name a scalar and a vector measured in metres3 Name a scalar and a vector measured in metres/second4 Name a vector with units of Newtons5 Is mass a vector or scalar? 6 Is energy a vector or scalar? 7 What is acceleration? 8 Why is acceleration a vector? 9 How can speed be calculated? 10 How fast is your walking speed? 11 What is the difference between speed and velocity? 12 What is the equation for calculating speed? 13 What is the SI unit for speed? 14 What is average speed? 15 What is the equation for calculating distance? 16 How is a constant speed shown on

a distance/time graph?

17 What does a horizontal line on a distance/time graph show? 18 How do you work out the gradient of a line on a graph? 19 What is the speed of sound in air? 20 What is the maximum legal speed for vehicles on UK roads? 21 How is a stationary object shown on a distance/time graph?22 How can you tell which part of a journey shown on a distance/time graph has the highest speed? 23 How can you calculate velocity from a distance/time graph? 24 What does acceleration mean? 25 What are the units for acceleration? 26 In the acceleration equation, what does u stand for? 27 In the acceleration equation, what does v stand for? 28 What is the equation for calculating acceleration? 29 What is the acceleration due to

gravity?

30 What is the maximum horizontal acceleration students are likely to experience in everyday life?31 What does a horizontal line on a velocity-time graph show you? 32 What does a straight sloping line upwards on a velocity-time graph show you? 33 What does a straight sloping line downwards on a velocity-time graph show you? 34 What does a straight sloping line upwards below zero on a velocity-time graph show you? 35 What does a straight sloping line downwards below zero on a velocity-time graph show you? 36 How do you calculate acceleration from a velocity-time graph? 37 How do you calculate the distance travelled from a velocity-time graph?

Forces and Motion

38 What is the force that pulls us towards the Earth?39 What is 'drag' another name for?40 What are balanced forces?41 What do we call the forwards force produced by an aeroplane's engine or propeller?42 What word describes both the speed and direction of movement of an object?43 What is the name for a single force on an object with the same effect as all the forces combined?44 How do we describe the forces on an object when the force in one direction is bigger than the force in the other?45 Two forces on an object are in the same direction. How do we calculate the resultant force?46 Two forces on an object are in opposite directions. How do we calculate the resultant force?47 What are the units for force?48 What is acceleration?49 What does the length of a force arrow on a diagram represent?50 What is the direction of the resultant force on a car that is speeding up?51 What is the direction of the resultant force on a bicycle that is slowing down?52 How does a sideways resultant force affect the velocity of a moving object?53 How can the pilot of an aeroplane make the plane gain speed upwards?

54 How do balanced forces affect the velocity of a moving car?55 An aeroplane has thrust of 2000 N and drag of 1800 N. What is the resultant? 56 Air resistance on a cyclist is 20 N and friction is 5 N. What is the total force trying to slow the cyclist down? 57 What is the name of the force that makes objects move in a circular path? 58 What provides the centripetal force for a car going around a roundabout? 59 What are the forces on a moon orbiting around a planet? 60 In which direction does centripetal force act? 61 Name a force that accelerates objects downwards. 62 Name two factors that affect the acceleration of an object. 63 For the same force, how does reducing the mass of an object affect its acceleration? 64 For the same mass, how does increasing the force affect the acceleration? 65 What is the equation linking force, mass and acceleration? 66 An object is moving at a constant velocity. What can you say about the forces on it? 67 A stationary object has a 100 N force on it in one direction. What other force acts on it? 68 What force stops your foot slipping on the ground when you walk? 69 What is inertial mass?

70 How are the values for the mass and the inertial mass of an object different? 71 What type of force is used to slow down a moving vehicle? 72 Where is the force applied in order to slow down a moving vehicle? 73 Why is a wet road more slippery than a dry one? 74 How does the mass of a moving object affect its acceleration? 75 How does the force applied to an object affect its acceleration? 76 An object has a negative acceleration. What does this mean? 77 What effect does drinking alcohol have on human reaction times? 78 How will being tired affect reaction time? 79 What does braking distance mean? 80 What does thinking distance mean? 81 How does speed affect the thinking distance? 82 How does speed affect the braking distance? 83 How does the force needed for an acceleration depend on the size of the acceleration? 84 What factors affect the momentum of a moving object? 85 How does the mass affect momentum? 86 How does the velocity affect momentum? 87 What does ‘momentum is conserved’ mean?

