Definitions Flashcards
definition of moment of inertia
moment of inertia of an object as a measure of its resistance to angular acceleration about a given axis
Equivalence Principle
That it is not possible to distinguish between the effects on an observer of a uniform gravitational field and of a constant acceleration
Definition of Black Holes
is a region in space where the pull of gravity is so great that NOTHING, not even light can escape its pull. the escape velocity is greater than the speed of light which is impossible to achieve.
Definition of gravitational field strength
as the gravitational force acting on a unit mass
Definition of the gravitational potential of a point in space
as the WORK DONE in moving UNIT MASS from infinity to that point
Definition of escape velocity
Escape velocity is the minimum velocity required to allow a mass to escape a gravitational field to infinity, where the mass achieves zero kinetic energy and maximum (zero) potential energy.
Cosmic Rays
are high energy, charged particles travelling at almost the speed of light. When they hit the top of the atmosphere secondary particles are produced in showers
SHM definition
is any motion in which the unbalanced force is proportional but in the opposite direction to the displacement from the rest position.
Stationary Waves
are formed by the interference of two waves that are REFLECTED the waves have the same frequency and amplitude, travelling in opposite directions. A stationary wave can be described in terms of nodes and antinodes.
The incident and reflected waves interfere.