OCR GCSE Physics A key terms

Three small bones that carry vibrations from the eardrum towards the inner ear.

A pair consisting of the force of object A on object B and the force of object B on object A, produced by one interaction.

An apparent change in a scale reading caused by viewing it from an angle rather than straight on.

A connection in which components lie on separate branches between the same two points.

An electrical arrangement with two or more complete branches between junctions.

The original unstable nucleus that undergoes radioactive decay.

A small unit used in the particle model to represent matter, such as an atom or molecule.

A model in which gas molecules move rapidly and randomly, with forces arising when they collide with surfaces or one another.

A unit of pressure equal to one newton per square metre.

How readily radiation passes through a material before being absorbed.

The time taken for one complete cycle, measured in seconds (s).

A magnet that produces its own magnetic field and retains its magnetism under normal conditions without an external magnetic field.

The shortest distance from a pivot to the line along which a force acts, measured at right angles to that line.

A change in which a material remains the same substance and recovers its original properties when the change is reversed.

A movable, closely fitting part that pushes on fluid inside a cylinder or is pushed by it.

The point about which an object can turn.

A large, nearly spherical body that orbits a star and has cleared most other objects from the neighbourhood of its orbit.

A permanent deformation: the object does not return fully to its original shape and dimensions when the forces causing the deformation are removed.

A small compass used to identify the direction of a magnetic field at a particular position.

Thomson’s model of an atom: electrons embedded in a sphere of positive charge.

The direction of a potential difference between two points, identified by which point is at the higher potential.

An orbit that takes a satellite over or close to both of Earth's poles.

The energy transferred per unit charge between two points in a circuit, measured in volts (V).

The energy transferred per unit charge between two points, measured in volts (V).

The energy transferred per unit of electric charge between two points, measured in volts (V).

The rate at which energy is transferred, measured in watts (W); one watt is one joule per second.

The manufacturer's stated power of an appliance under its intended operating conditions.