Physics Terms Flashcards
1
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The study of the fundamental laws of nature and many of their applications
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Physics
2
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The internationally adopted standard system of units for quantitively measuring quantities
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SI units
3
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The fundamental type of a quantity such as length, mass, or time
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Dimension of a quantity
4
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A type of calculation that checks the dimensional consistency of an equation
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Dimensional analysis
5
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A value that is purely numerical, or a quantity, define such as that all dimensional factors cancel
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Dimensionless quantity
6
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The digit in the numerical value of a quantity that are known with certainty
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Significant figures
7
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A method of writing numbers that consists of a number of order unity times 10 to the appropriate power
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Scientific notation
8
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The power of 10 characterizing the size of a quantity
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Order of magnitude
9
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A factor that multiplies a quantity to convert its value to another unit
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Conversion factor
10
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A numerical value with appropriate unit
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Scalar
11
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A mathematical quantity having a numerical value and direction
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Vector
12
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The study of how objects move in the forces that cause motion
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Mechanics
13
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The branch of physics that describes the motion
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Kinematics
14
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The total length of travel
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Distance
15
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The change in position of an object
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Displacement
16
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Distance divided by elapsed time
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Average speed
17
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The rate of change of displacement with time
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Velocity
18
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The rate of change of velocity with time
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Acceleration
19
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The acceleration that results from earths gravitational pull
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The acceleration of gravity
20
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The motion of an object subject only to the influence of gravity
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Freefall
21
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A straight line that intersects a curve at a point P as the result of a limiting process of secant line through points surrounding P
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Tangent line
22
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A mathematical quantity, having both magnitude and direction (with appropriate units)
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Vector
23
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The full numerical value of the quantity being represented
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Magnitude of a vector
24
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The orientation with an a coordinate system of the quantity being represented
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Direction of a vector
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The part of a vector associated with a specific direction
Component of a vector
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A dimensionless vector of unit magnitude
Unit vector
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The motion of an object that is projected with an initial velocity, and then moves under the influence of gravity only
Projectile motion
28
The angle of the initial velocity of a projectile measured relative to the horizontal
Launch angle
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The horizontal distance traveled by a projectile before it lands
Range
30
An object, moving with a constant velocity continues to do so unless acted upon by a nonzero net force
Newtons first law
31
The acceleration of an object equals the ratio of the net force on the object to its mass
Newton second law
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For every force that an agent applies to an object, there is a reaction force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction applied by the object to the original agent
Newtons third law
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The branch of physics that studies force in the causes of various types of motion
Dynamics
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A push, or a pull applied to an object
Force
35
A measure of an objects inertia
Mass
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An object natural tendency to move with constant velocity
Inertia
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A frame of reference in which the law of inertia hold
Inertial reference frame
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A diagram of an isolated object showing all the force factors acting on the object
Free body diagram
39
The downward force due to gravity
Weight
40
The perceived weight of an object as its force of contact with the ground or a scale
Apparent weight
41
The component of the contact force on the surface that is perpendicular to the surface
Normal force
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A contact force between two sliding surfaces that opposes the motion
Kinetic friction
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The contact force between two non-sliding services that opposes their attempt to slide
Static friction
44
The force transmitted through a string or taut wire
Tension
45
The force law for an ideal spring
Hookes law
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The proportionality factor between the force and the deformation in Hooke’s law
Force constant
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The situation in which the net force on an object is zero
Translational equilibrium
48
The center-pointing acceleration of objects in circular motion
Centripetal acceleration
49
The center pointing force on objects in circular motion
Centripetal force
50
Work is done when a force acts through a displacement
Work
51
SI unit of work and energy
Joule
