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AFOQT > Physical Science > Flashcards

Physical Science Flashcards

1
Q

Absolute Zero

A

At 0 on the Kelvin scale, this is the lowest temperature attainable and occurs when particles lose the maximum amount of energy

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2
Q

Acid

A

A substance with a pH below 7, acids donate protons and produce hydrogen ions in solutions

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3
Q

Amplitude

A

The distance between the crest or trough of a wave from its resting position or half the distance between the crest and trough of the wave

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4
Q

Atmospheric Pressure

A

Pressure exerted by Earth’s atmosphere
Sea level- atmospheric pressure is 100 kPa, 1 atm, 760 mmHg, or 760 Torr

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5
Q

Atom

A

Smallest particle that exists of any given element, consists of nucleus (neutrons and protons) and the surrounding electrons

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6
Q

Atomic Mass

A

Measured in atomic mass units (amu), atomic mass is the mass of one atom of an element. The mass of amu is determined by the mass of 1/12 of a carbon 12 atom

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7
Q

Atomic Number

A

The identifying number of an element on the periodic table which is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus. Elements are arranged on the periodic table by increasing atomic number

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8
Q

Atomic Weight

A

Different than the atomic mass, the atomic weight is the weighted average mass of all isotopes of an element, while the atomic mass of most oxygen atoms is 16 amu, the atomic weight is 15.999 g/mol, because a small percentage of oxygen isotopes have a mass less than 16 amu

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9
Q

Base

A

A substance with a pH above 7, bases accept protons and produce hydroxide ions in solutions

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10
Q

Boiling point

A

The temperature at which the molecules of a substance have enough energy to switch from the liquid to the gas phase

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11
Q

Celsius scale

A

One of the three main temperature scales, this scale determines the freezing point of water to be zero degrees and the boiling point at 1 atm, to be 100 degrees

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12
Q

Change of State

A

Matter can exist in several states or phases including Bose-Einstein condensate, solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Changing from one of these phases into another is considered a change of state

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13
Q

Compound

A

Two or more elements chemically bonded together

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14
Q

Condensation

A

An exothermic phase change that results in a gas cooling into a liquid

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15
Q

Conduction (Electrical)

A

The process of electrons flowing through conductive matter

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16
Q

Conduction (Heat)

A

The process of heat energy moving from a warmer object to a cooler object through physical contact

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17
Q

Convection

A

The transfer of heat energy moving from a warmer object to a cooler object through physical contact

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18
Q

Covalent Bond

A

A chemical bond formed when atoms share electrons

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19
Q

Decay (radioactive decay)

A

Radiation causing loss of matter, the result of this process is the changing of one element into another

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20
Q

Density

A

A measure of the closeness of particles in a substance, which is found by dividing the mass of the substance by the volume it occupies (units g/cm^3)

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21
Q

Diffusion

A

The process of particles of two or more substances moving until equally distributed and mixed together, the rate of diffusion is determined by the concentrations of the substances and the energy in the particles

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22
Q

Dissolve

A

When components of a substance separate and move throughout a liquid, but do not chemically react with the liquid, they are said to dissolve

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23
Q

Electrical Potential

A

Commonly called voltage, measured in volts, electric potential is the amount of electric potential energy per charge

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24
Q

Electron

A

The negatively charged subatomic particle that orbits the nucleus of the atom

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25
Q

Element

A

One of about 100 basic substances that cannot be chemically broken down into a simpler substance, periodic table of elements lists all known elements in order by the number of atomic protons in the nucleus

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26
Q

Energy

A

Ability to do work or product heat

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27
Q

Explosive

A

A property that allows for a very quick, almost instant, decomposition of a substance with the release of a large amount of energy

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28
Q

Force

A

A push or pull on an object

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29
Q

Fluid

A

A substance that has molecules that are able to flow post one another, fluids include liquids, gases, and plasmas

30
Q

Freezing point

A

An exothermic phase change from liquid to solid. The melting point is the endothermic phase change that happens at the same temperature

31
Q

Frequency

A

A measure of the number of waves that pass a specific point per second, unit is Hertz (Hz)

32
Q

Gamma Rays

A

Damaging waves of radiation produced by the release of photons from nucleus of radioactive element

