Semester 1 L-Z

Question 1

law of universal gravitation

Answer 1

Isaac Newton’s theory (1687) that all objects with mass attract all others, with a force that is directly proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Question 2

laws of motion

Answer 2

Isaac Newton’s three laws (1687) summarizing the behavior pf objects with mass. when no net force is present on such an object, the object retains its present state of motion (first law); when a net force is present, the object accelerates in proportion to the force, and in inverse proportion to its mass (second law); and any force produces an equal and opposite reaction force (third law)

Question 3

liter

Answer 3

A unit of volume equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters; not an official SI System unit, but commonly used in scientific studies.

Question 4

lurking variable

Answer 4

A variable in an experiment that causes variation in the response variable with out researchers being aware that it is doing so.

Question 5

mass

Answer 5

The variable used to quantify the amount of matter in an object.

Question 6

mass-energy equivalence

Answer 6

Einstein’s theory (1905) that mass and energy are different forms of the same thing-energy, and may be converted from one form to another.

Question 7

matter

Answer 7

Anything made of atoms or parts of atoms. alternatively anything that has mass or volume.

Question 8

mental model

Answer 8

A theory.

Question 9

meter

Answer 9

The unit for length in the SI System; one of the seven base units.

Question 10

metric prefix

Answer 10

Prefixes added to the units of measure in the SI system to indicate multiples or fractional multiples.

Question 11

metric system

Answer 11

The common term in the U.S. for the International System of Units.

Question 12

MKS system

Answer 12

A subset of units in the metric system usong only base units such as meter, kilogram, and second, and units derived from these.

Question 13

model

Answer 13

A representation, such as a theory, of a complex system.

Question 14

momentum

Answer 14

The product of an objects mass and velocity.

Question 15

motion

Answer 15

A state in which an object is not at rest.

Question 16

net force

Answer 16

A force or combination of forces on an object that is not balanced by any other force thus causing acceleration according to Newton’s second law of motion.

Question 17

potential energy

Answer 17

Energy that is stored and can be released by conversion into a different form of energy.

Question 18

precision

Answer 18

the degree of resolution or “fine-ness” in a measurement

Question 19

Primum Mobile

Answer 19

Latin for “ first mover.” In the Ptolemaic model of the heavens, this is the 9th sphere that drives all other spheres, causing them all to roll around the earth once each day.

Question 20

response variable

Answer 20

A variable monitored my researchers in an experiment that varies in response to changes in another variable being manipulated (the explanatory variable).

Question 21

science

Answer 21

The process of using experiment, observation, and reasoning to develop mental models (theories) of the natural world.

Question 22

scientific fact

Answer 22

A scientific statement supported by a great deal of evidence that is correct as far as we know.

Question 23

second

Answer 23

The base unit of time in the SI System; one of the seven base units.

Question 24

significant digits

Answer 24

The digits in a measurement that represent its precision.

Question 25

SI System

Answer 25

The International System of Units administered in France and accepted by most of the countries in the world; commonly known in the U.S. as the metric system

Question 26

speed

Answer 26

The rate at which an object is moving.

Question 27

state of motion

Answer 27

The state of an object characterized by its possessing a particular velocity; that is, possessing a particular speed in a particular direction; includes the state of being at rest( a speed of 0 m/s)

Question 28

theory

Answer 28

a model (i.e., representation) that seeks to account for and explain the related facts and provide means for producing new hypotheses.

Question 29

thermal energy

Answer 29

Energy an object possesses due to being heated.

Question 30

truth

Answer 30

The way things really are; revealed to us by God through his word and through nature, or known to us by direct and immediate testimony of our senses, or known to us by valid reasoning from true premises; not a part of the language of scientific claims.

Question 31

uniform acceleration

Answer 31

A situation caused by the presence of a net force, in which the velocity of an object increases or decreases by the same amount each second.

Question 32

unit conversion

Answer 32

An expression, equivalent to unity (one), written by placing equivalent quantities expressed in different units of measure in the numerator and denominator of a fraction.

Question 33

velocity

Answer 33

A quantity that describes how fast an object is moving and in which direction.

Question 34

weight

Answer 34

A force acting on an object due to gravity.

Question 35

work

Answer 35

A mechanical process whereby energy is transferred from one object to another by a force pushing through a certain distance.