physics definitions Flashcards
reference point
a starting point used to describe the location or the position of an object
distance
the total length between two points or the total length traveled
position
an objects distance and direction from a reference point
motion
the process of changing position
displacement
the straight line distance, or the difference between the initial position and the final position of an object
scalar
A quantity that has only magnitude (or size), such as distance, time, and temperature.
vector
A quantity that has both magnitude (size) and direction, such as displacement and position.
uniform motion
Motion in which the object’s displacement is equal to each time interval.
speed
A scalar quantity that describes the distance an object moves in a certain length of time.
constant speed
When an object travels at the same speed and the same direction for each time interval.
changing speed
When an object travels a different distance for each time interval.
average speed
The distance travelled by an object divided by the time it takes to travel that distance.
instantaneous speed
Is the speed of an object at a particular moment in time.
velocity
A vector quantity that describes an object’s displacement during a specific time interval or an object’s rate of change of position.
constant velocity
When an object travels at the same speed and the same direction for each time interval.
changing velocity
When an object’s speed or direction, or both speed and direction, change for each time interval.
average velocity
The displacement of an object divided by the time interval it takes to travel the displacement
instantaneous velocity
The velocity (both magnitude and direction) at a specific instant of time
acceleration
A change in the velocity of an object during a time interval; rate of change of velocity per unit of time.
density
Density is the measurement of how tightly a material is packed together. It is defined as the mass per unit volume.
mass
is a dimensionless quantity representing the amount of matter in a particle or object. The standard unit of mass in the International System (SI) is the kilogram (kg).
volume
the amount of space occupied by any three-dimensional solid. These solids can be a cube, a cuboid, a cone, a cylinder or a sphere.
heat
Thermal energy that is transferred from one object to another.
specific heat capacity
The property of a substance that involves how it absorbs and releases energy.
