physics Flashcards
what quantity is often used in describing harmonic motion?
frequency
if a cone is balanced on its apex, it illustrates what type of equilibrium?
unstable equilibrium
the ____ of a pivotal object is that point at which it can be struck without producing a reaction force on its pivot?
center of oscillation
“When the vector sum of the external forces acting on a system of particles equals to zero, the total linear momentum of the system remains constant”. This statement is known as:
Law of conservation of momentum
What is a glass bottle used to determine the specific gravity of liquids?
Polariscope
What refers to a series of parallel slits that produces a spectrum through the interference of light that is diffracted?
Diffraction grating
In three-dimensional space, the direction of a vector might be described in terms of
Right ascension and declination
What refers to the failure of one set of colour receptors in the eye to be simulated?
Retinal fatigue
What refers to property of sound waves which depends on the number of harmonics present and on their prominence?
Quality
“Every point on the wave front can be considered as a source of secondary wavelets that spread out in all directions with the wave speed of the medium. The wave front at any time is the envelope of these wavelets”. This is known as
Huygens’s principle
A spectrum consisting of a wide range of unseparated wavelength is called ______
Continuous spectrum
The instrument, which measures temperature by radiation, is called
Pyrometer
In optical system, what refers to its ability to produce separate images of nearby objects?
Resolving power
What refers to the defect in lenses which causes unequal refraction of the different colors?
Chromatic aberration
The scientist who systematically demonstrated the equivalence of mechanical energy and heat was
james prescott joule