Energy Sources and Transfers

88 What is the unit for measuring energy? 89 What is the name for energy stored in a hot object? 90 How is energy transferred from hot objects to their surroundings? 91 Energy stored in petrol in a car is transferred to energy stored in the moving car. What are the names for these two energy stores? 92 If 100 J of energy is transferred into a machine, how much is transferred out? 93 In what way is most wasted energy transferred? 94 When an object is moved to a higher position, what name is given to the energy that it then stores? 95 Name three different types of object or substance that store energy in chemicals. 96 Name two ways in which a television transfers useful energy to its surroundings. 97 Name one way in which a television transfers wasted energy to its surroundings. 98 In what way do most machines or processes transfer wasted energy to the surroundings? 99 When a kettle boils water, the useful energy ends up stored as thermal energy in the hot water. Where does the wasted energy end up?

100 When a moving car brakes and comes to a stop, where does all the kinetic energy it was storing eventually end up? 101 When a moving car hits a wall, what happens to the kinetic energy it was originally storing? 102 What does dissipated mean? 103 Why is ‘wasted’ energy transferred by heating no longer useful? 104 Which wastes more energy: a more efficient machine or a less efficient machine? 105 What happens to the particles in a solid when the solid gets warmer? 106 One end of a metal bar is heated. What is the name for the way energy is transferred along the bar? 107 What kind of materials are good thermal conductors? 108 Name two materials that are good thermal insulators. 109 What is the name for the way in which energy is transferred in a liquid or gas? 110 What causes a convection current? 111 Materials that contain trapped air are good insulators. Why does the air need to be trapped? 112How does warmth from the Sun reach the

Earth?

113 Will a black car or a white car get hotter on a sunny day? 114 Name one thing a homeowner can do to reduce the money they spend on heating. 115 What is the name for energy stored in an object because it is in a high position? 116 What is the name for energy stored in a moving object? 117 What is the law of conservation of energy? 118 A ball has 5 J of gravitational potential energy before it is dropped. How much kinetic energy is it storing the moment before it hits the floor – 0 J, less than 5 J, 5 J, more than 5 J? 119 How can you increase the gravitational potential energy stored in a box? 120 What do we call the kind of energy stored inside atoms? 121 When we burn a fuel, how is the energy transferred to the surroundings? 122 How is energy transferred to machines such as TVs and computers?

Energy Sources and Transfers

123 Is electricity a fuel? 124 Name two fuels that are used by most vehicles on the roads. 125 Name two fuels that we call fossil fuels. 126 What are the two products of the complete burning of fossil fuels? 127 What effect does carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have on the temperature of the Earth? 128 What is the name for the idea that the Earth is getting warmer? 129 Name four different

non-renewable resources. 130 Name two different uses for natural gas. 131 Name the main use for coal. 132 What gas do fossil-fuel power stations emit that nuclear power stations do not? 133 Why is adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere a problem? 134 Why do some people

object to nuclear power stations?

135 Why will supplies of fossil fuels eventually run out? 136 Name two forms of renewable energy. 137 What is the name for a fuel made from plants or from animal wastes?

Waves

138 Name three different types of wave. 139 What property of a wave does the wavelength describe? 140 What are the units for wavelength? 141 What property of a wave does the frequency describe? 142 What are the units for frequency? 143 What is transferred by a wave? Particles or energy? 144 What does amplitude mean? 145 In which direction do the particles in a sound wave move compared to the direction the wave is travelling? 146 What word is used to describe waves like sound waves? 147 What word is used to describe waves like the waves on water?

148 Name a type of transverse wave. 149 Name a type of longitudinal wave. 150 What is the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves? 151 What word describes the number of waves per second? 152 What word describes the time taken for one wave to pass? 153 What word describes the distance between a point on one wave and the same point on the next wave? 154 What are the units for frequency? 155 Name two things that waves can transfer. 156 Name one thing that waves

do not transfer.

