Chapter 2 - Foundations Of Physics Flashcards
Base unit
One of seven units that form the building blocks of the SI measurement system
Prefix
A word or letter placed before one, for example, 5.0km is 5.0x10^3 m
Derived quantity
A quantity that comes from a combination of base units
Derived unit
A unit used to represent a derived quantity, such as N for force
Scalar quantity
A quantity with magnitude (size) but no direction, e.g. Length, mass, time, speed, temperature, volume, energy, power
Vector quantity
A quantity with magnitude (size) and direction e.g. Displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum
Displacement
The distance travelled in a particular direction - a vector with magnitude and direction
Parallel
In the same line and direction
Resultant vector
A single vector that has the same effect as two or more vectors added together
Antiparallel
In the same line but opposite directions
Vector triangle
A triangle constructed to scale to determine the resultant of two vectors
Pythagoras theorem
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
The square of the length of the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides
Resolving the vector
Splitting a vector into two component vectors perpendicular to each other
Components
One of the two perpendicular vectors obtained by resolving a vector
Length (quantity)
Metre m (base unit)
Mass (quantity)
Kilogram kg (base unit)
Time (quantity)
Second s (base unit)
Electric current (quantity)
Ampère A (base unit)
Temperature (quantity)
Kelvin K (base unit)
