Physics Final Flashcards
What is acceleration?
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over a certain amount of time.
Formula : a = Vf - Vi / t (final velocity minus initial velocity divided by the time)
What is Newtons 2nd Law?
States that the acceleration of an object depends on the force applied and the mass of the object.
-The greater the mass, the greater the force needed to accelerate it
What is momentum?
Momentum is something that objects have when they are in motion. If an object is not in motion, it has no momentum.
- The larger and faster an object is going, the more momentum it will have while in motion
- P=momentum
What is impulse?
Impulse is an object’s change in momentum. We can change an object’s momentum by applying a force to that object for a certain amount of time. The larger the change in momentum, the larger the impulse.
What is scientific notation?
A shorter method of writing very large or very small numbers. For a number to be in scientific notation, the first number must be between 1 and 10. The first number is then multiplied by a power of 10.
How do you multiply/divide with scientific notation?
When multiplying numbers that are written in scientific notation, the 2 base numbers are multiplied and then the exponent values are added together. When dividing, the base numbers are divided and then the exponent values are subtracted.
What is the Law of Eclipses
The path of the planets about the sun is elliptical in shape, with the center of the sun being located at one focus.
What is The Law of Equal Areas
An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sun to the center of the planet will sweep out equal areas in equal intervals of time.
What is The Law of Harmonies
The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the sun.
What is the Perihelion?
When a planet is closest to the Sun
What is the Aphelion
When a planet is farthest from the sun
Major Axis
Longest path across the center of the ellipse (Aphelion + Perihelion)
Semi-Major Axis
½ of the major axis
What is Minor Axis?
Shortest path through the center of the ellipse, perpendicular to the major axis
What is Eccentricity?
How squashed the ellipse is. Always a number between 0 and 1. The closer to 0 the eccentricity, the closer the ellipse is to a perfect circle. As the eccentricity approaches 1, the ellipse becomes more “squashed”
What is potential energy?
The energy that is stored in an object due to its position. It depends on the mass and height of the object. Increasing mass or height of the object results in a greater potential energy. If something is on the ground, it will have zero potential energy.
What is Kinetic Energy?
The energy possessed by an object due to that object’s movement. Depends on the mass and speed of the object. Increasing the mass or speed of the object results in an increase in kinetic energy. If an object is not moving, it will have zero kin
What is the total energy of a system?
The total energy of a system is all of the potential energy of the system added together with all of the kinetic energy of a system. (example, if a ball is rolling with 100 J of kinetic energy and it is on a track above the ground, with 50 J of potential energy, then the total energy is 150 J. 100 J + 50 J = 150 J
What is the frequency measured in?
Hertz (represented with the letter f)
What is the period measured in?
Seconds (Represented with T)
What is the amplitude?
The distance from the resting point (middle line) of a wave to the crest of the wave
- also the distance from the resting point to the trough
What is the crest?
Highest point of a wave
What is the trough?
The lowest point on a wave
What is the wavelength?
The length of one complete cycle; The distance from one point on a wave to the exact same point on the next cycle of that wave; Represented with the Greek letter, lambda. λ
