IBDP Physics Syllabus | Examine Preparation Guide

Distance is a scalar quantity tracking the total path traveled, while displacement is a vector quantity measuring the straight-line change in position from start to end.

Static friction acts on a stationary body to prevent relative motion, up to a maximum value of $\mu_s F_N$. Dynamic friction acts on a moving body and has a constant value of $\mu_d F_N$, which is generally less than the maximum static friction.

For a system of isolated bodies where no resultant external forces act, the total linear momentum always remains constant.

Even though the speed is constant, the car's direction of motion is continually changing. Since velocity is a vector, the changing direction means the car is accelerating towards the center of the circle.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed from one form to another or transferred from one system to another.

The moment of inertia for a point mass is the product of its mass and the square of its perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation ($I = mr^2$).

1. The laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion relative to one another. 2. The speed of light in free space has the same value for all inertial observers, regardless of the motion of the source or observer.

Convection is the transfer of heat by the movement of fluid (liquid or gas) particles, which occurs when warmer, less dense fluid rises and cooler, denser fluid sinks, creating a convection current.

Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Water vapor (H2O).

An ideal gas is a theoretical gas composed of many randomly moving point particles that do not interact with each other except through elastic collisions.

The total entropy of an isolated system can only increase over time, or remain constant in ideal cases; it never decreases.

Internal resistance is the opposition to the flow of current within a cell or battery, causing a drop in the terminal voltage when current is drawn from it.

Simple Harmonic Motion occurs when the restoring force (and thus acceleration) is directly proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium position and acts in the opposite direction to the displacement.

In longitudinal waves, particles oscillate parallel to the direction of wave propagation (e.g., sound waves). In transverse waves, particles oscillate perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation (e.g., light waves).

Diffraction is the spreading of waves as they pass through an opening or around an obstacle.

A standing wave is formed when two waves of the same frequency, amplitude, and wavelength traveling in opposite directions interfere with each other, creating fixed nodes and antinodes.

The Doppler effect is used in radar guns to measure the speed of vehicles, in medical imaging (ultrasound) to measure blood flow, and in astronomy to determine the motion of stars and galaxies.

Gravitational field strength at a point is the gravitational force experienced per unit mass placed at that point.

Electric field lines originate from the positive charge and terminate on the negative charge, showing the direction of force on a positive test charge. They are denser closer to the charges and never cross.

The magnetic force on a moving charge is always perpendicular to the velocity of the charge. Since work done is $W = Fd\cos\theta$, and $\theta = 90^\circ$, $\cos 90^\circ = 0$, so no work is done.

Lenz's law states that the direction of an induced electromotive force (EMF) and current is such that it opposes the change in magnetic flux that produced it.

The existence of discrete energy levels is supported by atomic emission and absorption spectra, which show distinct lines corresponding to specific photon energies emitted or absorbed when electrons transition between these levels.

Wave-particle duality is the concept that all matter and energy exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties, depending on the experiment or observation.

Half-life is the time required for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to undergo radioactive decay.

A moderator in a nuclear reactor slows down fast neutrons produced during fission, making them thermal neutrons, which are more likely to cause further fission reactions and sustain the chain reaction.

Control rods are made of materials that are good absorbers of neutrons. They are inserted into the reactor to regulate the number of free neutrons, thereby controlling the rate of the fission chain reaction.

Nuclear fusion requires extremely high temperatures and pressures to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between positively charged nuclei, allowing the strong nuclear force to bind them together.

The stability of a star relies on an equilibrium between the outward radiation pressure from nuclear fusion and the inward gravitational forces.