Physics

Energy

Energy stores

Thermal energy

Kinetic energy

Gravitational potential energy

Elastic potential energy

Chemical energy

Magnetic energy

Electrostatic energy

Nuclear energy

Specific Heat Capacity

The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 °C

Conservation of Energy

Energy can be transferred usefully, stored or dissipated, but never be created or destroyed

Power

Rate of energy trasnfer

Measured in watts

1 watt = 1 joule of energy transferred per second

Conduction & Convection

Convection

Conduction

Where energetic particles move away from hotter to cooler regions

Where vibrating particles transfer energy to neighbouring particles

Energy Resources

Non-renewable

Renewable

Oil

Natural Gas

Coal

Hydro-electricity

Water waves

Wind

Electricity

Current

Formulae

Kinetic energy = 0.5 x mass x velocity²

G.P.E = mass x gravitational field strength

E.P.E = 0.5 x spring constant x extension²

Change in thermal energy = mass x specific heat capacity x temperature change

Power = energy transferred ÷ time

Power = work done ÷ time

Efficiency = useful power output ÷ total power input

A flow of electrical charge

electrical charge will only flow round a complete circuit if there is a potential difference

Measured in amperes

Potential Difference

The driving force that pushes the charge around

Measured in volts

Resistance

Anything that slows the flow down

Measured in ohms

Current depends on the potential difference across it and the resistance of the component

Voltmeter

Ammeter

Measures the potential difference across the test wire

Must be placed in parallel with whatever you're investigating

Measures the current through the test wire

Must be placed in series with whatever you're investigating

Series Circuits

Parallel circuits

Components are connected in a line, end to end between the +ve and -ve of the power supply

If you remove or disconnect one component the circuit is broken

Not very handy only used for a few things

Potential difference is shared, Vtotal = V1 + V2 + ...

Current is the same everywhere, I1 = I2 = ...

Resistance adds up, Rtotal = R1 + R2

Each component is separately connected to the +ve and -ve of the supply

If you remove or disconnect one component it will hardly affect the rest

How most things are connected e.g. in cars and in household electrics

Potential difference is the same everywhere, V1 = V2 =...

Current is shared between branches, Itotal = I1 + I2 +...

Adding a resistor in parallel reduces the total resistance

Electricity at home

Direct Current

Alternating Current

Current is constantly changing direction

UK mains supply at around 230 V

ac mains supply is 50 Hz

Cells and batteries

Always flowing in the same direction

Cables

Live wire

Earth wire

Neutral wire

Blue

Completes the circuit and carries away current

Electricity flows in through the live wire and out through the neutral wire

Around 0 V

Brown

Provides the alternating potential difference

About 230 V

Shocks you

Protects the wiring

Green & yellow

Stops the appliance casing from becoming live

0 V

Only carries current if there is a fault

National Grid

High potential difference and low current

lose loads of energy with high current

cheaper to boost up pd (400000 V) and keep current low

More efficient

Supply and demand

Demand is high in the morning, when people come home from school/work, and when it's dark or cold. Also when there are popular events on TV

Static Electricity

Only electrons move

Caused by friction

Sparks are caused when the electrons jump across the gap between the charged object and the earth

Formulae

Potential difference = current x resistance

Charge Flow = Current x Time

Energy transferred = power x time

Energy transferred = charge flow x potential difference

power = potential difference x current

Power = current² x resistance

Particle Model of Matter

Density of materials

Compactness of a substance

Solids

Liquids

Gases

Strong forces of attraction

Fixed, regular arrangement

Particles can only vibrate about their fixed positions

Density is generally the highest

Weaker forces of attraction

Particles are close together but can move past each other

Irregular arrangements

Move in random directions at low speeds

Generally less dense than solids

Particles have more energy than liquids and solids

Particles are free to move

Almost no forces of attraction

Particles travel in random directions at high speeds

Generally less dense than liquids

How to find density of a liquid

2) Pour another 10 ml into the measuring cylinder, repeating the process until the cylinder is full and record the total volume and mass each time

