Physics word repository by: http://www.kingsford.org/khsweb/staff/Bertoldi/physicsvoc/physicslist.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Chapter 1 Introduction to Science

Accuracy A description of how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity measured

Critical thinking The ability and willingness to assess claims critically and make judgments on the basis of objective and supported reasons.

Length The measure of the straight-line distance between two points

Mass A measure of the amount of matter in an object

Precision The exactness of a measurement

Science The knowledge obtained by observing natural events and conditions in order to discover facts and formulate laws or principles that can be verified or tested.

Scientific_Law A summary of many experimental results and observations; A law tells how things work.

Scientific Method A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis and stating conclusions.

Scientific Notation A method of expressing a quantity as a number multiplied by 10 to the appropriate power.

Scientific Theory an explanation for some phenomenon that is based on observation, experimentation, and reasoning.

Significant Figure A prescribed decimal place that determines the amount of rounding off to be done based on the precision of the measurement.

Technology An application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes

Variable A factor that changes in an experiment in order to test a hypothesis.

Volume A measure of the size of a body or region in three-dimensional space

Weight a measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object

Chapter 10 vocabulary

Motion objects change in position relative to a reference point

Displacement The change in position of an object

Speed the distance traveled by the time interval during which the motion occurred

Velocity The speed of an object in a particular direction

Acceleration The rate at which velocity changes over time; an objects accelerates if its speed, direction or both change

Static Friction The force that resists the initiation between two surfaces that are in contact and at rest

Kinetic Friction The force that opposes the movement of two surfaces that are in contact with each other and are sliding over each other

Chapter 11 Vocabulary

Inertia The tendency of an object to resist being moved or, if the object is moving, to resist a change in speed or direction until and outside force acts on the object.

Free Fall the motion of a body when only the force of gravity is acting on the body.

Terminal Velocity The constant velocity of a falling object when the force of air resistance is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force of gravity

Projectile Motion the curved path that an object follows when thrown, launched, or otherwise projected near the surface of he earth; the motion of objects that are moving in two dimensions under the influence of gravity

Momentum A quantity defined as the product of the mass and the velocity of an object

Chapter 12 Vocabulary Work and energy

Work The transfer of energy to a body by the application of a force that causes the body to move in the direction of the force

Power A quantity that measures the rate at which work is done or energy is transformed

Mechanical Advantage A quantity that measures how much a machine multiples a force by

Simple Machine One of six basic machine types of machines which are the basis for all other forms of machines

Compound Machines A machine made of more that one simple machine

Potential Energy The energy an object has because of position, shape or condition of the object

Kinetic Energy The energy of a moving object due to the objects motion

Mechanical Energy The amount of work an object can do because of the object’s kinetic and potential energy

Efficiency A quantity, usually expressed as a percentage that measures the ratio of useful work output to work input

Chapter 13 Vocabulary

Absolute Zero The temperature at which molecular energy is a minimum 0oK on the Kelvin scale or -273.16oC on the Celsius scale

Convection The movement of matter due to differences in density that are caused by temperature variations

Convection Current The vertical movement of air currents due to temperature variations

Heat the energy transferred between objects that are at different temperatures

Heat Engine A machine that transform heat into mechanical energy or work.

Radiation The energy that is transferred as electromagnetic waves, such as visible light and infrared waves

Refrigerant A material used to cool an area or object to a temperature that is lower than the temperature of the environment

Specific Heat The quantity of heat required to raise a unit of mass of homogeneous material 1oK or 1oC in a specific way given constant pressure and volume

Thermal Conduction The transfer of energy as heat through a material

Temperature is a measure of how hot (or cold) something is; specifically; a measure of average kinetic energy of the particles in an object

Thermometer an Instrument that measures and indicates temperature

Chapter 14 Vocabulary on waves

Amplitude The maximum distance that particles of a wave’s medium vibrate from their rest position

Interference any interference in which waves combine so that the resulting wave is bigger than the original waves

Crest The highest point of a wave

Destructive Interference Any interference in which waves combine so that the resulting wave is smaller than the largest wave of the original waves

Diffraction A change in the direction of a wave when the wave finds an obstacle or an edge, such as an opening

Doppler Effect An observed change in frequency of a wave when the source or observer is moving

Electromagnetic wave A wave that consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields, which radiate outward at the speed of light

Frequency The number of cycles or vibrations per unit of time

Interference The combination of two or more waves of the same frequency that results in a single wave

Longitudinal Wave A wave in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction the wave is traveling

Medium A physical environment in which phenomena occur

Mechanical wave A wave that requires a medium to travel

Period The time it takes a complete cycle or wave oscillation to occur

Reflection The bouncing back of a ray of light, sound or heat when a ray hits a surface and does not go through

Refraction The bending of a wavefront as the wavefront passes between two substances in which the speed of the wave differs

Standing Wave A pattern of vibration that simulates a wave that is still standing

Trough The lowest point on a wave

Transverse wave A wave in which the particles of the medium move perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling

Wave a periodic disturbance in a solid, liquid or gas as energy is transmitted through a medium

Wavelength The distance from any point on a wave to an identical poiont on the next wave

Chapter 15 vocabulary

DispersionIn optics the process of separating a wave (such as white light) of different frequencies into it individual components (the different colors)

Infrasoundslow vibrations of frequencies lower than 20 hz

Intensity the rate at which energy flows through a given area of space

Lens Lens a Transparent object that refracts light waves such as they converge or diverge to create an image

Light Ray A line in space that matches the direction of flow of radiant energy

Magnification A change in the size of an image compared with the size of the object

Photon a unit of light energy

PitchA measure of how high or low a sound is perceived to be depending on the frequency of the sound

Prism in optics , a system that consists of two or more plane surface of a transparent solid at an angle with each other

Resonance A phenomenon that occurs when two objects naturally vibrate at the same frequency

Radar- radio detection and ranging system that uses reflected radio waves to determine velocity and location of objects

Real Image - An image of an object formed by light rays that come together at a specific location

Sonar Sound navigation and ranging, a system that uses acoustic signals and echo returns to determine location of objects or to communicate

Sound Wave A longitudinal wave that is caused by vibrations and travels through a material medium

Total internal reflection The complete reflection that takes place within a substance when the angle of incidence of light striking the surface boundary is less than the critical angle

Ultrasound Any sound wave with frequencies higher than 20,000 HZ

Virtual Image -An image that forms at a location from which light rays appear to come but actually do not come