Physics Terms Flashcards
The study of the fundamental laws of nature and many of their applications
Physics
The internationally adopted standard system of units for quantitively measuring quantities
SI units
The fundamental type of a quantity such as length, mass, or time
Dimension of a quantity
A type of calculation that checks the dimensional consistency of an equation
Dimensional analysis
A value that is purely numerical, or a quantity, define such as that all dimensional factors cancel
Dimensionless quantity
The digit in the numerical value of a quantity that are known with certainty
Significant figures
A method of writing numbers that consists of a number of order unity times 10 to the appropriate power
Scientific notation
The power of 10 characterizing the size of a quantity
Order of magnitude
A factor that multiplies a quantity to convert its value to another unit
Conversion factor
A numerical value with appropriate unit
Scalar
A mathematical quantity having a numerical value and direction
Vector
The study of how objects move in the forces that cause motion
Mechanics
The branch of physics that describes the motion
Kinematics
The total length of travel
Distance
The change in position of an object
Displacement
Distance divided by elapsed time
Average speed
The rate of change of displacement with time
Velocity
The rate of change of velocity with time
Acceleration
The acceleration that results from earths gravitational pull
The acceleration of gravity
The motion of an object subject only to the influence of gravity
Freefall
A straight line that intersects a curve at a point P as the result of a limiting process of secant line through points surrounding P
Tangent line
A mathematical quantity, having both magnitude and direction (with appropriate units)
Vector
The full numerical value of the quantity being represented
Magnitude of a vector
The orientation with an a coordinate system of the quantity being represented
Direction of a vector
The part of a vector associated with a specific direction
Component of a vector
A dimensionless vector of unit magnitude
Unit vector
The motion of an object that is projected with an initial velocity, and then moves under the influence of gravity only
Projectile motion
The angle of the initial velocity of a projectile measured relative to the horizontal
Launch angle
The horizontal distance traveled by a projectile before it lands
Range
An object, moving with a constant velocity continues to do so unless acted upon by a nonzero net force
Newtons first law
The acceleration of an object equals the ratio of the net force on the object to its mass
Newton second law
For every force that an agent applies to an object, there is a reaction force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction applied by the object to the original agent
Newtons third law
The branch of physics that studies force in the causes of various types of motion
Dynamics
A push, or a pull applied to an object
Force
A measure of an objects inertia
Mass
An object natural tendency to move with constant velocity
Inertia
A frame of reference in which the law of inertia hold
Inertial reference frame
A diagram of an isolated object showing all the force factors acting on the object
Free body diagram
The downward force due to gravity
Weight
The perceived weight of an object as its force of contact with the ground or a scale
Apparent weight
The component of the contact force on the surface that is perpendicular to the surface
Normal force
A contact force between two sliding surfaces that opposes the motion
Kinetic friction
The contact force between two non-sliding services that opposes their attempt to slide
Static friction
The force transmitted through a string or taut wire
Tension
The force law for an ideal spring
Hookes law
The proportionality factor between the force and the deformation in Hooke’s law
Force constant
The situation in which the net force on an object is zero
Translational equilibrium
The center-pointing acceleration of objects in circular motion
Centripetal acceleration
The center pointing force on objects in circular motion
Centripetal force
Work is done when a force acts through a displacement
Work
SI unit of work and energy
Joule
The rate at which work is done
Power
The SI unit of power equal to 1 Joule per second
Watt
Any force for which the work done is independent of path
Conservative force
Any force that is not a conservative force
Nonconservative force
The representation of the extent to which work is stored in the configuration of a system
Potential energy
The sum of the kinetic and potential energy in a system
Mechanical energy
The position on a potential energy curve at which an object will stop and reverse directions
Turning point
A region in which every point has an equal value of potential energy
Equipotential
The product of the mass and velocity of an object
