Physics definitions

Chapter 1
The Scope of Physics
(What we have created, it is not in vain there are signs for
the man of understanding
Al-Quran)
94. Physics: - it is the branch of science that deals with the study of matter and energy and
their mutual interactions between them. OR
THE STUDY OF NATURE OF THE NATURE IS CALLED PHYSICS

95. Energy: - the ability/capacity to do work is called energy.

96. Work: - work is said to be done on a body when, by applying force it attains some
displacement.

97. Force: - it is the agency that changes or tries to change the state of rest or motion of the
body.

98. Displacement: - the shortest straight distance between the two points, having a
particular direction. Or the change in position of the body.

99. Distance: - it is the length of the path (curved/line) described by an object moving in
space.

100. Mechanics: - mechanics is the branch of physics that deals with the bodies in rest or
motion under forces.

101. Fundamental quantity: - the quantity, which cannot be resolved into more fundamental
quantities.

102. Derived quantity: - quantities, which are, expressed as some combination of

fundamental quantities.

103. Proportional quantities: - such these quantities are dependent on each other; the change
in one quantity causes the change in another quantity.

104. Directly proportional quantities: - the quantities in which increase in the amount of one
quantity results in the increase of other quantity and the decrease in one quantity
affects the reduction in another quantity.

105. Inversely proportional quantities: - in such a case the increase in the amount of one
quantity leads to the decrease of the other quantity and vice versa.

106. Constant of proportionality: - when proportionality sign is removed, the =sign is

applied only after putting a constant that is determined experimentally and is called
constant of proportionality.

107. System of units: - a set of fundamental and derived units is called a system of units
.

108. Mean solar day: - a mean solar day is the time interval between two successive
overhead appearances of the sun.

109. Second: - it is the duration in which Cesium CS133 atom completes 9192631770
transitions between two hyperfine levels.

110. Meter: - it is the path/distance covered by light or the object moving with the speed of
light in 1/c seconds (c= 3*108).

111. Ampere: - one ampere is the amount of current, witch if maintained in two straight
conductors of infinite length and negligible area of cross section and placed one meter
apart in space would exert a force of 2*10-8 on each other.

112. Kelvin: - It is 1/273. 16 of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.
(Triple point is the temperature where all the three states of water co-exist)

113. Mole: - the gram atomic mass, gram molecular mass or gram formula mass of any
substance, which contains 6.02*1023 particles

114. Kilogram: - one kilogram is the mass of the platinium-irradium cylinder at 0 C kept at
BIPM near Paris.

115. Dimension: - it is use to denote the nature of the physical quantities.

Chapter 2

SCALARS AND VECTORS

(The more I want to get some thing done, the less I call
it work Richard Bach)
116. Scalars: - physical quantities which dont have direction but only magnitude and a
suitable unit

117. Vectors: - the physical quantities, having both the direction and magnitude.
118. Particle: - an object of negligible size and constant mass is referred to as particle or
body. This idea represents a simple model of a real physical situation.

119. Resultant vector: - it is the vector, obtained as a result of the combination of vectors.
120. Component vector: - when a vector acts on a body it may be splited into two or more
vectors, called component vectors. Generally a vector is resolved into its rectangular
components.

121. Rectangular components of a vector: - the components of a vector, which are inclined at
the angle of 90.

122. Unit vector: a vector whose magnitude is one is called unit vector.
123. Null vector: - a null vector is that vector whose magnitude is zero.
124. Free vector: - a free vector is that vector which can be displaced parallel by itself and
applied to any point.

125. Position vector: - a position vector is that vector which is used to specify position of a
body or anything with respect to a fixed point, such as the origin of coordinate system
(it means that it tells you that how far and in what direction is a point from the origin of
a coordinate system)

126. Negative of a vector: - a vector whose magnitude is same but the direction is opposite.
127. Parallelogram law: - if sides of a parallelogram represents to vectors to be added, then
diagonal of the parallelogram represents their resultant.

128. Resolution of vectors: - the process of splitting a vector into its two or more
components.

129. Composition of vectors: - the process of joining two or more vectors to get a single
resultant vector is called composition of vectors.

130. Scalar or dot product: - if multiplication of two vectors results in a scalar quantity then
such type of multiplication of vectors is called scalar or dot product.

131. Vector or cross product: - if multiplication of two vectors results in a vector quantity,
then such type of multiplication is called vector product. Since this type of product is
represented by placing a cross between the vectors to the multiplied.

