Core mechanics, electricity, and waves concepts from the IB Physics syllabus. Front: the term or formula. Back: definition or formula with a brief usage note.
45 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- Displacement
Show answer
The straight-line distance and direction from an object's starting point to its final position.- Velocity
Show answer
The rate of change of displacement with respect to time, including direction.- Acceleration
Show answer
The rate of change of velocity with respect to time.- Newton's first law
Show answer
An object remains at rest or in uniform motion unless acted on by a net external force.- Newton's second law
Show answer
The net force on an object equals its mass multiplied by its acceleration, F equals ma.- Newton's third law
Show answer
For every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force.- Mass versus weight
Show answer
Mass measures the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the gravitational force acting on that mass.- Momentum
Show answer
The product of an object's mass and velocity, a vector quantity measuring motion.- Conservation of momentum
Show answer
In a closed system with no external forces, the total momentum before a collision equals the total momentum after.- Impulse
Show answer
The product of force and the time over which it acts, equal to the change in momentum it causes.- Work
Show answer
The energy transferred when a force moves an object through a distance in the direction of the force.- Kinetic energy
Show answer
The energy an object possesses due to its motion, equal to one half mass times velocity squared.- Gravitational potential energy
Show answer
The energy an object has due to its position in a gravitational field, equal to mass times gravity times height.- Conservation of energy
Show answer
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form into another.- Power
Show answer
The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred, measured in watts.
FlashKeepers