Linear momentum
The product of force in the amount of time the force acts
Impulse
And interaction in which forces are exerted for a finite period of time
Collision
The principle that the total linear momentum of a system remains constant unless a nonzero external net force is applied
Conservation of linear momentum
A collision in which kinetic energy is not conserved
Inelastic collision
A collision in which kinetic energy is conserved
Elastic collision
The average location of mass within a system
Center of mass
The forward force exerted by the expelled mass in rocket exhaust
Thrust
The angle measured from a chosen reference line
Angular position
The rate of change of angular position
Angular velocity
A form of rolling motion in which the point of contact between the rolling object and the surface is instantaneously at rest
Rolling without slipping
A quantity that represents the inertial property of a rotating object or system
Moment of inertia
The combination of a force in the distance at which it is applied from an axis that causes angular acceleration
Torque
The perpendicular distance from an axis to the line of force for calculating torque
Moment arm
The state of motion in which an object neither translates nor rotates
Static equilibrium
The principle that the total angular momentum of a system remains constant, unless a nonzero external net torque is applied
Angular momentum conservation
The rules for determining the direction of rotation of vector quantities
Right hand rule
The fundamental force of nature that represents the attraction between objects with mass
Gravity
Between any two point masses there is an attractive force directly proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them
Newtons law of universal gravitation
The net result of gravitational interaction with an a system of particles is the sum of the results for interactions between each pair of particles in the system
Principle of superposition
The amount of time it takes an object to execute one complete orbit
Orbit period
The speed at which a moving object can just barely get infinitely far away from another object ; at the speed, the mechanical energy of the system is zero
Escape speed
Motion that repeats itself
Periodic motion
When the position, velocity, and acceleration of an oscillatory motion repeat themselves between two successive passes
Complete cycle
The amount of time for one complete cycle
Period
The number of cycles per unit of time
Frequency
The oscillatory motion that results from a force that obeys Hookes law
Simple harmonic motion
The maximum displacement from equilibrium
Amplitude
2 pi x the frequency
Angular frequency
A mass suspended by a cord or rod of negligible mass
simple pendulum
A mass distribution that is suspended and free to oscillate
Physical pendulum
When an oscillating system loses energy
Damped oscillation
A small damping constant causes oscillatory motion of decreasing amplitude
Underdamped oscillation
When the damping constant is just large enough to prevent oscillations
Critically damped oscillation
The damping constant is more than just large enough to prevent oscillations
Overdamped oscillation
When an external agent forces a system to oscillate
Driven oscillation
A frequency at which a system of oscillate if no driving force is applied
Natural frequency
That large-amplitude oscillations occur when a system is driven at a natural frequency
Resonance
Results from the connection of a series of oscillators
Wave
Waves for which the oscillators move with simple harmonic motion
Harmonic waves
Waves for which the isolation is perpendicular to the direction of propagation
Transverse waves
Waves for which the oscillation is along the direction of propagation
Longitudinal waves
The minimum amount of time it takes for a wave to repeat
Period
The number of cycles of a waves oscillations per unit of time
Frequency
The minimum repeat length of a wave
Wavelength
The amount of energy per unit area per unit time
Intensity
A measure of a sounds loudness relative to a standard reference
Intensity level
The shift in frequency due to relative motion between the source in the observer
Doppler effect
The addition of two or more waves
Superposition
The wave pattern that results from the super position of two or more waves
Interference pattern
When the crests and/or troughs of different waves occur at the same time
In phase
When the crest of a wave occur at the same time as the troughs of another wave
Opposite phase
When waves superimpose in phase, resulting in a wave of larger amplitude
Constructive interference
When waves superimpose out of phase, resulting in a wave of smaller amplitude
Destructive interference
Hey stationary wave from the superposition of two waves traveling in opposite directions
Standing wave
Positions on a standing wave that do not oscillate.
