Download Fundamentals of Physics: Terms and Concepts and more Quizzes Physics in PDF only on Docsity!
Fact
phenomenon about which competent observers who have made a series of observations are in agreement TERM 2
Hypothesis
DEFINITION 2 reasonable explanation of an observation or experimental result not fully accepted as factual until tested over and over again by experiment describes or explains a pattern. TERM 3
Law
DEFINITION 3 (Principle) general hypotheses or statement about the relationship of natural quantities has been tested over and over again and has not been contradicted. TERM 4
Scientific Method
DEFINITION 4 orderly method for gaining, organizing, and applying new knowledge TERM 5
Theory
DEFINITION 5 Synthesis of a large body of information that encompasses well-tested Different meaning from everyday speech, in which a theory is no different from a hypothesis. Theories of science are NOT fixed, they undergo change
Acceleration
In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time. TERM 7
Distance
DEFINITION 7 Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are. TERM 8
Free Fall
DEFINITION 8 Free fall is any motion of a body where gravity is the only or dominant force acting upon it, at least initially. TERM 9
Relative
DEFINITION 9 Motion is relative. TERM 10
Average Speed
DEFINITION 10 In physics, velocity is the rate of change of displacement (position). Total distance/total time. set odometer at beginning of trip and divide by total time.
Velocity
In physics, velocity is the rate of change of displacement (position). The speed of an object and specification of its direction of motion TERM 17
Free Fall
DEFINITION 17 Motion under the influence of gravity only TERM 18
Terminal Velocity
DEFINITION 18 In fluid dynamics an object is moving at its terminal velocity if its speed is constant due to the restraining force exerted by the air, water or other fluid through which it is moving. TERM 19
Component
DEFINITION 19 A component is any smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. TERM 20
Parabola
DEFINITION 20 In mathematics, the parabola (plural parabolae or parabolas, , from the Greek -) is a conic section, the intersection of a right circular conical surface and a plane parallel to a generating straight line of that surface.
X
component
The projection of a vector quantity on the x axis of a coordinate. TERM 22
Y Component
DEFINITION 22 The projection of a vector quantity on the y axis of a coordinate. TERM 23
Scalar
DEFINITION 23 quantites that have no direction~ Examples such as mass, time, distnace, density, work and enerty TERM 24
Vector
DEFINITION 24 quantities that require a magnitude and direction for specification Examples such as Displacement, velocity, accelertation, force, ad momentum TERM 25
Equilibrium
DEFINITION 25 Equilibrium is the condition of a system in which competing influences are balanced.
Force
In physics, a force is any influence that causes a free body to undergo an acceleration. TERM 32
Normal Force
DEFINITION 32 In physics, the normal force (occasionally N) is the component, perpendicular to the surface of contact, of the contact force exerted by, for example, the surface of a floor or wall, on an object, preventing the object from entering the floor or wall. TERM 33
INertia
DEFINITION 33 Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to a change in its state of motion or rest. TERM 34
Net Force
DEFINITION 34 A net force, Fnet = F1 + F2 + (also known as a resultant force) is a vector produced when two or more forces { F1, F2, } act upon a single object. It is calculated by vector addition of the force vectors acting upon the object. A net force can also be defined as the overall force acting on an object. TERM 35
Law of Inertia
DEFINITION 35 Newton's laws of motion are three physical laws that form the basis for classical mechanics.
Volume
Volume is how much three-dimensional space a substance (solid, liquid, gas, or plasma) or shape occupies or contains, TERM 37
Applied Force
DEFINITION 37 An applied force is a force which is applied to an object by a person or another object. If a person is pushing a desk across the room, then there is an applied force acting upon the object. The applied force is the force exerted on the desk by the person. TERM 38
Gravitational Force
DEFINITION 38 Newton's law of universal gravitation states that every massive particle in the universe attracts every other massive particle with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. TERM 39
Law of Universal Gravitation
DEFINITION 39 Newton's law of universal gravitation states that every massive particle in the universe attracts every other massive particle with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. TERM 40
Inverse- square Law
DEFINITION 40 In physics, an inverse-square law is any physical law stating that some physical quantity or strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source of that physical quantity.
