PHYSICAL SCIENCES DEFINITIONS

(as per IEB Subject Assessment Guidelines Jan 2021)

PAPER 1 – PHYSICS

VECTORS
Vector A physical quantity that has both magnitude and direction

Scalar A physical quantity that has magnitude only

The single vector which has the same effect as the original
Resultant vector
vectors acting together

KINEMATICS
Distance The length of path travelled

Displacement A change in position

Speed The rate of change of distance

The rate of change of position OR the rate of displacement

Velocity
OR the rate of change of displacement

Acceleration The rate of change of velocity

FORCES
The gravitational force the Earth exerts on any object on or
Weight (Fg)
near its surface

The perpendicular force exerted by a surface on an object

Normal force (FN)
in contact with it

The force that opposes the motion of an object and acts

Frictional force (Ff)
parallel to the surface with which the object is in contact

The force that opposes the tendency of motion of a

Static frictional force
stationary object relative to the surface of contact

The force that opposes the motion of a moving object

Kinetic frictional force
relative to the surface of contact

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 NEWTON’S LAWS
The property of an object that causes it to resist a
Inertia
change in its state of rest or uniform motion

An object continues in a state of rest or uniform (moving

Newton's first law of
with constant) velocity unless it is acted upon by a net or
motion (Newton I)
resultant force

When a net force, Fnet, is applied to an object of mass, m, it

Newton's second law of accelerates in the direction of the net force. The
motion (Newton II) acceleration, a, is directly proportional to the net force and
inversely proportional to the mass.

When object A exerts a force on object B, object B

Newton's third law of
simultaneously exerts an oppositely directed force of equal
motion (Newton III)
magnitude on object A

MOMENTUM & IMPULSE

Linear momentum The product of the mass and velocity of the object

Newton's second law of The net (or resultant) force acting on an object is equal
motion in terms of to the rate of change of momentum of the object (in the
momentum direction of the net force)

Isolated system A system that has no net external force acting on it

Principle of conservation The total linear momentum of an isolated system

of linear momentum remains constant (is conserved)

A collision in which both momentum and kinetic energy

Elastic collision
are conserved

Inelastic collision A collision in which only momentum is conserved

The product of the net force acting on an object and the

Impulse
c o n t a c t time the net force acts on the object

VERTICAL PROJECTILE MOTION

An object which is given an initial velocity and then
Projectile
moves under the influence of gravitational force only

Motion during which the only force acting on an object is

Free fall
the gravitational force

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 WORK, ENERGY & POWER
Work done on an object The product of the displacement and the component of
by a force the force parallel to the displacement

Gravitational potential The energy an object possesses due to its position

energy relative to a reference point

Kinetic energy The energy an object has as a result of its motion

The sum of an object's gravitational potential energy

Mechanical energy
and kinetic energy at a point

Law of conservation of The total energy in a system cannot be created nor

energy destroyed; only transformed from one form to another

Principle of conservation In the absence of air resistance or any external forces,

of mechanical energy the mechanical energy of an object is constant

A force for which the work done in moving an object

Conservative force
between two points is independent of the path taken

A force for which the work done in moving an object

Non-conservative force
between two points depends on the path taken

The work done by a net force on an object is

Work – energy theorem
equal to the change in the kinetic energy of the object

The rate at which work is done OR the rate at which

Power
energy is transferred

The power when one joule of work is done in one

One Watt
second

Efficiency The ratio of output power to input power

GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS
Every particle with mass in the universe attracts every
other particle with a force which is directly proportional
Newton's law of Universal
to the product of their masses and inversely
Gravitation
proportional to the square of the distance between their
centres

Gravitational field The force acting per unit mass

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 ELECTROSTATICS
Two point charges in free space or air exert forces on
each other. The force is directly proportional to the
Coulomb's law
product of the charges and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between the charges.
A region of space in which an electric charge
experiences a force. The direction of the electric field at
Electric field
a point is the direction that a positive test charge would
move if placed at that point.

Electric field at a point The electrostatic force per unit positive charge

ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS
Potential difference The work done per unit positive charge

Current The rate of flow of charge

The current through a conductor is directly proportional

Ohm's law to the potential difference across the conductor at
constant temperature

Resistance A material's opposition to the flow of electric current

The total energy supplied per coulomb of charge

Emf
passing through the cell

ELECTRODYNAMICS
A representation of the magnitude and direction of the
Magnetic flux density (B)
magnetic field

The product of the number of turns on the coil and the

Magnetic flux linkage
flux through the coil (NФ)

Faraday’s Law of The emf induced is directly proportional to the rate of

electromagnetic induction change of magnetic flux (flux linkage)

The induced current flows in a direction so as to set up a

Lenz’s Law
magnetic field to oppose the change in magnetic flux

An electrical component that only allows current to flow

Diode
in one direction

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 PHOTONS & ELECTRONS
The process whereby electrons are ejected from the
Photoelectric effect surface of a metal when light of a suitable frequency
shines on the surface of the metal

Threshold (cut-off) The minimum frequency of incident radiation at which

frequency (fo) electrons will be emitted from a particular metal

The minimum amount of energy needed to emit an

Work function (Wo)
electron from the surface of a metal

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 PHYSICAL SCIENCES DEFINITIONS
(as per IEB Subject Assessment Guidelines Jan 2021)

PAPER 2 – CHEMISTRY

QUANTITATIVE CHEMISTRY
The amount of a substance which contains Avogadro's
Mole
number of particles

Molar mass The mass in grams of one mole of that substance

The volume occupied by 1 mole of gas at STP.

