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112 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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acceleration
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the rate of change of velocity as a function of time. It is a vector. The SI units for acceleration are m / s2 (meters per second squared, or meters per second per second). In calculus terms, acceleration is the second derivative of position with respect to time or, alternately, the first derivative of the velocity with respect to time.
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alpha particle
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this particle consists of two protons and two neutrons. (This is the same as the nucleus of a helium atom.)
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amplitude
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the maximum displacement of a periodic wave
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antinode
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the point of maximum displacement in a periodic system
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aperture
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small opening
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Apex
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the highest point (of something)
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Atom
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The smallest piece of matter which is still distinguishable as a particular chemical element. It consists of electrons orbiting a nucleus.
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B field
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magnetic field; a force field that fills the space around every magnet or current carrying wire. Another magnet or current carrying wire introduced into this region will experience a magnetic force.
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Beta Particle
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This radiation consists of electrons or positrons.
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Centrifugal force
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an apparent outward force on a rotating or revolving body. It is fictious in the sense that it is not part of an interaction but is due to the tendency of a moving body to move in a straight line path.
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Centripetal force
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a center-directed force that causes an object to move in a curved (sometimes circular) path.
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Charge
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the fundamental electrical property to which the mutual attractions or repulsions between electrons and protons is attributed
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Closed system
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a physical system on which no outside influences act; closed so that nothing gets in or out of the system and nothing from outside can influence the system's observable behavior or properties.
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Component
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one of the vectors, often mutually perpendicular, whose sum is a resultant vector. Any resultant vector may be regarded as the combination of two or more components.
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Compression
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the act of squeezing material
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conduction
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n heat, energy transfer from particle to particle within certain materials, or from one material to another when the two are in direct contact (b) In electricity, the flow of charge through a conductor
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conductor
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a material which allows current to flow with little resistance
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conserved
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term applied to a physical quantity such as momentum, energy, or electric charge, that remains unchanged during interactions.
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Constructive Interference
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the strengthening of waves that occurs when two waves interact and in-phase portions of each wave combine to create a wave with a higher intensity.
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Convection
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a means of heat transfer by movement of the heated substance itself, such as by currents in a fluid
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Converge
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to move together toward a central point. When light rays from an object converge, they form an image of the object.
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correspondence principle
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if a new theory is valid, it must account for the verified results of the old theory in the region where both theories apply
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Current
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the flow (usually, the motion through a wire) of electrical charge (referred to as charge carriers).
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Decay
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the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation.
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Destructive Interference
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a reduction in wave intensity that occurs due to the interaction of waves that are out of phase.
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Diffraction
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Change in direction and intensity of light as it passes by an obstacle or through an aperture.
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Diffuse reflection
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he random reflection of light from a rough surface, which results in a fuzzy, scattered reflection
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Dispersion
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the process of separating radiation into various wavelengths
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Displacement
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the amount and direction of a change in position
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Diverge
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move or draw apart
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Doppler Shift
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he apparent change in the frequency of a signal caused by the relative motion of the transmitter and receiver
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Drag
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the phenomenon of resistance to motion through a fluid (gas or liquid)
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Electric Field
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a force field that fills the space around every electric charge or group of charges. Measured in force per unit charge (Newtons / Coulomb)
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Electric Potential
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electric potential energy per Coulomb (Joule / Coulomb) at a location in the electric field; measured in volts and often called voltage
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Electric Resistance
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a material's opposition to the flow of electric current; measured in ohms
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Electrically Polarized
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term applied to a particle or object in which the charges are aligned so that one side is slightly more positive or negative than the opposite side.
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Electron volt
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he energy given to an electron accelerated by a one volt potential difference.
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Element
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a substance made of only one kind of atom.
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Energy
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that property of an object or system which enables it to do work; measured in Joules.
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Entropy
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the number of possible states available to a system; a measure of the amount of disorder in a system; the amount of energy in a system which is no longer available for doing external work
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Equilibrium
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the state of a body on which no net force acts.
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Nuclear fission
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a nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus (such as uranium) splits into two lighter nuclei (and possible some other radioactive particles as well).
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Focal Length
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the distance between the center of a lens or mirror and the focal point
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Force
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that which causes matter to change its velocity
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free fall
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motion under the influence of the gravitational force alone; near the surface of Earth, objects accelerate at a rate of 9.8 m/s<sup>2</sup> while in free fall
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frequency
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the number of waves that pass a given point in a specified unit of time.
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friction
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force that opposes the motion of an object
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fusion
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a nuclear reaction in which two light nuclei (such as hydrogen) combine to form a heavier nuclei (such as helium).
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gamma ray
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a form of high-energy radiation which consists of photons
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generator
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a machine that produces an electric current by rotating a coil within a stationary magnetic field
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half-life
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the time required for half the atoms of a radioactive substance to decay.
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heat
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energy transfer due to random molecular motions, resulting in a gain or loss of internal energy
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hertz
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the SI unit of frequency, equivalent to one oscillation per second. 1 Hertz = 1 / s
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inertia
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the reluctance of any body to change its state of motion. Mass is the measure of inertia.
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insulator
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a material that is a poor conductor of heat or electricity
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intensity
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the amount of energy a wave delivers to an area.