Node
Positions on a standing wave that oscillate with maximum amplitude
Antinode
The longest wavelength standing wave
Fundamental mode
Variations in the intensity of a wave, resulting from the superposition of waves of different frequency
Beats
The frequency of successful intensity maximum of a wave that exhibits beats
Beat frequency
A liquid or a gas
Fluid
A measure of the compactness of an object or substance, given by its mass per unit volume
Density
The normal force per unit area, acting on an object or within a fluid
Pressure
The measure of pressure that excludes the atmospheric pressure
Gauge pressure
The principle that an external pressure is transmitted undiminished throughout a fluid
Pascals principle
The phenomenon that fluid pressure applies an upward force on immersed objects
Buoyancy
The buoyant force equals the weight of the fluid displaced by immersed object
Archimedes principle
Occurs when the buoyant force equals an objects weight
Flotation
The equation that expresses the constant mass flow rate within a fluid
Equation of continuity
The application of the work energy theorem to fluid flow
Bernoulli’s equation
The equation that determines the speed with which a fluid will flow from an aperture below the surface of a fluid in an open container
Torricelli’s law
Resistance to fluid flow
Viscosity
The surface of fluids often behave in a way similar to an elastic membrane
Surface tension
The property of systems that determines the existence and direction of the heat flow between them when they are in thermal contact
Temperature
The energy that is transferred between systems because of a temperature difference
Heat
Exists between systems when it is possible for heat to flow between them
Thermal contact
Exists when systems are brought into thermal contact, and no heat transfer occurs
Thermal equilibrium
The fundamental law that allows a working definition of temperature
Zeroth law of thermodynamics
The lower limit on physical attainable temperatures
Absolute zero
The substance dependent proportionality factor that determines how much an object will expand as the result of a temperature change
Coefficient of expansion
The heat needed to change the temperature of 1 g of water by 1 Celsius degree
Calorie
A quantity that determines how much heat is needed to change the temperature of an object by a certain amount
Specific heat
Heat transfer by direct flow through an object due to a temperature difference across it
Conduction
A quantity that determines the rate at which heat conducts through a specific object
Thermoconductivity
Heat transfer by direct movement of matter from one place to another
Convection
Heat transfer by a mission or absorption of electromagnetic waves
Radiation
Determines the rate at which an object emits or absorbs radiation
Stefan Boltzmann constant
A number between zero and one that measures how effectively and object radiate heat
Emissivity
A gas in which the gas particles do not interact, except for elastic collisions.
Ideal gas
An equation that relates the temperature, pressure, volume, and number of particles of the gas
Equation of state, for ideal gases
The amount of a substance that contains 6.022×10^23 entities
Mole
The number of entities in a hole, equal to 6.022×10^23
Avogadro’s number
The mass of one mole of atoms
Atomic mass
Pressure-versus-volume curves, plotted for fixed temperature and number of particles
Isotherms
Relates the motion of the microscopic particles of a system to its macroscopic properties
Kinetic theory
The applied force per unit area that deforms a substance
Stress
The deformation that results from a stress applied to an object
Strain
The release of molecules from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase
Evaporation
The freezing of a fluid to a solid
Fusion
The direct transformation between the solid and gas phases
Sublimation
A graph that shows the conditions under which a substance will exist in different phases (often of temperature and pressure)
Phase diagram
Heat required to completely change the face of 1 kg of a substance
Latent heat
A quantity that only depends on the thermodynamics state of a system (from P, V, & T)
State function
A process that allows a system to return precisely to a previous state
Reversible process
A process that is not reversible
Irreversible process
A process that takes place at constant temperature
Isothermal process
A process during which no heat is transferred
Adiabatic process
The heat needed to change the temperature of 1 mol of a substance by 1 degree Celsius
Molar specific heat
A device that converts heat into work
Heat engine
States the conditions that give the maximum efficiency of a heat engine
Carnot’s theorem
A device that uses work to cause heat to flow from a cooler region to a warmer region
Refrigerator
The ratio of the heat that flows at a fixed temperature to the temperature for a reversible process (measures the amount of disorder in a system)
Entropy
