KS3 CIE Physics: Vocabulary & Terms Quick Memorisation Guide | KS3 CIE 物理：词汇术语速记指南

📚 KS3 CIE Physics: Vocabulary & Terms Quick Memorisation Guide | KS3 CIE 物理：词汇术语速记指南

Physics at KS3 level introduces a world of new words that can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks each term into simple definitions, memory tricks, and real-world links to help you lock the vocabulary into your long-term memory. If you treat these words like building blocks, you will soon see how everything in physics connects.

KS3 物理课程引入了大量新词汇，可能让人感到无从下手。本指南将每个术语拆解成简单的定义、记忆技巧和现实生活的联系，帮助你把这些词汇牢牢固定在你的长期记忆中。如果你把这些词语当作积木，很快你就会发现物理中的万事万物是如何联系在一起的。

1. Forces and Motion | 力与运动

Force: a push or a pull that can change an object’s speed, direction, or shape. Think of ‘force’ like a ‘fork’ – you push food with a fork. The unit is the newton (N).

力：推或拉，可以改变物体的速度、方向或形状。把 ‘force’ 联想成 ‘fork’（叉子）——你用叉子推动食物。力的单位是牛顿 (N)。

Gravity: the force of attraction between any two masses. On Earth, gravity pulls everything towards the centre of the planet. Remember: ‘Gravity grabs you and the ground.’

重力：任意两个质量之间的吸引力。在地球上，重力将一切拉向地心。记住：’重力（Gravity）抓住（grabs）你和地面。’

Friction: a force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact. ‘Friction fights motion’ – both words start with ‘f’. It can be useful (walking) or a nuisance (engine parts wearing down).

摩擦力：阻碍接触面之间相对运动的力。’摩擦（Friction）对抗（fights）运动’，两个词都以 ‘f’ 开头。摩擦力可能有用（走路），也可能令人讨厌（发动机部件磨损）。

Upthrust: an upward force exerted by a fluid (liquid or gas) on an object. Also called buoyancy. Think of a rubber duck being pushed up by water – ‘up’ and ‘thrust’ describe it perfectly.

浮力：流体（液体或气体）对物体施加的向上的力。想象一只橡皮鸭被水推起来——’向上’ 加 ‘推力’，名字已经说明了含义。

Air resistance (drag): a type of friction caused by air particles hitting a moving object. The faster you move, the greater the air resistance. Try running with an open umbrella and you will feel it.

空气阻力（拖曳力）：一种由于空气粒子撞击运动物体而产生的摩擦力。你移动得越快，空气阻力越大。试试撑开雨伞奔跑，你就能感受到它。

Speed: how fast an object is moving, without considering direction. It is a scalar quantity. Formula: speed = distance ÷ time (in m/s or km/h).

速率：物体移动的快慢，不考虑方向。它是一个标量。公式：速率 = 距离 ÷ 时间（单位 m/s 或 km/h）。

Velocity: speed in a given direction. It is a vector. A car turning a corner at constant speed has changing velocity because its direction changes.

速度：在指定方向上的速率。它是一个矢量。汽车以恒定速率转弯，速度也在改变，因为方向在变。

Acceleration: the rate of change of velocity. Formula: acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time. An object accelerates whenever it speeds up, slows down, or changes direction.

加速度：速度变化的快慢。公式：加速度 = 速度变化量 ÷ 时间。只要物体加速、减速或改变方向，它就在加速。

Resultant force: the overall force acting on an object when all forces are combined. If the resultant force is zero, the forces are balanced and the object’s motion stays the same.

合力：作用在物体上所有力合并后的总力。如果合力为零，这些力就是平衡的，物体的运动状态保持不变。

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2. Energy | 能量

Energy: the ability to do work. It is measured in joules (J). Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or stored.

能量：做功的能力。单位是焦耳 (J)。能量既不能创生也不能消灭，只能转移或储存。

Kinetic energy: energy an object has due to its motion. ‘Kinetic’ sounds like ‘kinetic’ – imagine a moving cinema (kinetic and cinema). The faster and heavier, the more kinetic energy.

动能：物体因运动而具有的能量。’Kinetic’ 听起来像 ‘kinetic’——想象一个运动的电影院。速度越快、质量越大，动能越大。

Gravitational potential energy (GPE): energy stored in an object due to its height above the ground. ‘Gravitational’ links to gravity, ‘potential’ means it has the potential to fall. Higher up = more GPE.

