Semester 1 L-Z Flashcards
law of universal gravitation
Isaac Newton’s theory (1687) that all objects with mass attract all others, with a force that is directly proportional to the product of the two masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
laws of motion
Isaac Newton’s three laws (1687) summarizing the behavior pf objects with mass. when no net force is present on such an object, the object retains its present state of motion (first law); when a net force is present, the object accelerates in proportion to the force, and in inverse proportion to its mass (second law); and any force produces an equal and opposite reaction force (third law)
liter
A unit of volume equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters; not an official SI System unit, but commonly used in scientific studies.
lurking variable
A variable in an experiment that causes variation in the response variable with out researchers being aware that it is doing so.
mass
The variable used to quantify the amount of matter in an object.
mass-energy equivalence
Einstein’s theory (1905) that mass and energy are different forms of the same thing-energy, and may be converted from one form to another.
matter
Anything made of atoms or parts of atoms. alternatively anything that has mass or volume.
mental model
A theory.
meter
The unit for length in the SI System; one of the seven base units.
metric prefix
Prefixes added to the units of measure in the SI system to indicate multiples or fractional multiples.
metric system
The common term in the U.S. for the International System of Units.
MKS system
A subset of units in the metric system usong only base units such as meter, kilogram, and second, and units derived from these.
model
A representation, such as a theory, of a complex system.
momentum
The product of an objects mass and velocity.
motion
A state in which an object is not at rest.
net force
A force or combination of forces on an object that is not balanced by any other force thus causing acceleration according to Newton’s second law of motion.
potential energy
Energy that is stored and can be released by conversion into a different form of energy.
precision
the degree of resolution or “fine-ness” in a measurement
Primum Mobile
Latin for “ first mover.” In the Ptolemaic model of the heavens, this is the 9th sphere that drives all other spheres, causing them all to roll around the earth once each day.
response variable
A variable monitored my researchers in an experiment that varies in response to changes in another variable being manipulated (the explanatory variable).
science
The process of using experiment, observation, and reasoning to develop mental models (theories) of the natural world.
scientific fact
A scientific statement supported by a great deal of evidence that is correct as far as we know.
second
The base unit of time in the SI System; one of the seven base units.
significant digits
The digits in a measurement that represent its precision.
SI System
The International System of Units administered in France and accepted by most of the countries in the world; commonly known in the U.S. as the metric system
speed
The rate at which an object is moving.
state of motion
The state of an object characterized by its possessing a particular velocity; that is, possessing a particular speed in a particular direction; includes the state of being at rest( a speed of 0 m/s)
theory
a model (i.e., representation) that seeks to account for and explain the related facts and provide means for producing new hypotheses.
thermal energy
Energy an object possesses due to being heated.
truth
The way things really are; revealed to us by God through his word and through nature, or known to us by direct and immediate testimony of our senses, or known to us by valid reasoning from true premises; not a part of the language of scientific claims.
uniform acceleration
A situation caused by the presence of a net force, in which the velocity of an object increases or decreases by the same amount each second.
unit conversion
An expression, equivalent to unity (one), written by placing equivalent quantities expressed in different units of measure in the numerator and denominator of a fraction.
velocity
A quantity that describes how fast an object is moving and in which direction.
weight
A force acting on an object due to gravity.
work
A mechanical process whereby energy is transferred from one object to another by a force pushing through a certain distance.
