- acceleration
- the rate of change of velocity; change in velocity over change in time
- amplitude
- the distance from the equilibrium position of a transverse wave to the top of a crest or the bottom of a trough
- analysis
- the process of organizing and making sense out of the results of the experiment and comparing this to the original hypothesis; can lead to a modification of the hypothesis
- angle of incidence
- an angle between an incoming light ray and the normal line
- angle of reflection
- an angle between the normal line and a reflected light ray
- applied force
- an external force acting on an object; usually from a person; diagram label is FA
- average velocity
- total displacement ÷ time interval
- carrier particle
- a sub atomic particle that transfers force from one object to another
- CAT scan
- computerized tomography scan, which is a very precise X-ray that looks at specific sections of the body
- centripetal acceleration
- acceleration of an object moving at a constant speed in circular motion; this acceleration always points to the center of the circle
- charge
- a basic property of matter
All matter can be positive, negative or neutral based on the number of electrons and protons that it contains.
The variable for charge is q.
- circuit
- a closed conducting loop that use the flow of charge to perform a specific task
- closed system
- a system in which the mass doesn’t change
- comparative investigation
- an investigation where observations are made that compare two objects or phenomena
- conclusion
- a statement that adequately explains or solves the original problem based on the results of scientific experimentation
- conduction
- transfer of heat energy from molecule to molecule by direct contact of particles
- conductor
- material that allows charge to move easily
- contact force
- a force that requires physical contact
Examples include: your fingers pushing the keys on the computer, a baseball bat hitting a ball. - convection
- heat transfer in a liquid or gas by movement of particles from one area to another
- convex lens
- a lens that is thicker in the middle than it is on the edges, if viewed from the side; also called converging lenses
- coulomb
- the unit of charge; the abbreviation for the coulomb is C
1C of charge represents 6.24 * 1018 protons (or electrons.)
- circular motion
- motion in a circular path
- crest
- the highest point of a transverse wave above the equilibrium position
- current
- the rate at which electric charge moves through a particular point of an electric circuit; the unit is the ampere (A)
- Delta, Δ
-
a numeric operator, which is shorthand for 'final – initial'
Delta must have a variable to operate on. You will not solve any equation for Delta.
- dependent variable
- a characteristic of an experiment that is a result of the effect or influence of an independent variable
- descriptive investigation
- an investigation where observations of new phenomena are recorded and catalogued
- diffuse reflection
- reflection off of a rough surface where parallel light rays are scattered in all directions
- direction
- the direction an object is moving, in vectors it is shown by the direction of the arrow
- displacement
- an object's change in position (final position – initial position)
- durable
- long lasting, capable of withstanding scrutiny
- elastic potential energy
- energy stored in a spring or energy stored by compressing or stretching an object
- electric field
- the effect a charge has on the space around it
- electric potential
- the electrical potential energy of a charged particle divided by the charge of the particle
- emission spectrum
- series of bright lines or bands of light given off by an excited atom
Spectra are like fingerprints, they are different for each atom.
- energy
- the capacity to do work
- empirical data
- data collected from reliable measurement or observation
- equilibrium
- an object is at equilibrium when it's acceleration is zero; it is at rest or moving at constant velocity
- evidence
- objective findings during a scientific investigation that either support or do not support the hypothesis
- excited state
- state of higher energy in an atom
- experimental investigation
- an organized scientific investigation that is designed to test the hypothesis; includes independent and dependent variables and only attempts to test one variable at a time
- explanation
- statement that helps make something comprehensible (understandable)
- falsifiable
- capable of being shown to be false if it is untrue
- field
- the effect a charge or mass has on the space around it
- field force
- a force that can act at a distance; a force that can interact without being in contact
Examples include: gravity and attraction or repulsion between magnets.
- final position (df)
- the location of an object at the end of a time interval
- focal length
- the distance from a convex lens to its focus, or focal point
- focus
- the place at the focal length of a convex lens where light rays parallel to the axis of the lens are brought to a point
- force
- changes motion of an object
Push or pull that can cause an object to accelerate. (SI unit is the Newton.)