重力势能 (GPE)：物体因其离地高度而储存的能量。’Gravitational’ 与重力有关，’potential’ 表示它有落下的潜力。位置越高，重力势能越大。

Thermal energy: energy an object has due to the movement of its particles. Also called heat energy. Rubbing hands together transfers kinetic energy into thermal energy.

热能：物体因其粒子运动而具有的能量。双手摩擦将动能转化为热能。

Chemical energy: energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds (food, fuel, batteries). Released by breaking those bonds. Think of a battery ‘chemicals’ powering a torch.

化学能：储存在化学键中的能量（食物、燃料、电池）。通过断裂这些键释放出来。想到电池里的’化学物质’为手电筒供电。

Energy transfer: energy moving from one store to another. Four main pathways: mechanically (by a force), electrically, by heating, and by radiation (light/sound).

能量转移：能量从一个储存处移动到另一个储存处。四种主要途径：通过力做功（机械）、电、加热和辐射（光/声）。

Conservation of energy: the law that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed from one form to another. Total energy in a closed system stays constant.

能量守恒：能量既不能创生也不能消灭，只能从一种形式转化为另一种形式的定律。在封闭系统中总能量保持恒定。

Sankey diagram: a flow diagram where the width of the arrows represents the amount of energy. Useful for showing energy transfers and how much is useful or wasted.

桑基图：一种箭头宽度代表能量大小的流程图。适用于显示能量转移以及有用能量和浪费能量的大小。

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3. Electricity | 电学

Current: the flow of electric charge (electrons) around a circuit. Measured in amperes (A). Current is like the rate of water flow through a pipe. The more electrons per second, the greater the current.

电流：电荷（电子）在电路中的流动。单位为安培 (A)。电流好比水管中水流的速率。每秒通过的电子越多，电流越大。

Voltage (potential difference): the ‘push’ that drives the current around a circuit. Measured in volts (V). Think of voltage as the pressure that pushes water through a hose.

电压（电势差）：驱动电流在电路中流动的’推力’。单位为伏特 (V)。将电压想象成推动水通过软管的水压。

Resistance: anything that slows down the current. Measured in ohms (Ω). A thin wire has more resistance than a thick wire. More resistance means less current for the same voltage.

电阻：任何阻碍电流流动的因素。单位为欧姆 (Ω)。细导线的电阻比粗导线大。电压相同时，电阻越大，电流越小。

Series circuit: a circuit with only one loop for the current. All components are connected end-to-end. If one bulb blows, the circuit breaks and all lights go out.

串联电路：电流只有一条回路的电路。所有元件首尾相连。如果一个灯泡坏了，电路断开，所有灯都熄灭。

Parallel circuit: a circuit with two or more separate branches. Current can flow around different loops. If one branch breaks, current can still flow in the other branches.

并联电路：有两个或以上独立分支的电路。电流可以在不同的环路中流动。如果一条支路断路，其他支路仍有电流通过。

Conductor: a material that allows charge to flow easily (e.g. copper, aluminium). ‘Conduct’ means to lead or guide – metals conduct electrons well.

导体：允许电荷轻易流动的材料（如铜、铝）。’Conduct’ 意思是引导——金属很好地引导电子。

Insulator: a material that does not allow charge to flow (e.g. plastic, rubber). ‘Insulate’ means to shut away from flow – insulators trap electrons for safety.

绝缘体：不允许电荷流动的材料（如塑料、橡胶）。’Insulate’ 意思是隔绝——绝缘体为安全而困住电子。

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4. Waves | 波

Wave: a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without transferring matter. Light, sound and water ripples are all waves.

波：一种将能量从一个地方传递到另一个地方而不传递物质的扰动。光、声音和水波都属于波。

Amplitude: the maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its rest position. It determines the loudness of sound or brightness of light. Taller waves carry more energy.

振幅：波上某一点离开平衡位置的最大位移。它决定了声音的响度或光的亮度。波峰越高，携带的能量越多。

Wavelength: the distance between two corresponding points on a wave (e.g. crest to crest). Measured in metres (m). The Greek letter lambda (λ) is used, but you can just write ‘wavelength’.

波长：波上两个对应点之间的直线距离（例如波峰到波峰）。单位为米 (m)。常用希腊字母 λ 表示，但直接写 ‘wavelength’ 就行。

Frequency: the number of complete waves passing a point per second. Measured in hertz (Hz). 1 Hz = 1 wave per second. High frequency means a high-pitched sound or blue light.