157 What is the equation that links wave speed, frequency and wavelength? 158 What two things do you need to measure to find the speed of a wave? 159 What is the word that describes light bouncing off a material? 160 What does refraction mean? 161 When does refraction happen to light waves? 162 Name three materials that light can travel through.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

163 What does refraction mean? 164 What is a vacuum? 165 What are the colours of the rainbow? 166 What piece of apparatus can you use to split up light to form a spectrum? 167 Which colour in visible light has the longest wavelength? 168 What does EM stand for? 169 Which EM waves have frequencies just higher than the frequency of visible light? 170 Which EM waves have frequencies just lower than the frequency of visible light? 171 Are EM waves transverse or longitudinal? 172 Which part of our bodies detects visible light? 173 Which part of our bodies detects infrared? 174 Which electromagnetic waves have the highest frequency? 175 Which electromagnetic waves have the longest wavelengths? 176 Which electromagnetic waves have lower frequencies than visible light? 177 Which electromagnetic waves have higher frequencies than visible light? 178Which colour of visible light has the

shortest wavelength?

179 Which colour of visible light has the highest frequency? 180 Which colour of visible light has the lowest frequency? 181 Which part or parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is used for cooking? 182 Which part or parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is used for sending TV programmes? 183 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used in TV remote controls? 184 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is emitted by toasters and grills? 185 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used for mobile phone communications? 186 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum are light bulbs designed to emit? 187 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used to cook food from the inside? 188 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used to treat cancer? 189 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum can be used to look inside bodies? 190 How are radio waves produced? 191How are radio waves detected?

192 Why do radio waves sometimes have a longer range than microwaves? 193 Which transfers the most energy: red, green or violet light? 194 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used to sterilise surgical instruments? 195 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used to examine luggage in airports? 196 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used to sterilise water? 197 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum do fluorescent materials emit? 198 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is produced inside many low energy light bulbs? 199 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is emitted by radioactive materials? 200 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used to make images of bones? 201 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum can cause skin cancer? 202 Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum can cook things by heating water inside them?

Radioactivity

203What is the part in the middle of an atom called? 204Name two subatomic particles. 205What are the negatively charged particles in an atom called? 206What are the positively charged particles in an atom called? 207Where is most of the mass of an atom concentrated? 208Which subatomic particles have a negligible mass? 209How did scientists discover that atoms had tiny nuclei? 210Who investigated atoms in this way? 211Which of the following is approximately the diameter of an atom – a hundredth of a millimetre, a thousandth of a millimetre or a millionth of a millimetre? 212What charge do electrons have? 213How much mass do electrons have? 214In Thompson’s model, the atom was positively charged with tiny negative charges in it. What was this model called? 215Rutherford investigated the structure of the atom. What did he do? 216What happened to most of the alpha particles in Rutherford’s experiment? 217Why did Rutherford conclude that most of the mass of the atom was in the centre? 218What is the relative mass of a proton? 219What are isotopes? 220Which subatomic particle has no charge? 221What is another name for nucleon number? 222What is the mass number of an atom? 223What is the atomic number of an atom? 224What is another name for atomic number? 225What is the relative mass of a neutron? 226What is the relative charge on a proton? 227What is different between two isotopes of the same element? 228How are electrons arranged in an atom? 229What is ionisation? 230How are electrons arranged in an atom? 231What happens to one or more electrons when an atom gains energy?