Molar volume 1 mole of a gas occupies 22,4 dm3 at 0°C (273 K) and 1
atmosphere (101,3 kPa)

Solution A homogenous mixture of solute and solvent

Solute The substance that is dissolved in the solution

The substance in which another substance is dissolved,

Solvent
forming a solution

Concentration The amount of solute per unit volume of solution

A measure of the extent of a reaction, generally measured

Yield by comparing the amount of product against the amount of
product that is possible

CHEMICAL BONDING
Intramolecular bond A bond which occurs between atoms within molecules

A sharing of at least one pair of electrons by two non-metal

Covalent bond
atoms

Non-polar covalent bond

An equal sharing of electrons
(pure covalent bond)

Unequal sharing of electrons leading to a dipole forming

Polar covalent bond
(as a result of electronegativity difference)

A measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding

Electronegativity
pair of electrons

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 A transfer of electrons and subsequent electrostatic
Ionic bond
attraction

Being between a positive kernel and a sea of delocalised

Metallic bonding
electrons

A force of attraction between molecules, ions, or atoms of

Intermolecular force
noble gases

ENERGY CHANGE & RATES OF REACTIONS

Heat of reaction (∆H) The net change of chemical potential energy of the system

Reactions which transform chemical potential energy into

Exothermic reactions
thermal energy

Reactions which transform thermal energy into chemical

Endothermic reactions
potential energy

The minimum energy required to start a chemical reaction

Activation energy
OR the energy required to form the activated complex

A high energy, unstable, temporary transition state

Activated complex
between the reactants and the products

The change in concentration per unit time of either a

Reaction rate
reactant or product

A substance that increases the rate of the reaction but

Catalyst
remains unchanged at the end of the reaction

A collision in which the colliding reactant particles have the

Effective (successful)
correct orientation and sufficient energy (kinetic energy
collision
equal to or greater than the activation energy)

CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM
A system in which mass is conserved inside the system but
Closed system
energy can enter or leave the system freely

A system in which both energy and matter can be

Open system
exchanged between the system and its surroundings

A reaction in which products can be converted back into

Reversible reaction
reactants

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 A reversible reaction in which the forward and reverse
Dynamic chemical
reactions are taking place at the same rate, and hence the
equilibrium
concentrations of reactants and products are constant

When an external stress (change in pressure, temperature

or concentration) is applied to a system in dynamic
Le Châtelier's principle
chemical equilibrium, the equilibrium point will change in
such a way as to counteract the stress

Temperature is the only factor which influences the value

Equilibrium constant (Kc)
of the equilibrium constant

ACIDS & BASES

Acid A proton donor

Base A proton acceptor

The reaction of a molecular substance with water to

Ionisation
produce ions

Strong acid An acid that ionises completely in an aqueous solution

Weak acid An acid that only ionises partially in an aqueous solution

Dissociation The splitting of an ionic compound into its ions

Strong base A base that dissociates completely in an aqueous solution

A base that only dissociates/ionises partially in an aqueous

Weak base
solution

Amphoteric (or
A substance that can act as either an acid or a base
amphiprotic) substance

A substance in which the hydrogen of an acid has been

Salt
replaced by a cation

Hydrolysis of a salt A reaction of an ion (from a salt) with water

Neutralisation (or the The point where an acid and base have reacted so neither
equivalence point) is in excess

Standard solution A solution of known concentration

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 ELECTROCHEMISTRY
Redox reaction A reaction involving the transfer of electrons

Oxidation The loss of electrons

Reduction The gain of electrons

Oxidising agent A substance that accepts electrons

Reducing agent A substance that donates electrons

Anode The electrode where oxidation takes place

Cathode The electrode where reduction takes place

A substance that can conduct electricity by forming free

Electrolyte
ions when molten or dissolved in solution

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
Hydrocarbon A compound containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms

A compound in which all of the bonds between carbon

Saturated compound
atoms are single bonds

A compound in which there is at least one double and/or

Unsaturated compound
triple bond between carbon atoms

An atom or a group of atoms that form the centre of

Functional group
chemical activity in the molecule

A series of similar compounds which have the same

functional group and the same general formula, in which
Homologous series
each member differs from the previous one by a single CH2
unit

Compounds having the same molecular formula but

Structural isomers
different structural formulae

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