Physics Flashcards

According to Newton's Second Law as taught in Singapore A-Level Physics, what is the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration?

Answer: F = ma

Newton's Second Law states that the resultant force acting on a body is equal to the product of its mass and acceleration: F = ma. This is the fundamental equation of dynamics.

What is the principle of conservation of momentum?

Answer: The total momentum of a closed system remains constant if no external forces act on it

In a closed system with no external forces, the total momentum before an interaction equals the total momentum after. This applies to all collisions and explosions.

What is the relationship between electric field strength (E) and potential difference (V) for a uniform field?

Answer: E = V/d

For a uniform electric field between parallel plates, E = V/d, where V is the potential difference and d is the separation between the plates.

In the photoelectric effect studied in Singapore A-Level Physics, what determines whether electrons are emitted?

Answer: The frequency of the light must exceed the threshold frequency

Einstein's photoelectric equation shows that electrons are emitted only when the photon frequency exceeds the threshold frequency (f₀). Below f₀, no electrons are emitted regardless of intensity.

What is the de Broglie wavelength of a particle?

Answer: λ = h/p, where h is Planck's constant and p is momentum

The de Broglie wavelength is λ = h/p, where h is Planck's constant (6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ Js) and p is the momentum of the particle. This demonstrates wave-particle duality.

What is simple harmonic motion (SHM) as defined in the Singapore A-Level syllabus?

Answer: Motion where the acceleration is proportional to displacement and directed towards a fixed point

SHM is defined as motion where the acceleration is proportional to the displacement from a fixed point (equilibrium) and always directed towards that point: a = -ω²x.