Physical Science Flashcards
(23 cards)
What causes magnetism?
Unpaired electrons in a substance are spinning in the same direction
Moving a coil of wire inside a magnetic field generates an electrical current in the wire. This would be an example of:
Induction
Explain why magnetic monopoles do not exist
Magnetic monopoles do not exist because every magnet has both a north and south pole
Explain the role of unpaired electrons in magnetism
Unpaired electrons generate magnetic fields due to their spin
Distinguish between series and parallel circuits: Series
Components are connected end-to-end, forming one path for current. If one component fails, the entire circuit is broken
Distinguish between series and parallel circuits: Parallel
Components are connected across the same two points, creating multiple paths for current. If one path breaks, others still function.
Explain how electricity is generated by a changing magnetic field (and vice versa)
A changing magnetic field induces an electric current in a conductor—a principle called electromagnetic induction
Identify examples of static electricity
Rubbing a balloon on your hair and making it stick to a wall, Getting shocked after walking on carpet and touching a doorknob, Clothes sticking together after being in the dryer
Distinguish between transverse and longitudinal (compression) waves, and draw a diagram of each
Transverse wave: Particles move perpendicular to the wave’s direction (e.g., light).
Longitudinal wave: Particles move parallel to the wave’s direction (e.g., sound).
What is a wave?
A disturbance that transfers energy through matter or space
Label wavelength, amplitude, crest, and trough on a transverse wave
Wavelength: Distance from one crest to the next
Amplitude: Height from rest to crest (or trough)
Crest: Highest point of the wave
Trough: Lowest point of the wave
Describe the inverse relationship between wavelength and frequency
As wavelength increases, frequency decreases, and vice versa
Explain why an observer sees lightning before hearing thunder
Light travels much faster than sound, so we see the flash of lightning almost instantly, but the slower sound of thunder arrives moments later
List the colors of visible light from longest wavelength to shortest wavelength
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet (ROYGBIV)
List and describe the four events that could occur when light strikes a surface
Transmission: Light passes through (e.g., glass)
Absorption: Light is taken in (e.g., black shirt getting warm)
Reflection: Light bounces off (e.g., mirror)
Refraction: Light bends as it passes into a new medium (e.g., straw in water looks bent)
Describe how human perception of the color of an object depends on the light it reflects and absorbs; explain the effects of using colored light when observing materials
We see the color of an object based on the wavelengths it reflects. For example, a red apple reflects red light and absorbs other colors. Under colored light (like blue), the apple may appear black or dark if it doesn’t reflect that color.
Identify the range of human hearing in hertz
Humans can hear frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz).
The net movement of free-flowing _________ through a conductor is called electrical current.
Electrons
Which of the following is an example of an insulator?
Wood
A bar magnet is divided in two pieces. Which of the following statements is true?
Two new, smaller bar magnets are created.
When a static charge is transferred between two objects that do not touch, this is considered to be:
Induction
One way to “break” a magnet is to
Drop it
Most metals make good conductors of electricity because of their
Sea of electrons