- force diagram
- a diagram that uses arrows to depict the vectors of forces acting on objects in the diagram
- frame of reference
- a coordinate system used to determine the exact location of an object in space
- free body diagram
- a force diagram that show all the force vectors acting on an object; it does NOT depict reaction forces
- friction
- a force that resists motion between two objects in contact; diagram label is Ff or f
- generator
- a machine that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy
- gravitational potential energy
- energy stored due to the height an object is above the ground
- ground state
- lowest energy state of an atom
- heat
- energy that is transferred between objects due to a difference in temperatures
- heat transfer
- transfer of heat (energy) from one object to another
- highly reliable
- something that has been researched frequently that displays little or no change after repeated experiments
- horsepower or hp
- another unit of power, 1 horsepower = 746 watts (SI unit is the watt)
- hypothesis
- a proposed explanation, based on observation and research, to a scientific question
- impulse
- Change in momentum J = Δp = FΔt
- independent variable
- a characteristic of an experiment that determines the value of the other (dependent) variable(s)
- initial position (di)
- the location of an object at the beginning of the time interval
- instantaneous velocity
- the velocity of an object at some specific point along its path (its velocity at some instant in time)
- insulator
- material that does not allow charge to move
- intensity
- property describing the brightness of light; dependent on the number of photons present in the light
- investigation
- method of gathering data by observation, testing a hypothesis, or comparing in order to solve a problem or answer a question
- isotope
- form of element with same atomic number; each of two or more forms of a chemical element with the same number of protons but with different numbers of neutrons
- iterative process
- any process that can result in the repetition of previous steps after revisions based on observations of collected data
- joule
- the SI unit of energy; the product of the force and the displacement of an object; units are N.m
- kinetic energy
- energy of an object due to its motion; related to the mass and velocity of the object; its unit is the joule
- laser
- a specialized light source that emits a very powerful narrow beam of light that is all the same wavelength
Laser stands for Light Amplification through Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
- Law of Reflection
- angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection: θi = θr
- lens
- a transparent object that refracts light rays, and makes them converge or diverge to form an image
- magnetic domain
- microscopic groups of atoms within magnetic materials in which the magnetic fields of the atoms are in the same direction
- magnetic field
- the region surrounding a magnet in which a second magnet, a moving charge, or current-carrying wire will experience a magnetic force; represented by the symbol B and measured in Tesla (T) units
- magnetic pole
- a region on a magnet which produces a magnetic force; all magnets have a north magnetic pole and a south magnetic pole
- magnitude
- the size of something, in this particular case, the size of a vector
- mechanical energy
- energy that an object or group of objects has due to its position or motion
- model
- a replica, representation, or description designed to show how an object, system, or idea is constructed or how it works
- motor
- a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy
- momentum
- a quantification on the motion of an object
- motion
- the change in position or location of an object in relation to time
- MRI
- magnetic resonance imaging: the use of nuclear magnetic resonance of atomic nuclei to produce high-resolution images
- natural phenomena
- any observable occurrence of the natural world
- net force
- the vector sum of all forces acting on an object
- net work
- the total work done; this can be either adding up the work from each force or finding the work done by the net force
- non-supported
- not confirmed, sustained or maintained
- normal force
- force from a surface that reacts to forces pushing into the surface
Example: the floor supporting your weight. Diagram label is N.
- normal line
- reference line drawn perpendicular to a mirror which is used for measuring angles of incidence and reflection
- observation
- a method of data collection that includes collecting quantitative and qualitative data
- ohm
- the unit for resistance (Ω)
- Ohm's Law
- electrical resistance is constant over a wide range of applied electrical potential differences
- one-dimensional motion
- motion of an object that occurs in only one direction
- parabola
- a symmetrical open plane curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to its side
- parallel
- a circuit with more than one path for charge to flow
- photoelectric effect
- the emission of electrons from a metallic surface when light of a specific energy shines on the metal
- photoelectron
- the electrons that are emitted from the surface of a metal when light shines on the metal
- photon
- a quantum of electromagnetic (light) energy
- plane mirror
- a mirror with a flat surface
- potential difference
- the change in the electrical potential energy of a charged particle divided by the charge of the particle; often called voltage; the unit is the volt (V)
- potential energy
- energy of an object due to its position relative to another object; energy stored within an object
At the atomic level, it is associated with the electric forces that exist between the charged particles of an atom or molecule.