132. Angular velocity: -the rate of change of angular displacement is called angular
displacement.

133. Angular acceleration: -the rate of change of angular velocity is called angular
acceleration.

134. Tangential velocity: -the velocity directed tangent to the circle is called tangential or linear
velocity.

135. Tangential acceleration: -the acceleration produced when there is change in magnitude of
the velocity during circular motion.

136. Centripetal acceleration: -it is the acceleration directed towards the centre of the rotating
body and is generated when there is change in direction of the velocity.

137. Centripetal force: -the force responsible for centripetal acceleration acts along the string
or rope towards the centre
.

138. Time period of revolution: -the time required by a body to complete one revolution is
called its time period of revolution.

Chapter 5

Torque, Angular momentum and Equilibrium.

(I am probably exaggerating a little, but I owe my
equilibrium to ink and paper)
139. Torque: - the turning effect of force is called torque OR the cross product of position
vector and the force applied.

140. Moment of a couple: -couple is a pair of forces with equal magnitude and opposite
direction, with lines of action that are parallel but don not coincide.

141. Centre of mass: -it is the point on object where the entire mass of the body is concentrated.
142. Centre of gravity: -it is the point where the net gravitational force acts. OR That point in a
body or system around which its mass or weight is evenly distributed or balanced and
through which the gravity acts.

143. Equilibrium: -a body at rest or with uniform motion is said to be in equilibrium.

144. Static equilibrium: -when a body is at rest it is said to be in static equilibrium.
145. Dynamic equilibrium: -a body moving with uniform motion constitutes dynamic
equilibrium.

146. Translational equilibrium: -when a body moves constant linear velocity it results in
translational equilibrium.

147. Rotational equilibrium: -a type of equilibrium in which body rotates in a circle with
uniform angular velocity.

148. first condition of equilibrium: -according to it a body will be in equilibrium if the sum
of all the forces acting on it is zero

149. second condition of equilibrium: - according to second condition of equilibrium the

body will be in equilibrium if the sum of all the torques acting on the system or body is
zero
150. Angular momentum: -angular momentum may be defined as the cross product of position
vector and linear momentum. i.e. L = r p

Chapter 6

GRAVITATION

(Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love Einstein)

94.

Gravitation: - it is the natural force of attraction between the material bodies.

95.

Gravitational field: - it is the around an object under which the effect of gravitation con be
experienced.

96.

Newtons law of gravitation: it states that every body in the universe attracts every other
body in the universe with a force of attraction (gravitation) that is directly proportional to

the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between
them
97.

Density: -mass per unit volume is called density.

98.

Weight: - it is a force through which the earth attracts the bodies towards its centre is
called weight of the body. W=mg

99.

Weightlessness: -a condition of free fall OR it is a condition in which body does not

experience ( feel) the gravitational effect

.
100. Artificial gravity: -a simulated gravity established in space by technological means such
as spinning of the satellite etc.

Chapter 7

WORK, POWER AND ENERGY

(The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more
people worry than work Robert frost)
101. Work: -work is said to be done on a body if it attains some displacement with the
application of force. OR it is the dot product of the applied force and the displacement
covered.
102. Conservative field: -A field is said to be conservative if work done is independent of the
path followed and the net work done in a closed path is zero.
103. Power: -the rate of doing work is called power. OR work done per unit time.
104. Energy: -the ability or capacity to do work is called energy.
105. Kinetic energy: -the energy possessed by a body when it is in motion is called kinetic
energy
.
106. Potential energy: - the energy possessed by a body when it is at rest or hanged or due its
position is called potential energy.
107. law of conservation of energy: it states that the energy can neither be created nor
destroyed
108. Wind: -the moving air is called wind.
109. Solar energy: -the energy of the sun light is called solar energy.
110. Fossils: - the remains of the organism of the past that owing to some devastations got
buried.