频率：每秒通过某一点的完整波数。单位为赫兹 (Hz)。1 Hz = 每秒 1 个波。高频率意味着声音音调高或光偏蓝色。

Transverse wave: a wave where the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer. Light and water waves are transverse. Imagine flicking a rope up and down: the wave moves horizontally, the rope moves vertically.

横波：振动方向与能量传递方向垂直的波。光波和水波是横波。想象抖动一根绳子：波水平前进，绳子上下振动。

Longitudinal wave: a wave where the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer. Sound is a longitudinal wave. Picture a slinky being pushed and pulled – compressions and rarefactions move along.

纵波：振动方向与能量传递方向平行的波。声音是纵波。想象一个弹簧玩具被推拉——疏密部分沿弹簧移动。

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5. States of Matter and Particle Model | 物质状态与粒子模型

Solid: a state of matter with a fixed shape and fixed volume. Particles are tightly packed in a regular pattern and vibrate in place. ‘Solid’ sounds like ‘sold’ – fixed in position.

固态：具有固定形状和固定体积的物质状态。粒子紧密排列成规则结构，在原地振动。’Solid’ 听起来像 ‘sold’（被卖出定型）——位置固定。

Liquid: a state of matter with a fixed volume but no fixed shape – it takes the shape of its container. Particles are close together but can move past each other. Liquids can flow.

液态：有固定体积但没有固定形状的物质状态——形状随容器改变。粒子紧密接触但可以彼此滑过。液体能流动。

Gas: a state of matter with no fixed shape or volume – it fills its container. Particles are far apart and move rapidly in all directions. Gases can be compressed easily.

气态：没有固定形状和体积的物质状态——会充满容器。粒子间距很大，向各个方向快速运动。气体容易被压缩。

Melting: changing from solid to liquid by adding thermal energy. The temperature at which this happens is the melting point. Ice melts at 0°C.

熔化：通过加入热能，从固态变为液态。发生该变化的温度称为熔点。冰在 0°C 熔化。

Freezing: changing from liquid to solid as thermal energy is removed. Same temperature as melting point: water freezes at 0°C.

凝固：热能减少时，从液态变为固态。温度与熔点相同：水在 0°C 凝固。

Boiling / evaporation: both change liquid to gas. Boiling happens at a specific temperature (boiling point) throughout the liquid; evaporation occurs only at the surface at any temperature. Wind and larger surface area speed up evaporation.

沸腾 / 蒸发：两者都将液体变为气体。沸腾在特定温度（沸点）下于液体内部整体发生；蒸发仅在液面任何温度下发生。风和更大的表面积会加速蒸发。

Condensation: changing from gas to liquid when thermal energy is removed. Think of water droplets forming on a cold mirror after a shower.

冷凝：热能减少时，从气态变为液态。想想淋浴后冷镜子上形成的水珠。

Sublimation: changing directly from solid to gas without passing through the liquid phase, e.g. dry ice (solid CO₂) turning into gas.

升华：不经过液态，直接从固态变为气态，例如干冰（固态 CO₂）变为气体。

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6. Space Physics | 空间物理

Solar System: the Sun and all the objects that orbit it, including eight planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. ‘Solar’ refers to the Sun (Latin ‘sol’).

太阳系：太阳和所有绕其运行的天体，包括八大行星、矮行星、卫星、小行星和彗星。’Solar’ 指太阳（拉丁语 ‘sol’）。

Planet: a large object that orbits a star, has enough gravity to become nearly round, and has cleared its orbit of other debris. The word comes from Greek ‘planetes’ meaning ‘wanderer’, because planets moved across the sky.

行星：围绕恒星运行的大型天体，具有足够重力使自身接近圆形，并清除了其轨道附近的其他碎片。一词源于希腊语 ‘planetes’，意为’漫游者’，因为行星在天空中移动。

Moon (natural satellite): a body that orbits a planet. The Earth has one moon; Jupiter has more than 90. Our Moon reflects sunlight, which is why we see it shining.

卫星（天然卫星）：绕行星运行的天体。地球有一颗卫星；木星有超过 90 颗。月球反射太阳光，所以我们能看到它发光。

Orbit: the curved path of one object around another due to gravity. The closer a planet is to the Sun, the faster it orbits. ‘Orbit’ comes from the Latin for ‘wheel track’.