- power
- the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred
- pressure
- force per unit of area
- projectile motion
- motion of an object flying through the air with no forces but gravity
- quantify
- assigning a numerical value to something
- question
- a problem that cannot be answered by simple observation or by research
- radar
- measuring instrument in which the echo of a pulse of microwaves and radio waves is used to detect and locate distant objects
Radar is an acronym for "radio detection and ranging."
- radiation
- heat transfer by electromagnetic radiation; can go through a medium or no medium
- radio telescope
- astronomical telescope that picks up electromagnetic radiations in the radio-frequency range from extraterrestrial sources
- ray diagram
- a diagram using selected rays passing through a convex lens to predict images formed by the lens
- real image
- an image formed by rays of light that intersect and can be projected onto a screen; light rays actually pass through this point
- reflection
- the 'bouncing back' of light waves at the surface of an object
- refracts
- light bends when it passes from one medium to another
- repeat-testing
- experimental processes using repetition to confirm previous experimental findings
- resistance
- opposition to the flow of charge through a conductor; the unit is the ohm (Ω)
- resistivity
- a measure of how much a material resists the flow of charge
- resultant vector
- sum of two or more vectors; can be said to be one vector that replaces two or more
- Rube Goldberg machine
- a complex system of interactions put together to accomplish a simple task
- scalar
- having only magnitude, not direction
- scientific investigation
- a structured way for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge
- scientific methodology
- an organized system used by scientists to perform investigations that help to develop an accurate explanation of observations
- series
- a circuit with only one path for charge to flow
- sigma, Σ
- the Greek letter sigma → the sum of
- sonar
- a measuring instrument that sends out an acoustic pulse in water and measures distances in terms of the time for the echo of the pulse to return; an acronym for "sound navigation and ranging"
- specific heat
- the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance 1° Celsius at constant pressure
- specular reflection
- reflection off of a smooth surface where parallel light rays will all reflect in the same direction according to the law of reflection θi = θr
- standard nomenclature
- a standard set of variable names and vocabulary used in a science
- supported
- confirmed, sustained or maintained
- technology
- application of knowledge to solve problems or create new tools
- temperature
- the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance
- tension
- a force applied along a rope or stretched spring; diagram label is T
- testable
- something that can be investigated using a controlled experiment
- thermal energy
- the total of all the energy contained in a substance due to the random motion of its individual atoms or molecules
- time
- how long it takes something to happen; the duration of a problem in seconds
- transformer
- two coils of wire used to increase or decrease voltage
- trough
- the highest point of a transverse wave above the equilibrium position
- two-dimensional motion
- motion that is occurring in two different directions at the same time
- ultrasound (ultrasonography)
- using the reflections of high-frequency sound waves to construct an image (a sonogram); commonly used to observe fetal growth or study bodily organs
- variable
- something that may be changed or manipulated during an investigation
- vector
- a quantity that has both magnitude (size) and direction
- velocity
- the rate of change of the position of an object in a certain direction
- virtual image
- an image formed by light rays that only appear to intersect and cannot be projected onto a screen
- watt
- SI unit of power; defined as a joule/second
- wavelength, λ
- the distance from the top of a crest to the top of the next crest, or from the bottom of a trough to the bottom of the next trough
- weight
- the force of gravity on an object; diagram label is W or mg
- well-established
- having been in accepted existence for a long time; standing up to scrutiny
- work
- the product of the magnitude of force exerted on an object in the direction of motion and the actual displacement of the object
- work-kinetic energy theorem
- states that the net work done on an object is equal to the change of the kinetic energy of that object
- X ray
- electromagnetic radiation of short wavelength produced when high-speed electrons strike a solid target