Chapter 8

WAVE MOTION AND SOUND

(The most beautiful sound in the world is your own heart beat
that gives you assurance that you will survive even when the
people leave you in the lurch)
111. Vibrational motion: -when a body moves to and fro about its mean position it is said to be
in vibrational or oscillatory motion.
112. Periodic motion: -that motion that repeats by itself is called periodic motion.
113. Vibration: -one complete round trip of a body about its mean position is called vibration.
114. Frequency: -the number of vibrations (or revolutions) per unit time is called frequency.
115. Amplitude: -it is the maximum displacement of a vibrating body from the mean position
.
116. simple harmonic motion: it is characterized by;
I. its motion is vibratory
II. acceleration of the body is directly proportional to the displacement about a fixed
point at the middle(mean position)
III. The motion of the body is always directed towards the mean position.
117. Simple pendulum: -a simple ideal pendulum consists of a point mass suspended with the
help of a weightless, inextensible and flexible string whose other end is attached with the
rigid body.
118. Time period: -time taken by a body to complete one vibration is called its time period of
vibration.
119. Natural time period: -the time period with witch a body vibrates in the absence of
external forces.
120. Natural frequency: -the frequency at which a system vibrates freely without being
disturbed by an external force.
121. Seconds pendulum: -it is the pendulum whose time period is two seconds.
122. Resonance: - when natural frequency of a body capable of vibrating matches with the
frequency of an external periodic force then the body starts vibrating with the increased
amplitudes. The phenomenon is called resonance.
123. Wave: - A wave is a traveling disturbance. OR a wave is a mechanism through witch
energy or disturbance travels from one place to the other.

124. Mechanical wave: - The wave that requires a material medium (solid, liquid or gas) for its
propagation is called mechanical wave.
125. Electromagnetic wave: - the waves that don not require material medium for their
propagation are called electromagnetic waves.
126. Transverse waves: - the waves whose vibrations are perpendicular to the direction of the
propagation of the waves.
127. Longitudinal or compressional waves: - a wave in witch vibrations are parallel to the
direction in which a wave is traveling, is called longitudinal (or compressional) wave.
128. Frequency of waves: -the number of waves passing through a point in one second is called
frequency of waves.
129. Wave length: -it is the distance between two consecutive (side by side ) crests or troughs.
But in case of longitudinal waves it is distance between two successive compressions or
rarefactions.
130. Sound: - sound is a form of energy that produces the sense of hearing. OR sound is a form
of energy that produces sense of hearing in our auditory system.
131. Audible sound: -the sound that can be heard and it is of the frequency ranging between 20
Hz to 20,000 Hz.
132. Infrasonic waves: -sound waves of frequency less than 20 Hz are called infrasonic waves.
133. Ultrasonic waves: -The sound waves whose frequency is greater than 20,000 Hz are called
ultrasonic waves.
134. Music: -the sound that produces pleasant effect in our auditory system is called music.
135. Noise: - the sound that has a random, jarring or disagreeable impact on our auditory
system.
136. Intensity of sound: -the amount of sound energy passing perpendicularly through the unit
area of a surface in one second is called intensity of the sound.
137. Loudness: -the magnitude of sound produced in our auditory system is called loudness OR
the attribute of sound that determines the magnitude of the auditory sensation produced and
that primarily depends upon the amplitude of the sound waves involved.
138. Weber-fechner law: according to it: the loudness of sound is directly proportional to the
log of intensity of the sound.
139. Intensity level: -the difference in the loudness of a given sound and the faintest sound is
called intensity level
.
140. Faintest sound: -the threshold sound before below it we can not hear.

141. Pitch of sound: -pith is that characteristics of sound with the help of witch a shrill sound
can be distinguished from a grave one.
142. Quality: -quality of sound is characteristics of sound with helps distinguishing the sound
having same pitch and frequency.
143. Beats: - To strike repeatedly. OR The pulsation resulting from a combination of two waves
of slightly different frequency
144. Adiabatic process: - the thermodynamic process involving no loss or gain of energy in the
system or particular region.
145. Isothermal process: -the thermodynamic process during which the temperature of the
system remains constant is called isothermal process.
146. Dopplers effect: -the apparent change in pitch of the sound due to the relative motion of
the source and listener is called Dopplers effect.
147. Sonic boom: -an explosive sound caused by the shock waves preceding an aircraft
traveling at or above the speed of the sound.
148. principle of superposition of waves: - according to it: when particles of a medium are
disturbed simultaneously by two or more waves then their net displacement from their
mean position will be equal to the algebraic sum of the individual displacements due to
individual displacements
149. Standing or stationary waves: - standing wave also called stationary wave is the
combination of two waves moving in opposite direction, each with same amplitude and
energy and is generated when the string is confined at both the sides and then vibrated.
150. Antinodes: -the points where the vibrating displacement is maximum from the centre.
151. Node: -the points of zero amplitude are called nodes.
152. fundamental frequency: - also called first harmonic is the lowest tone of harmonic series
153. overtone: -if the string tuned properly such that two loops are formed then the frequency f2
with which now it vibrates first overtone or second harmonic
154. Sonometer: - standing waves generating device.
155. Loop: -the more or less circular figure that curves back to cross itself.

