Chapter 1 Flashcards
Absolute time
The notion that time is the same for all observers in the universe, regardless of their location or motion
Atom
A basic building block of matter
Avogadro Constant
The number of atoms or molecules in 1 mole (6.022*10^23)
Change
The transition from one state to another
Density
A measure of how much there is of some substance in a given volume.
The number density (m^-3) is the number of objects per volume: n = N/V
The mass density (kg/m^3) is the amount of mass per volume: p = m/V
Electron
A subatomic particle manifesting itself in a cloud around atomic nuclei
Hypothesis
A tentative explanation of observations to be used as a starting point for further investingation
Law
A description of a relationship between observable quantities that manifests itself in recurring patterns of events
Length (L in meters (m))
A distance or extent in space
Meter (m)
The SI base unit of length, defined as the distance traveled by light in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second
Model
A simplified conceptual representation of phenomenon
Mole
The SI base unit for measuring the quantity of a given substance, defined as 6.02210^23, the number of atoms in 1210^-3 kg of carbon-12
Order of Magnitude
A value rounded off to the nearest power of ten
Physical quantity
A physical property that can be measured and that is expressed as the product of a numerical value and a physical unit
Principle of causality
Whenever an event A causes an event B, all observers see event A happening first
