Physics (IGCSE EDEXCEL)
Topic:Forces and Motion
Key Concepts:
● Force: It is a push or pull acting on an object, causing it to
accelerate or change its state of motion.
● Types of Forces:
● Contact Forces: Result from direct physical contact between
objects (e.g., friction, tension, normal force).
● Non-contact Forces: Act over a distance without direct
contact (e.g., gravitational force, magnetic force).
● Newton's Laws of Motion: Fundamental principles governing the
relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.
● First Law (Law of Inertia): An object remains at rest or in
uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force.
● Second Law: The force acting on an object is directly
proportional to its acceleration and inversely proportional
to its mass (F = ma).
● Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction.
● Acceleration: The rate at which an object changes its velocity.
Acceleration occurs when an object speeds up, slows down, or
changes direction.
● Velocity and Speed: Velocity is speed in a specific direction,
while speed is the distance covered per unit time.
● Graphs and Motion:
● Distance-Time Graph: Shows how distance changes over time.
● Velocity-Time Graph: Illustrates how velocity changes over
time.
● Scalar and Vector Quantities:
● Scalar: Magnitude only (e.g., speed).
● Vector: Magnitude and direction (e.g., velocity, force).
● Friction: Force that opposes motion between surfaces in contact.
● Terminal Velocity: The maximum speed reached by a falling object
when the force of gravity is balanced by the force of air
resistance.
Topic:Forces and Motion
Key Concepts:
● Force: It is a push or pull acting on an object, causing it to
accelerate or change its state of motion.
● Types of Forces:
● Contact Forces: Result from direct physical contact between
objects (e.g., friction, tension, normal force).
● Non-contact Forces: Act over a distance without direct
contact (e.g., gravitational force, magnetic force).
● Newton's Laws of Motion: Fundamental principles governing the
relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.
● First Law (Law of Inertia): An object remains at rest or in
uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force.
● Second Law: The force acting on an object is directly
proportional to its acceleration and inversely proportional
to its mass (F = ma).
● Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite
reaction.
● Acceleration: The rate at which an object changes its velocity.
Acceleration occurs when an object speeds up, slows down, or
changes direction.
● Velocity and Speed: Velocity is speed in a specific direction,
while speed is the distance covered per unit time.
● Graphs and Motion:
● Distance-Time Graph: Shows how distance changes over time.
● Velocity-Time Graph: Illustrates how velocity changes over
time.
● Scalar and Vector Quantities:
● Scalar: Magnitude only (e.g., speed).
● Vector: Magnitude and direction (e.g., velocity, force).
● Friction: Force that opposes motion between surfaces in contact.
● Terminal Velocity: The maximum speed reached by a falling object
when the force of gravity is balanced by the force of air
resistance.