Chapte9

THE NATURE OF LIGHT

(An age is called DARK, not because the light fails to shine but
because people refuse to see it. James Michener.)
155. LIGHT: - THE NATURAL AGENT THAT STIMULATES SIGHT AND MAKES
THINGS VISIBLE.
156. Interference of waves: -if two exactly similar waves superpose each other (i.e. pass
through the same region of space simultaneously) then at some points they reinforce (i.e.
they help each other and their effect enhances) while at other points they cancel each
others effect (i.e. their net effect decreases. This phenomenon is known as interference of
light.
157. Phase coherence: -if the waves produced simultaneously are alike, they are said to be in
phase coherence.
158. Constructive interference: -constructive interference takes place when the waves
reinforce each other.
159. Destructive interference: - it is brought about when the waves cancel each others effect.
160. Path difference: -it is the distance covered by waves measured from source to the given
point.
161. Fringe spacing: -it is the distance between two consecutive bright or dark fringes.
162. Phase reversal: - when a wave traveling in a rare medium (medium of lower refractive
index) reflects from a denser medium of high refractive index, then its crest before
reflection becomes trough after reflection.
163. Newtons rings: - if a beam of monochromatic light is allowed to fall on a Plano-convex
lens placed on a plane glass plate then alternate bright and dark rings are produced. These
rings are known as Newtons rings.
164. Diffraction:-the bending of light around the edges of an object. OR The breaking up of a
ray of light bands or into the colors of the spectrum, caused by the interference of one part
of beam with another, as when the ray is deflected at the edge of an opaque object or passes
through a narrow slit.
165. Frensel diffraction: in Frensel diffraction the source and the screen are finite and the
diffracted rays are not parallel.
166. Frawnhoffer diffraction: -in Frawnhoffer diffraction the point source of light and the
screen on witch the diffraction is to be produced are at infinite distance so that the
diffracted rays become parallel.
167. Diffraction grating: - a plate of glass or metal ruled with very close parallel lines,
producing spectrum by interference or diffraction of light.

168. Grating element: -let a be the width of a slit and b be the width of an opaque then a + b is
called grating element.
169. Path difference: -the difference in the optical paths of two light rays having common
initial and final points. OR An X-ray beam is reflected from the upper plane and the second
x-ray is reflected from the lower plane these two beams will cover different distances
before entering the eye (second beam will cover longer distance) difference in distance
covered is called path difference.
170. Wave fronts: - the geometrical pattern (or locus of all points), having same state of
vibration is known as wave front.
195. Polarization of light: -the phenomenon of confining the vibrations of electric vectors in
only one plane, ultimately leading to the proof of light waves as transverse.
Chapte10

Geometrical Optics
(Music is the arithmetic of sounds as optics is the geometry of
light Claude Debussy)
196. Optics: -the scientific study of light and vision, chiefly the generation, propagation and
detection of electromagnetic radiation, having wavelength greater than that of x-ray and
smaller than that of microwaves.
197. Reflection: - the bouncing back of light into the same medium is called reflection.
198. laws of reflection:
I.
Angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection.
II.
Incident ray, refracted ray and the normal to the reflecting surface, all are in one plane.
199. regular reflection: - in such reflection the incident and the reflected rays both are parallel
200. Diffused or irregular reflection: -if the incident and the reflected both the rays are not
parallel to each other they are said to form diffused or irregular reflection.
201. Mirror: - the reflecting surfaces are called mirrors.
202. Lens: -the refracting objects are known as lenses.
203. Real image: -an image that can be projected at screen, is inverted and formed by the actual
intersection of the reflected or refracted rays.
204. Virtual image: -An image that can not be projected at screen, is erect and formed by the
diverging reflected or refracted rays when they are produced backward.

