Coulomb Total charge supplied by a current of one ampere in a time of 1 second

Volt Energy transfer per unit charge of 1 Joule per Coulomb

Ohm A resistance of 1 Volt per Ampere
Kilowatt-hour The energy transferred by an appliance of power 1 kW in a time of 1 hour
Electronvolt The energy change of an electron when it moves through a potential difference of 1
volt
Mean drift velocity The average velocity of current carriers in the direction of the current
Transverse wave A wave with oscillations perpendicular to the direction of propagation
Longitudinal wave A wave with oscillations in the direction of propagation
Reflection A process where waves from a source hit an object and then move back towards the
source
Refraction A process where a wave changes direction as it passes from one material to another
Diffraction A process where a wave spreads out after passing around an object or through a gap
Plane polarisation A process that produces a wave that oscillates only in one plane
Interference A process of combining multiple waves so that their amplitudes add
Coherence Waves are coherent if they have a constant phase difference
Path difference The difference in distance along two paths taken by parts of a wave that have split
from each other and then re-combined
Node A point on a stationary wave that has zero amplitude of oscillation
Anti-node A point on a wave that has maximum amplitude of oscillation
Fundamental mode
of vibration
The mode of vibration of a standing wave that gives the lowest possible frequency of
vibration
Harmonics Modes of vibration of a standing wave that have frequencies that are multiples of the
fundamental frequency
Electromotive force
(e.m.f.)
Energy transferred per unit charge when one other type of energy is converted into
electrical energy
Potential difference
(p.d.)
The electrical energy transferred per unit charge when electrical energy is converted
into another form of energy
Resistance Potential difference / current
Resistivity Cross-sectional area * resistance per unit length of a wire
Power Rate of energy transfer
Terminal p.d. The p.d. across the terminals of a battery
Displacement The distance of any part of a wave has moved from its mean position
Amplitude The maximum displacement
Wavelength The shortest distance between 2 points that are in phase
Period The time taken for one complete oscillation to take place at any point on the wave
Phase difference The relationship between the pattern of vibration at two points on the wave
Frequency The number of oscillations per unit time at any point on the wave
Intensity The incident power per unit area
Work function The minimum energy required to release an electron by the photoelectric effect
Threshold frequency The minimum frequency of light that will release an electron by the photoelectric
effect
QUANTITIES
CONCEPTS
UNITS