232Name two ways in which an atom can gain energy. 233What happens to electrons when the atom loses energy? 234What is ionisation? 235What charge does an ion have when it has lost an electron? 236Name one source of background radiation in everyday life. 237Name one thing that can detect radiation. 238What is ionising radiation? 239Is most background radiation natural or from human causes? 240Where does radon gas come from? 241What are cosmic rays? 242Why is background radiation different in different places? 243What happens to photographic film when radiation hits it? 244What is the name of a common instrument that detects radiation? 245What is a count rate? 246Name two types of ionising radiation that consist of particles. 247Which high-frequency electromagnetic waves can be produced by radioactive decay? 248What is an alpha particle? 249What is a beta particle? 250What is the relative mass of an alpha particle? 251What is the relative charge on an alpha particle? 252What is the relative charge on a beta particle? 253What is the relative charge on a positron? 254Which form of radiation is the most penetrating? 255Which form of radiation is the most ionising? 256What happens to the nucleus of an atom when it emits an alpha particle? 257What happens to the nucleus of an atom if it ejects a neutron? 258 What happens to the atomic number of a nucleus when

an alpha particle is emitted?

259What happens to the mass number of a nucleus when an alpha particle is emitted? 260How is a beta particle formed? 261What happens to the atomic number of a nucleus when a beta particle is emitted? 262How is a positron formed? 263What happens to the atomic number of a nucleus when a positron is emitted? 264What does the ‘activity’ of a radioactive source refer to? 265What does half-life mean? 266What is the unit for measuring the activity of a source? 267What does 1 becquerel represent? 268Why can we not predict exactly how many nuclei will decay each second? 269How does the activity of a radioactive source change over time? 270Why does the activity of a source get less over time? 271What does the half-life tell you about the activity of a sample of radioactive material? 272What does the half-life tell you about the number of unstable nuclei in a sample of radioactive material? 273Name one disease that can be caused by radiation. 274Name one type of job that may involve being exposed to nuclear radiation. 275What has happened if you are contaminated by radioactive material?

Energy and Forces Doing Work

Forces and Their Effects

276 What are the units for energy? 277 How is energy transferred to a light bulb? 278 How is energy transferred away from a light bulb? 279 Describe one other way in which energy can be transferred. 280 What is a force? 281 What are the units for measuring forces? 282 What is your weight? 283 What does work done mean in physics? 284 What does power measure? 285 What are the units for power? 286 What are the units for work done? 287 How do you calculate work done? 288 What does power mean?

289 What are the units for power? 290 How do you calculate power? 291 Two people with the same weight go up a flight of stairs. How can you tell which one has exerted more power? 292 Name two non-contact forces. 293 What is a magnetic field? 294 What is a vector quantity? 295 Name two contact forces. 296 Name three non-contact forces. 297 How is a force represented in a diagram? 298 What are the units for measuring force? 299 Why is weight a vector quantity?

300 The Earth attracts the Moon via gravity. What is the other force in this action–reaction pair? 301 What is the name for the space around an object where it attracts things with mass? 302 What is the name for the space around something with an electric charge where it can affect other objects? 303 What is the name for a single force that represents the combined effects of all the forces on an object? 304 What is the name for a diagram where a measurement on the diagram represents a larger measurement in real life?

Electrical Circuits

305 What is the name of a circuit with one path around it and no branches? 306 Give a disadvantage of connecting lamps in series. 307 What is the name given to a circuit with components in different branches? 308 What is the circuit symbol for a lamp? 309 What is the circuit symbol for a cell? 310 How can you tell which is the negative terminal of a cell from the circuit symbol? 311 What is the name of the particle that flows around a circuit, forming an electric current? 312 What is the difference between conventional current and the flow of electrons? the other way.)313 What unit is current measured in? 314 What is another term for potential difference? 315 Which component is used to measure electric current? 316 Is an ammeter connected in parallel or in series with a component? 317 Which component is used to measure potential difference? 318 What are the units for potential difference? 319 Current can be described as the rate of flow of charge. In a metal, what are the

charged particles that flow? 320 What happens to the current in a series circuit? 321 What happens to current in a parallel circuit? 322 What happens to the voltage in a series circuit? 323 What happens to voltage in a parallel circuit? 324 What is an electric current? 325 State the unit and the symbol for current. 326 State the unit and the symbol for charge. 327 Write down the equation relating the total charge that flows to current and time. 328 State the unit and the symbol for potential difference. 329 How many volts is one joule per coulomb? 330 Write down the equation relating the energy transferred in a circuit to the potential difference. 331 Describe the potential difference between two points in terms of energy transferred. 332 State the unit and the symbol for electrical resistance. 333 Write down the equation that is used to

work out electrical resistance. 334 What unit is used to measure resistance? 335 What is the symbol for a resistor? 336 What is the symbol for a variable resistor? 337 What equation connects potential difference, current and resistance? 338 A circuit contains a resistor. If another resistor is added in series with the first, does the total resistance in the circuit increase, decrease or stay the same? 339 A circuit contains a resistor. If another resistor is added in parallel with the first, does the total resistance in the circuit increase, decrease or stay the same? 340 When resistors are connected in series, how can you calculate the total resistance?