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interference
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the overlapping effect which occurs when two or more waves pass through the same space. The momentary amplitudes of the waves are added at every point and at every moment with the result that every point in the space oscillates in accordance with the interference pattern produced.
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iridescence
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the color effect on a surface that shows a lustrous, rainbow sort of brilliance. Examples of iridescence include a soap bubble or oil on water.
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isotope
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a form of an element having a particular number of neutrons in the nuclei of its atoms.
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magnet
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a body which produces a magnetic field. All magnets are di-pole and follow the rule that like poles repel and unlike poles attract
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magnetic flux
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the product of an area and the magnetic field which passes through it
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magnitude
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amount; greatness or extent
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mass
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: the quantity of inertia possessed by an object or the proportion between force and acceleration referred to in Newton's Second Law of Motion. The SI unit of mass is the kilogram (kg).
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matter
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that which has mass and occupies space
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medium
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an intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication
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MKS
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the standard set of units used for expressing quantities in science, utilizing base units of the meter, the Kilogram, the second, the Ampere, the Kelving, and the candela.
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molecule
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two or more atoms of the same or different elements bonded together to form a larger particle.
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motor
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a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
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natural frequencies
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the frequency at which an object will vibrate freely when set in motion.
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neutron
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an electrically neutral particle that is one of the two kinds of particle that compose an atomic nucleus
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node
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a point in a standing wave where a given characteristic of the wave field has zero amplitude
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normal
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a normal is a vector that is perpendicular to a surface.
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nucleus
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the center of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons.
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oscillation
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a motion that repeats itself in a regular cycle, such as a sine wave or pendulum.
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period
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the amount of time required for one complete oscillation.
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photon
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a discrete bundle (or quantum) of electromagnetic (or light) energy.
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polarization
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the orientation of the electromagnetic waves; can be linear (vertical or horizontal) and circular.
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power
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is the time rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. In calculus terms, power is the derivative of work with respect to time. The SI unit of power is the watt (W) or joule per second (J/s). Horsepower is a unit of power in the British system of measurement.
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projectile
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any object that moves through the air or through space, acted on only by gravity (and air resistance, if any).
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proton
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a positively charged particle that is one of the two kinds of particles that are found in the nucleus of an atom
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quantum
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the fundamental "size" unit; the smallest amount of anything. One quantum of light energy is called a photon.
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quark
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the particles which, when bound together form a hadron (for example, a proton or a neutron).
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radiation
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energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles
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radioactive
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term applied to an atom with a nucleus that is unstable and that can spontaneously emit a particle and become the nucleus of another element
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radius of curvature
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the amount of curvature of a shape. The term is often followed by a quantity that describes the radius of a circle whose circumference would match the shape being described
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range
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the area in which something acts or operates or has power or control
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reference frame
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a set of axes which enable an observer to measure the position and motion of all points in a system relative to the axes
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reflection
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the change in direction of a wave front at an interface between two dissimilar media so that the wave front returns into the medium from which it originated. Common examples include the reflection of light, sound and water waves
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Refraction
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the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another
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rest energy
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the "energy of being", given the equation E=mc<sup>2</sup>
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resultant
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a vector sum of two or more component vectors
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satellite
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an object that falls around the Earth or some other body rather than falling into it.
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scalar quantity
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a quantity in Physics, such as mass or volume, that can be completely specified by its magnitude, and has no direction
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semiconductor
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a material that can be made to behave as either a conductor or an insulator of electricity
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space-time
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A combination of space and time, which are viewed in special relativity as two parts of one whole
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specular reflection
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A combination of space and time, which are viewed in special relativity as two parts of one whole
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speed
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(symbol: v) the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change of position, expressed as distance x moved per unit of time t.
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strong force
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the force that attracts protons and neutrons to eachother in the nucleus; very strong at close distances but decreases rapidly as the distance increases
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superconductor
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a material that has infinite conductivity at low temperatures, so that charge flows through it without resistance
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system
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a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole
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temperature
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the property of a material that tells how warm or cold it is relative to some standard. In an ideal gas, the molecular kinetic energy per molecule
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tension
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the physical condition of being stretched or strained
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terminal velocity
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the downward speed at which the acceleration of a falling object is zero because friction balances weight
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time dilation
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an observable stretching, or slowing, of time in a frame of reference moving past the observer as a speed approaching the speed of light
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total destructive interference
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interference between waves that results in zero amplitude.
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total internal reflection
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an optical phenomenon. It occurs when light is refracted (bent) at a medium boundary enough to send it backwards, effectively reflecting the entire ray
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vector quantity
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a quantity in Physics, such as a force, that has both magnitude and direction
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velocity
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is a vector measurement of the rate of change of displacement from a fixed point. More simply, it is speed in a particular direction.
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wavelength
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the distance between two consecutive crest or trough or any position and a similar position of a particle in the next wave in phase with it is called a wave length.
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weak force
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one of the four fundamental forces, its most familiar effect is beta decay and the associated radioactivity.
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weight
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the force on a body due to the gravitational attraction of another body (commonly the Earth).
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work
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The product of the force on an object and the distance through which the object is moved (when force is constant and motion is in a straight line in the direction of the force); measured in Joules
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