33
Q

Gas/Gaseous phase

A

The phase of matter where molecules have enough energy to break the bonds attracting them to one another, gases do not have a specific shape and will fill the volume of the container they are in, gases can be compressed into smaller volumes

34
Q

Gravity

A

The attractive force that exists between between any two physical objects that have mass

35
Q

Group

A

AKA family, columns on the periodic table are known as groups and share similar chemical properties based on the number of valence electrons they have in common

36
Q

Half-life

A

The amount of time that it takes for a radioactive element to lose half of its radiation

37
Q

Heat

A

Transfer of energy as the result of a temperature difference between a substance and its environment- heat always flows from higher energy to lower energy

38
Q

Heat Capacity

A

The amount of heat needed by a substance to result in a change in temperature, heat capacity is mass dependent, specific heat capacity is not

39
Q

Heat of Combustion

A

A property of a substance that indicates the amount of heat that is released when one mole of the substance combusts, each substance has a specific heat of combustion

40
Q

Hertz (Hz)

A

The unit of measurement for wave frequency, measures wave cycles per second

41
Q

Ion

A

Charged atom, negatively charged ions (anions), are atoms that have more electrons than protons, positively charged protons (cations) are atoms that have fewer electrons than protons, movement of electrons during ion formation can cause an electric field

42
Q

Ionic Bond

A

A chemical bond formed by the attraction of oppositely charged ions

43
Q

Isotope

A

Atoms of the same element that have a different number of neutrons, for instance carbon-12 has 6 protons and 6 neutrons and carbon-14 has 6 protons and 8 neutrons

44
Q

Kinetic Energy

A

The energy of motion

45
Q

Latent Heat

A

The amount of heat a substance will absorb or release during a phase change while the temperature remains constant

46
Q

Lens

A

A transparent object with a curved surface that causes light to bend

47
Q

Liquids

A

Molecules have enough energy to move past one another, but not break the bonds attracting them to one another, have fixed shape bu not fixed volume

48
Q

Mass

A

A measure of the amount of matter in something, mass is different than weight (measure of mass multiplied by the effects of gravity)

49
Q

Matter

A

A substance that has mass and volume

50
Q

Medium

A

The material through which a wave travels

51
Q

Melting Point

A

An endothermic phase change from a solid to a liquid, the freezing point is the exothermic phase change that happens at the same temperature

52
Q

Metal

A

An element that releases electrons and creates a positive ion (cation), good conductors of heat and electricity, known for being malleable and ductile, and have metallic luster

53
Q

Mixture

A

A combination of two or more substances that can be separated by physical means

54
Q

Mole

A

6.022 x 10^23 (Avogadro’s number) of any item, massive amounts of particles measured in moles

55
Q

Molecule

A

Smallest group of chemically bonded atoms that can exist and still react and retain the properties of a substance

56
Q

Neutron

A

A neutral (no charge) subatomic particle that exists inside the nucleus of an atom

57
Q

Newton

A

A unit of force named after Sir Isaac Newton, one newton = 1 kilogram meter per second squared

58
Q

Noble Gases

A

A group of elements in the far right column of the periodic table, known for being unreactive

59
Q

Nucleus

A

The center of an atom which contains the protons and neutrons

60
Q

Ohm

A

The units that describe the electrical resistance of a conductor

61
Q

Particle

A

A small piece of matter

62
Q

Period

A

One of eight horizontal rows on the periodic table

63
Q

pH

A

A measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution

64
Q

Phase

A

A state of matter dependent on the amount of energy in a substances molecules

65
Q

Photon

A

A particle with zero mass that transmits light or other electromagnetic radiation

66
Q

Potential Energy

A

The energy an object holds due to its position relative to other objects

67
Q

Pressure

A

The amount of force exerted per given area, measured in Pascals (Pa)

68
Q

Proton

A

A positively charged subatomic particle in the nucleus of an atom, the number of protons in a nucleus determines an element’s atomic number

69
Q

Radiation

A

Heat energy moving from a warmer object to a cooler object through waves, only form of heat transfer that doesn’t require a medium

70
Q

Solid

A

Phase of matter where molecules do not have enough energy to move past one another, which forces fixed shape and volume

71
Q

Wave

A

An energy carrying disturbance

AFOQT (2 decks)

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