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The rate at which work is done
Power
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The SI unit of power equal to 1 Joule per second
Watt
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Any force for which the work done is independent of path
Conservative force
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Any force that is not a conservative force
Nonconservative force
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The representation of the extent to which work is stored in the configuration of a system
Potential energy
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The sum of the kinetic and potential energy in a system
Mechanical energy
58
The position on a potential energy curve at which an object will stop and reverse directions
Turning point
59
A region in which every point has an equal value of potential energy
Equipotential
60
The product of the mass and velocity of an object
Linear momentum
61
The product of force in the amount of time the force acts
Impulse
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And interaction in which forces are exerted for a finite period of time
Collision
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The principle that the total linear momentum of a system remains constant unless a nonzero external net force is applied
Conservation of linear momentum
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A collision in which kinetic energy is not conserved
Inelastic collision
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A collision in which kinetic energy is conserved
Elastic collision
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The average location of mass within a system
Center of mass
67
The forward force exerted by the expelled mass in rocket exhaust
Thrust
68
The angle measured from a chosen reference line
Angular position
69
The rate of change of angular position
Angular velocity
70
A form of rolling motion in which the point of contact between the rolling object and the surface is instantaneously at rest
Rolling without slipping
71
A quantity that represents the inertial property of a rotating object or system
Moment of inertia
72
The combination of a force in the distance at which it is applied from an axis that causes angular acceleration
Torque
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The perpendicular distance from an axis to the line of force for calculating torque
Moment arm
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The state of motion in which an object neither translates nor rotates
Static equilibrium
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The principle that the total angular momentum of a system remains constant, unless a nonzero external net torque is applied
Angular momentum conservation
76
The rules for determining the direction of rotation of vector quantities
Right hand rule
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The fundamental force of nature that represents the attraction between objects with mass
Gravity
78
Between any two point masses there is an attractive force directly proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
Newtons law of universal gravitation
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The net result of gravitational interaction with an a system of particles is the sum of the results for interactions between each pair of particles in the system
Principle of superposition
80
The amount of time it takes an object to execute one complete orbit
Orbit period
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The speed at which a moving object can just barely get infinitely far away from another object ; at the speed, the mechanical energy of the system is zero
Escape speed
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Motion that repeats itself
Periodic motion
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When the position, velocity, and acceleration of an oscillatory motion repeat themselves between two successive passes
Complete cycle
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The amount of time for one complete cycle
Period
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The number of cycles per unit of time
Frequency
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The oscillatory motion that results from a force that obeys Hookes law
Simple harmonic motion
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The maximum displacement from equilibrium
Amplitude
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2 pi x the frequency
Angular frequency
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A mass suspended by a cord or rod of negligible mass
simple pendulum
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A mass distribution that is suspended and free to oscillate
Physical pendulum
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When an oscillating system loses energy
Damped oscillation
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A small damping constant causes oscillatory motion of decreasing amplitude
Underdamped oscillation
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When the damping constant is just large enough to prevent oscillations
Critically damped oscillation
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The damping constant is more than just large enough to prevent oscillations
Overdamped oscillation
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When an external agent forces a system to oscillate
Driven oscillation
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A frequency at which a system of oscillate if no driving force is applied
Natural frequency
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That large-amplitude oscillations occur when a system is driven at a natural frequency
Resonance
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Results from the connection of a series of oscillators
Wave
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Waves for which the oscillators move with simple harmonic motion
Harmonic waves
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Waves for which the isolation is perpendicular to the direction of propagation
Transverse waves
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Waves for which the oscillation is along the direction of propagation
Longitudinal waves
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The minimum amount of time it takes for a wave to repeat
Period
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The number of cycles of a waves oscillations per unit of time
Frequency
104
The minimum repeat length of a wave
Wavelength
105
The amount of energy per unit area per unit time
Intensity
106
A measure of a sounds loudness relative to a standard reference
Intensity level
107
The shift in frequency due to relative motion between the source in the observer
Doppler effect
108
The addition of two or more waves
Superposition
109
The wave pattern that results from the super position of two or more waves
Interference pattern
110
When the crests and/or troughs of different waves occur at the same time
In phase
111
When the crest of a wave occur at the same time as the troughs of another wave
Opposite phase
112
When waves superimpose in phase, resulting in a wave of larger amplitude
Constructive interference
113
When waves superimpose out of phase, resulting in a wave of smaller amplitude
Destructive interference
114
Hey stationary wave from the superposition of two waves traveling in opposite directions
Standing wave
115
Positions on a standing wave that do not oscillate.