205. Spherical mirrors: -spherical mirror is a part of a sphere.

206. Concave mirror: - if the reflecting surface is on the inner side of the spherical mirror then
it is known as a concave mirror.
207. Convex mirror: -if the reflecting surface is on the outer side of the spherical mirror then it
is known as convex mirror.
208. Pole: - the mid point of a spherical mirror or lens is called pole.
209. Curvature: -the state of being curved or the degree to which some thing is curved.
210. Centre of curvature: -centre of the sphere of which the spherical mirror or lens is a part is
called centre of curvature.
211. Radius of curvature: -radius of sphere of which the mirror or lens is a part is called radius
of curvature.
212. Principle axis: -an imaginary straight line passing through pole and centre of curvature of
a mirror or lens is called principle axis.
213. Focus of a concave mirror: -if a beam of rays parallel to principle axis is incident upon a
concave mirror then after reflection from the mirror all the rays converge to one point F.
this is called focus.
214. Focus of a convex mirror: -if a beam of rays parallel to principle axis is incident upon
convex mirror then after reflection from the mirror all the rays diverge and appear to come
from a point behind the mirror. The point is called focus of the convex mirror.
215. principle focus of the convex lens: -the converging point of refracted rays from the
convex lens.
216. Focal length: -the distance between focus and pole of a mirror is called its focal length.
217. Mirror equation: -mirror equation is mathematical relation between object distance p,
image distance q and the focal length f of a mirror.
218. Magnification: -the ratio of image height to object height. It may also be defined as the
ratio of image distance to object distance.
219. Angular magnification: -angular magnification is the ratio of visual angle subtended by
an image to the visual angle subtended by the object.
220. Refraction: -the passage of light, sound, heat etc from one medium to another with the
oblique change in the direction.

221. Snells law: according it: the ratio of sine of angle of incidence to sine of angle of
refraction for a given pair of media is always constant
222. refractive index: - it may be defined in the following ways:
I. The ratio of speed of light in medium 1 to the speed of light in medium 2
II. The ratio of incident angle to that refracted angle.
III. The ratio of real depth to apparent depth.
IV.Reciprocal to the sine of critical angle
223. Critical angle: -the angle of incidence for which angle of refraction is equal to 90 is called
critical angle.
224. Total internal reflection: -if the angle of incidence is increased beyond the critical angle
then no refraction will take place, instead light will be totally reflected back. The
phenomenon is called total internal reflection.
225. Convex lens: -the converging lenses thicker at the middle and thinner at the edges are
called convex lenses.
226. Concave lens: the diverging lens thinner at the middle and thicker at the edges.
227. Aperture: -the diameter of boundary of a lens is called aperture.
228. Power of a lens: -the reciprocal of focal length expressed in diopters.
229. Spherical aberration: -the failure in of refracted rays in converging at the principle focus
ultimately resulting in the blurring of the image.
230. Chromatic aberration: -color distortion in an image produced by a lens, caused by the
inability of the lens to bring the various colors of light to focus at a single point.
231. Microscope: -an instrument with the help of which the minute objects can be seen
magnified.
232. least distance of distinct vision: -the nearest position to which the object can be seen
clearly without stressing the eyes
233. Compound microscope: -it is an optical instrument used to see near objects of very small
dimensions clearly, primarily consist of objective lens and eye piece.
234. Objective lens in compound microscope: -the convex lens of short focal length, nearer to
object is called objective lens.
235. Eye piece (ocular lens) of compound microscope: - the convex lens of relatively larger
focal, near to eye to display the image.
236. Telescope: -telescope is an optical instrument used to make distinct objects appear
magnified, so that they may be seen distinctly.

237. Astronomical telescope: -it is an optical instrument that is used to view heavenly bodies
(i.e. planets, stars etc.)
238. Terrestrial telescope: -it is an optical instrument used to view distinct objects on earth
clearly.
239. Galilean telescope: -also called opera glass is used to view objects on earth.
240. Spectrometer: -an apparatus used for the recording and measuring spectra, especially as a
method of analysis.
241. The eye: -the light sensitive vision organ.
242. Sclera: -the tough white fibrous outer envelope of tissue, covering all the eye ball except
cornea.
243. Cornea: -the transparent convex shaped front tissue, covering iris and pupil.
244. Choroids: -the pigmented vascular layer of the eyeball, lying between sclera and retina.
245. Iris: -the contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and
containing a circular opening, the pupil, in its center.
246. Pupil: -the opening in the center of the iris through which light enters the eye.
247. Retina: -a layer at the back of eyeball, containing cells that are sensitive to light and that
trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain.
248. Crystalline lens: -the transparent elastic structure behind the iris by which light is focused
onto the retina.
249. Aqueous humour: -the clear watery fluid, circulating in the chamber of the eye between
the cornea and lens.
250. Vitreous humour: -the transparent gelatinous substance, filling the eye ball behind the
crystalline lens.
251. Myopia: -it is the condition of short sightedness in which nearby objects can be seen
clearly.
252. Hyperopia: - an abnormal condition in which the distinct objects can be seen clearly rather
than near one.