轨道：一个物体因重力作用围绕另一个物体运行的曲线路径。行星离太阳越近，公转速度越快。’Orbit’ 来自拉丁语’车轮轨迹’。

Galaxy: a huge collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter held together by gravity. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way. ‘Galaxy’ shares its root with ‘lactose’ (milk) – the Milky Way looks like a milky band across the sky.

星系：由引力聚集在一起的大量恒星、气体、尘埃和暗物质。我们的星系叫做银河系。’Galaxy’ 和 ‘lactose’（乳糖）同根——银河系看起来像横跨天空的奶白色光带。

Universe: all of space, time, matter, and energy. Everything that exists. Think of ‘uni’ meaning one – the one all-embracing system.

宇宙：所有的空间、时间、物质和能量。存在的一切。想想 ‘uni’ 表示一——唯一包罗万象的系统。

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7. Measurements and Units | 测量与单位

Base SI units: metric units used worldwide in physics. Length–metre (m), mass–kilogram (kg), time–second (s), electric current–ampere (A), temperature–kelvin (K). Note ‘Kelvin’ is not degrees; it is just kelvin.

基本 SI 单位：物理学世界通用的公制单位。长度——米 (m)，质量——千克 (kg)，时间——秒 (s)，电流——安培 (A)，温度——开尔文 (K)。注意开尔文不加’度’，直接用开尔文。

Derived units: units made by combining base units. Example: speed (m/s), force (N = kg m/s²), energy (J = N m). Remember ‘Newton’ is derived from base units.

导出单位：由基本单位组合而成的单位。例如：速率 (m/s)，力 (N = kg m/s²)，能量 (J = N m)。记住牛顿是导出单位。

Scalar: a quantity that has only magnitude (size), e.g. mass, speed, energy, temperature. ‘Scalar’ sounds like ‘scale’ – you read a number on a scale; no direction.

标量：只有大小（数值）的量，如质量、速率、能量、温度。’Scalar’ 听起来像 ‘scale’（标尺）——你在尺上读出一个数，没有方向。

Vector: a quantity that has both magnitude and direction, e.g. force, velocity, acceleration, displacement. Draw vectors as arrows: length = magnitude, arrowhead = direction.

矢量：既有大小又有方向的量，如力、速度、加速度、位移。用箭头表示矢量：长度 = 大小，箭头 = 方向。

Displacement: the shortest distance from the starting point to the finishing point in a straight line, along with the direction. If you run around a track and return to the start, displacement is zero, but distance is not.

位移：从起点到终点的最短直线距离，并带有方向。如果你绕跑道跑一圈回到起点，位移为零，但路程不为零。

Distance: the total length an object travels, regardless of direction. It is always positive and never decreases.

路程：物体运动轨迹的总长度，不考虑方向。它总是正值，且不会减少。

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8. Practical Memorisation Techniques | 实用速记技巧

Acronyms and mnemonics: create short phrases where each letter stands for a word. For the order of planets: My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Noodles (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). For the colours of light (ROYGBIV): Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain.

首字母缩写与助记句：编一个短句，其中每个字母代表一个词。行星顺序：My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Noodles（水星、金星、地球、火星、木星、土星、天王星、海王星）。光色顺序 (ROYGBIV)：Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain。

Word origins: many physics terms come from Greek or Latin. Knowing roots helps. ‘Thermal’ relates to heat (from Greek ‘therme’). ‘Electro-‘ relates to amber (Greek ‘elektron’), because static electricity was first observed with amber. ‘Photo-‘ means light. ‘Dyna-‘ means power: dynamic, dynamite.

词源：许多物理术语来源于希腊语或拉丁语。了解词根很有帮助。’Thermal’ 与热有关（希腊语’therme’）。’Electro-‘ 与琥珀有关（希腊语’elektron’），因为静电最早在琥珀上观察到。’Photo-‘ 意为光。’Dyna-‘ 意为力或动力：dynamic（动力学）、dynamite（炸药）。

Visual associations: link a term to a vivid image. For ‘upthrust’, picture a beach ball popping up from underwater. For ‘acceleration’, imagine pressing the accelerator pedal in a car. The brain remembers pictures better than abstract definitions.