Node
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Positions on a standing wave that oscillate with maximum amplitude
Antinode
117
The longest wavelength standing wave
Fundamental mode
118
Variations in the intensity of a wave, resulting from the superposition of waves of different frequency
Beats
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The frequency of successful intensity maximum of a wave that exhibits beats
Beat frequency
120
A liquid or a gas
Fluid
121
A measure of the compactness of an object or substance, given by its mass per unit volume
Density
122
The normal force per unit area, acting on an object or within a fluid
Pressure
123
The measure of pressure that excludes the atmospheric pressure
Gauge pressure
124
The principle that an external pressure is transmitted undiminished throughout a fluid
Pascals principle
125
The phenomenon that fluid pressure applies an upward force on immersed objects
Buoyancy
126
The buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid displaced by immersed object
Archimedes principle
127
Occurs when the buoyant force equals an objects weight
Flotation
128
The equation that expresses the constant mass flow rate within a fluid
Equation of continuity
129
The application of the work energy theorem to fluid flow
Bernoulli’s equation
130
The equation that determines the speed with which a fluid will flow from an aperture below the surface of a fluid in an open container
Torricelli’s law
131
Resistance to fluid flow
Viscosity
132
The surface of fluids often behave in a way similar to an elastic membrane
Surface tension
133
The property of systems that determines the existence and direction of the heat flow between them when they are in thermal contact
Temperature
134
The energy that is transferred between systems because of a temperature difference
Heat
135
Exists between systems when it is possible for heat to flow between them
Thermal contact
136
Exists when systems are brought into thermal contact, and no heat transfer occurs
Thermal equilibrium
137
The fundamental law that allows a working definition of temperature
Zeroth law of thermodynamics
138
The lower limit on physical attainable temperatures
Absolute zero
139
The substance dependent proportionality factor that determines how much an object will expand as the result of a temperature change
Coefficient of expansion
140
The heat needed to change the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 Celsius degree
Calorie
141
A quantity that determines how much heat is needed to change the temperature of an object by a certain amount
Specific heat
142
Heat transfer by direct flow through an object due to a temperature difference across it
Conduction
143
A quantity that determines the rate at which heat conducts through a specific object
Thermoconductivity
144
Heat transfer by direct movement of matter from one place to another
Convection
145
Heat transfer by a mission or absorption of electromagnetic waves
Radiation
146
Determines the rate at which an object emits or absorbs radiation
Stefan Boltzmann constant
147
A number between zero and one that measures how effectively and object radiate heat
Emissivity
148
A gas in which the gas particles do not interact, except for elastic collisions.
Ideal gas
149
An equation that relates the temperature, pressure, volume, and number of particles of the gas
Equation of state, for ideal gases
150
The amount of a substance that contains 6.022×10^23 entities
Mole
151
The number of entities in a hole, equal to 6.022×10^23
Avogadro’s number
152
The mass of one mole of atoms
Atomic mass
153
Pressure-versus-volume curves, plotted for fixed temperature and number of particles
Isotherms
154
Relates the motion of the microscopic particles of a system to its macroscopic properties
Kinetic theory
155
The applied force per unit area that deforms a substance
Stress
156
The deformation that results from a stress applied to an object
Strain
157
The release of molecules from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase
Evaporation
158
The freezing of a fluid to a solid
Fusion
159
The direct transformation between the solid and gas phases
Sublimation
160
A graph that shows the conditions under which a substance will exist in different phases (often of temperature and pressure)
Phase diagram
161
Heat required to completely change the face of 1 kg of a substance
Latent heat
162
A quantity that only depends on the thermodynamics state of a system (from P, V, & T)
State function
163
A process that allows a system to return precisely to a previous state
Reversible process
164
A process that is not reversible
Irreversible process
165
A process that takes place at constant temperature
Isothermal process
166
A process during which no heat is transferred
Adiabatic process
167
The heat needed to change the temperature of 1 mol of a substance by 1 degree Celsius
Molar specific heat
168
A device that converts heat into work
Heat engine
169
States the conditions that give the maximum efficiency of a heat engine
Carnot’s theorem
170
A device that uses work to cause heat to flow from a cooler region to a warmer region
Refrigerator
171
The ratio of the heat that flows at a fixed temperature to the temperature for a reversible process (measures the amount of disorder in a system)
Entropy