341 When the potential difference across a fixed resistor is doubled, what happens to the current? 342 What happens to the resistance of a light-dependent resistor when the light intensity increases?343 What happens to the resistance of a thermistor when the temperature increases? 344 What is the name of a resistor that can be changed by adjusting a dial? 345 Which component could be used to change the current in a circuit when the temperature changes?346 Which component could be used to change the current in a circuit when the light intensity changes?347 What does a diode do? 348 What happens to the resistance of a filament lamp when the potential difference is increased?349 What happens to the resistance of a thermistor when the temperature rises? 350 What happens to the resistance of a light-dependent resistor when the light intensity increases?351 What does the graph of current against potential difference look like for a fixed resistor?352 When an electric current passes through a high-resistance wire, what happens

to the wire? 353 How can resistance in the wires in circuits be reduced? 354 Give an example of an appliance that uses the heating effect of a current. 355 Give an example of a disadvantage that can result from overheating by an electric current. 356 If the new connecting wires in a house have a lower resistance than the old ones, what effect will this have on daily electricity use? 357 When electrons move through a lattice of positive ions, what happens to cause electrical resistance?358 When a resistor heats up, what happens to the positive ions to increase resistance? 359 What is the equation that connects energy transferred to current, potential difference and time? 360 Apart from using lower resistance wires and without changing any components, state one way the resistance in a circuit can be reduced. 361 State a second way the resistance in circuits can be reduced. 362 What is the unit for measuring power? 363 What is the equation that links power, energy transferred and time taken?

364 Power is the transfer of what each second? 365 Name the unit and give the symbol for power. 366 Write down an equation that links power to current and potential difference. 367 Write down an equation that links power to electrical resistance. 368 What is the mains voltage in the UK? 369 What is the frequency of the a.c. mains voltage in the UK? 370 What type of energy store does a battery have? 371 At some time after energy is transferred to an electric toothbrush, in what energy store does the energy end up? 372 What do the letters d.c. mean? 373 Describe the way the electrons move in d.c.374 What do the letters a.c. mean? 375 Describe the way the electrons move in a.c. 376 What are the names of two of the wires in a plug? 377 What is the name of one electrical safety feature found in our homes apart from the earth wire of a plug?

Static Electricity – Separate Physics Only

Magnetism and The Motor Effect

Electromagnetic Induction

378 What are the two ends of a bar magnet called? 379 Name two magnetic materials. 380 What happens if you arrange two magnets with their north poles close to each other? 381 How can you arrange two magnets so they attract each other? 382 What is a magnetic field? 383 How can you find the shape of a magnetic field? 384 Name two electrical devices that use magnets. 385 Why do compasses point north? 386 Describe the shape of the Earth’s magnetic field. 387 Why are compass needles weighted at one end? 388 Which part of the Earth is responsible for the Earth’s magnetic field? 389 What is the difference between the Earth’s north magnetic pole and its North Pole? 390 What is an induced magnet? 391 Name two materials that an induced magnet could be made from. 392 You are using plotting compasses to find the shape of the magnetic field of a bar magnet. Which way does the needle point? 393 How does a magnetic field diagram show where the field is strongest? 394 What is a uniform magnetic field? 395 How can you produce a uniform magnetic field?