视觉联想：将一个术语与生动的图像联系起来。对于’浮力’，想象一个沙滩球从水下弹出。对于’加速度’，想象踩下汽车油门踏板。大脑对图像的记忆优于抽象定义。

Chunking: group related terms together. Learn all force types together, then energy stores. Compare and contrast them in a short table. Drawing a mind map with branches for forces, energy, waves, and electricity helps link ideas.

组块记忆：将相关术语归类。一次学完所有力类型，再学能量储存。用简短的表格比较它们的异同。画一个思维导图，分支为力、能量、波、电学，有助于将概念串联起来。

Active recall: after reading a definition, close the book and say it out loud in your own words. Write a summary without looking. Self-testing strengthens memory far better than re-reading.

主动回忆：读完定义后，合上书，用自己的话大声说出来。不看书默写总结。自我测试对记忆的强化效果远胜于单纯重读。

Real-world connections: link each term to a daily example. Friction: rubbing hands to warm them. Kinetic energy: a rolling bowling ball. Voltage: the battery label 1.5V on a remote control. When you see the object, the word will pop into your head.

联系现实生活：把每个术语与日常例子挂钩。摩擦力：搓手取暖。动能：滚动的保龄球。电压：遥控器上的 1.5V 电池标识。当你看到这些物体时，词语就会跳入脑海。

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9. Electricity and Magnetism Link | 电与磁的联系

Magnetic field: the region around a magnet where a magnetic force can be felt. Field lines point from north to south. The closer the lines, the stronger the field.

磁场：磁体周围能感受到磁力的区域。磁感线从北极指向南极。线条越密，磁场越强。

Electromagnet: a coil of wire (solenoid) with an electric current passing through it, generating a magnetic field. The strength can be increased by adding an iron core, more turns of wire, or increasing the current. ‘Electro’ (electricity) + ‘magnet’ makes the word clear.

电磁铁：一个通有电流的线圈（螺线管），能产生磁场。加入铁芯、增加线圈匝数或增大电流都可增强其磁性。’Electro’（电）+ ‘magnet’（磁）使词义一目了然。

Permanent magnet: a material that stays magnetic all the time, e.g. a bar magnet made of steel. ‘Permanent’ means lasting – it keeps its magnetic domains aligned.

永磁体：始终具有磁性的材料，如钢制条形磁铁。’Permanent’ 意味着持久——它一直保持着磁畴的排列。

Temporary magnet: a material that behaves like a magnet only when placed in a magnetic field. Soft iron is a good example: it loses its magnetism quickly when the field is removed.

暂时磁体：仅在置于磁场中时才表现出磁性的材料。软铁是一个很好的例子：移除外磁场后，它的磁性很快消失。

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10. Light and Sound Essentials | 光与声概要

Reflection: light bouncing off a smooth surface. Angle of incidence equals angle of reflection, measured from the normal (an imaginary line at 90° to the surface). ‘Reflect’ literally means to bend back.

反射：光从光滑表面反弹回来。入射角等于反射角，两者都从法线（垂直于表面的假想线）开始测量。’Reflect’ 的字面意思就是弯曲返回。

Refraction: the bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium to another of different density. A straw in water looks bent because light changes speed. ‘Re-‘ (back) + ‘fract’ (break) – the light path breaks direction.

折射：光从一种透明介质斜射入另一种密度不同的介质时发生的偏折。水中的吸管看起来弯折，是因为光改变了速度。’Re-‘（回）+ ‘fract’（折）——光线路径弯折。

Pitch: how high or low a sound is, determined by frequency. A high pitch = high frequency (short waves). ‘Pitch’ and ‘high’ are easy to link: a soprano singer hits a high pitch.

音调：声音的高低，由频率决定。高音调 = 高频率（短波）。’Pitch’ 与 ‘high’ 易于联系：女高音唱出高音调。

Volume (loudness): how loud a sound is, determined by amplitude. Bigger amplitude = louder sound. Volume knob on a speaker changes the amplitude of the electrical signal.

音量（响度）：声音的大小，由振幅决定。振幅越大，声音越响。扬声器上的音量旋钮改变电信号的振幅。

Vacuum: a space with no particles. Sound cannot travel through a vacuum because there are no particles to vibrate. Light can travel through a vacuum. Space is a near-perfect vacuum.

真空：没有粒子的空间。声音无法在真空中传播，因为没有可振动的粒子。光可以在真空中传播。太空就是一个近乎完美的真空。

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