3) For each measurement use the formula to find the density ----> Density = mass ÷ volume (1 ml = 1 cm³)

1) Pour 10 ml of liquid into measuring cylinder and record the liquid's mass

4) Take an average of your calculated densities

Specific Latent Heat

The amount of energy needed to change 1 kg of a substance from one state to another without changing its temperature

SLH for changing between a solid and a liquid is called the SLH of fusion

SLH for changing between a liquid and a gas is called the SLH of vaporisitaion

Particle Motion in Gases

When they collide with something they exert a force and pressure on it

In a sealed container, the outward gas pressure is the total force exerted by all of the particles in the gas on a unit area of the container walls

Increasing the temperature will increase the speed, and so pressure (if volume kept constant)

Formulae

Density = mass ÷ volume

Energy = mass x specific latent heat

Magnetism and Electromagnetism

Generator Effect

Generators

Loudspseakers

The coil surrounds one pole of a permanent magnet, and is surrounded by the other pole, so the current causes a force on the coil (which causes the cone to move)

When the current reverses, the force acts in the opposite direction, which causes the cone to move in the opposite direction too

An alternating current is sent through a coil of wire attached to the base of a paper cone

So variations in the current make the cone vibrate, which makes the air around the cone vibrate and creates vibrations in pressure that cause a sound wave

The frequency of the sound wave is the same as the frequency of the ac, so by controlling the frequency of the ac you can alter the sound wave produced

The induction of a potential difference (and current if there's a complete circuit) in a wire which is moving relative to a magnetic field, or experiencing a change in magnetic field.

You can create a potential difference by moving a magnet in a coil of wire r moving a conductor in a magnetic field

Shifting the magnet side to side creates a little blip of current if the conductor is part of a complete circuit

If you move the magnet in the opposite direction, then the pd/current will be reversed. Likewise if the polarity of the magnet is reversed, then the pd/current will be reversed too

If you keep the magnet (or coil) moving backwards and forwards, you produce a potential difference that keeps swapping direction - an alternating current

Alternators

Dynamos

They produce an alternating current

They use slip rings and brushes instead of a split-ring commutator so the contacts don't swap every half turn

Generators rotate a coil in a magnetic field

As the coil (or magnet) spins, a current is induced in the coil. This changes direction every half turn

They use split-ring commutators

This swaps the connection every half turn to keep the current flowing in the same direction

Microphones

Basically loudspeakers in reverse

Sound waves hit a flexible diaphragm that is attached to a coil of wire, wrapped around a magnet

This causes the coil of wire to move in the magnetic field, which generates a current

The movement of the coil depends on the properties of the sound wave

Transformers

Changes the size of the potential difference of an alternating current

All have two coils of wire, primary and secondary coil

When an alternating pd is applied across the primary coil, the iron core magnetises and demagnetises quickly. This changing magnetic field induces an alternating pd in the secondary coil

If the second coil is part of a complete circuit, this causes a current to be indduced

The ratio between the primary and secondary potential differences is the same as the ratio between the number of turns on the primary and secondary coils.

Formulae

Force = magnetic flux density x current x length

image

Waves

Transverse

Longitudinal

Oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

Electromagnetic waves, ripples in water, waves on a string

Oscillations are parallel to direction of energy transfer

Sound waves, shock waves

Refraction

Reflection

Specular

Diffuse

When a wave is reflected in a single direction by a smooth surface

E.g. when light is reflected by a mirror

When a wave is reflected by a rough surface and he reflected rays are scattered in different directions

E.g. a piece of paper

When a wave crosses a boundary between two materials at an angle it changes direction - refraction

Wavelength of a wave changes but frequency remains the same

How much it's refracted depends on the density of a material - higher the density the slower it travels

If the wave is travelling along the normal it will change speed but it will not be refracted

Electromagnetic waves

click to edit

Radio waves

Microwaves

Infrared

Visible light

Ultraviolet

X-rays

Gamma rays

click to edit