396 What is the shape of the magnetic field around a wire with a current flowing through it? 397 What is an electromagnet? 398 How can you create a magnetic field around a wire? 399 Where is the magnetic field of a wire strongest? 400 How can you increase the strength of the field around a wire? 401 How can you change the direction of the field around a wire? 402 What is a solenoid? 403 Why is an electromagnet called a temporary magnet? 404 Describe the magnetic field inside a solenoid. 405 Why is the magnetic field of a solenoid stronger inside the coil than outside it? 406 Describe the magnetic field between two flat magnets. 407 What is the motor effect? 408 How can you make a magnetic field around a wire? 409 Where is the magnetic field of a wire strongest? 410 How can you increase the strength of the field around a wire? 411 What is a solenoid? 412 Why is an electromagnet called a temporary magnet? 413 Give two ways of increasing the strength of the motor effect

414 What does Fleming’s left-hand rule help you to work out? 415 What does magnetic flux density measure? 416 What are the units for magnetic flux density? 417 What is a transformer? 418 What does a transformer do? 419 What are the two sets of coils in a transformer called? 420 What are the coils in a transformer wound onto? 421 What does potential difference measure? 422 What is the equation for calculating electrical power? 423 What are the units for electrical power? 424 100 W of power are transferred to a transformer via the primary coil. How much power is transferred away from the transformer? 425 What is the national grid? 426 What is a transmission line? 427 What is the difference between a step-up and a step-down transformer?

Particle Model

428 Name the three states of matter. 429 Which of the three states of matter can be compressed? 430 Why can gases be compressed? 431 Which of the three states have a fixed volume? 432 Why do substances in these states have a fixed volume? 433 Why do solids keep their shape? 434 Name a physical change. 435 What does the density of a substance tell you? 436 What two quantities do you need to know to calculate density? 437 What are the units for these two quantities? 438 What is the equation for calculating density? 439 What usually happens to the density of a substance when it melts? 440 Why does this happen? 441 What happens to the mass of a substance when it melts? 442 Is evaporating a physical or a chemical change? 443 Why is evaporation a physical change? 444 How is thermal energy stored in a substance? 445 What does temperature tell you about

the particles in a substance? 446 What factors affect the amount of thermal energy stored in a substance? 447 What property of a substance tells you about the movement of its particles? 448 How can you reduce the amount of thermal energy transferred between an object and its surroundings? 449 Name two insulating materials. 450 Why does a kettle full of water store more energy than a cupful of water at the same temperature? 451 Give two other quantities that affect the amount of thermal energy stored in an object. 452 What does specific heat capacity mean? 453 What happens to the temperature of a substance being heated when it changes state? 454 Why does this happen? 455 What does specific latent heat mean? 456 What are the units for specific latent heat? 457 Give the three factors that affect the amount of thermal energy stored in a substance. 458 What is the unit for specific heat capacity? 459 What symbol is used for change in

thermal energy? 460 What symbol is used for change in temperature? 461 What symbol is used for specific heat capacity? 462 What does specific latent heat meant? 463 What are the units for specific latent heat? 464 Describe the arrangement of particles in a gas. 465 What causes gas pressure? 466 How are temperature and kinetic energy related? 467 What causes pressure in a gas? 468 What is the unit for pressure? 469 Why does the pressure of a gas increase when it is heated? 470 What name do we give the temperature at which particles would have zero energy/pressure? 471 What is 0 K in degrees Celsius?

Forces and Matter

472How do we describe something that deforms but returns to its original shape when forces are removed? 473What do we call the difference between a spring’s stretched length and its original length? 474How does the force needed to stretch a spring change as the spring gets longer? 475A graph of a relationship between two variables is a straight line through the origin. How do we describe a relationship such as this? 476What word do we use to describe something that

deforms but returns to its original shape when forces are removed? 477What word do we use to describe something that deforms and does not return to its original shape when forces are removed? 478What does a linear relationship on a scatter graph look like? 479What is the difference between the graphs for a linear and a directly proportional relationship? 480Describe the relationship between the force on a spring and its length, for small forces.

481Describe the relationship between the force on a spring and its extension, for small forces. 482What happens to the relationship between the force on a spring and its length or extension when the forces become very large? 483Describe the relationship between the force on a rubber band and its length. 484What is the spring constant of a spring? 485What is the equation linking the spring constant with the force and extension?