Midterm Flashcards
a. Accuracy
how close a given set of measurements are to their true value.
Precision
how close the measurements are to each other.
Observation
objective; based on the 5 senses, not opinion.
Inference
subjective; a guess about an observation.
Hypothesis
: a testable prediction that attempts to answer a question.
Independent Variable
: what is being purposefully changed; what is being tested; the “cause”
Dependent variable
what is being measured; the data collected as a response; the “effect”
Constant
factors that do not change in the experiment; conditions kept the same for all groups.
Control group
the normal group used for comparison.
Quantitative
numerical data
Qualitative
descriptive data
average speed
the total distance traveled by the object divided by the elapsed time to cover that distance
Instantaneous Speed
the speed of an obj at an instant of a time
Inertia
The tendency of an object to resist a change in motion
Weight
The force of gravity on an object
Newton’s 1st law
an object will move at a constant velocity until a net force acts on it.
Newton’s 2nd law
A net force acting on an object causes the object to accelerate in the direction of the net force
Newton’s 3rd law
every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Kinetic energy
energy in motion
Potential energy
stored energy
Mechanical energy
the total amount of kinetic and potential energy in a system.
Conductor
materials that allow heat to flow easily
Insulator
materials that do not allow heat to flow easily
Work
the transfer of energy that occurs when a force makes an object move.
