AQA GCSE Combined Science: Synergy key terms

Energy stored in an elastic object when work is done to change its shape, measured in joules (J).

A quantity of electricity, measured in coulombs (C). In metal wires, moving electrons carry electrical charge.

Energy transferred when charge flows through a potential difference. Electrical work done equals the energy transferred.

The rate of flow of electrical charge: the charge passing a point in a circuit each second.

A device that uses magnetic forces on a current-carrying coil to produce rotation, transferring energy electrically into mechanical movement.

The harmful effect of an electric current passing through the body.

A conductor through which electrical current enters or leaves an electrolyte.

A process that uses an electric current to break down ionic substances and can be used to obtain copper from solutions of copper compounds.

A liquid containing mobile ions that carry electrical charge during electrolysis.

A solenoid with an iron core, which acts as a magnet when current flows through the coil.

Energy transferred by electromagnetic waves, including visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The complete, continuous range of electromagnetic waves, arranged by wavelength or frequency.

A transverse wave that transfers energy from a source to an absorber and can travel through a vacuum.

A subatomic particle found in energy levels around the nucleus, with relative charge −1 and a very small relative mass.

The distribution of an atom’s electrons between its shells, or energy levels.

The arrangement of electrons in an atom's shells, which can be written as numbers separated by commas, such as 2,8,1.

A microscope that uses a beam of electrons to produce an image and has much higher resolving power than a light microscope.

An energy level occupied by electrons around an atom's nucleus.

The reduction in attraction between the nucleus and an outer electron caused by electrons in inner shells.

The force of attraction between opposite electrical charges.

An attractive force between opposite electric charges or a repulsive force between like electric charges.

A pure substance containing only one type of atom.

A stem cell obtained from an embryo a few days old that can develop into any of the types of cell in the body.

The giving out of electromagnetic radiation when an electron drops to a lower energy level.

A formula showing the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound.

A mixture in which tiny droplets of one liquid are dispersed in another. A cloudy white emulsion is a positive result in the ethanol test for lipids.

A species whose population is at risk of becoming extinct.