Important Words to know!

Study Vocab Quiz and Practice!

more practice!

Section 1- Physics:

1) Matter- anything that has mass; it takes up space

2) Energy- the amount of change something has such as temperature, distance, and velocity.

3) Mass- the amount of matter an object has

4) Natural Laws- govern our universe

5) Measurement- the size, length, or amount of something

6) Unit Conversion- a process that changes the number and unit of the measurement, but equals the original magnitude

7) Scientific Notation- the way to use large numbers in math and science in a neat way

Section 2- Motion and Forces:

1) Velocity- the rate of change of position (v= distance ÷ time.... units meters/second) with direction

2) Speed- similar to velocity, but without direction

3) Acceleration is the rate of change of speed (change in speed ÷ time.... units m/s^2)

4) vector- a magnitude with a direction.

5) scalar- only a magnitude and no direction (such as speed and displacement) 

6) force- a push or a pull which is measured in Newtons, and is a vector!

7) free body diagram- shows the forces acting on an system or object

8) Newton's Laws- the natural laws the govern forces on Earth

9) inertia- the resistance to move

Section 3- Momentum and Energy:

1) Momentum- the product of mass multiplied by velocity (it is a vector with units‐kg m/s). Always conserved.

2) Energy-the ability to do work (Joules)

3) Work- the transfer of energy expressed by the equation W=force* distance.  (Joules)

4) Power- the rate at which work is done (Power= Work÷ time) (Watts)

5) Potential Energy-  the energy of an object based on its height: more height then more potential energy

6) Kinetic Energy- the energy of an object due to motion: great it's velocity then more kinetic energy

Section 4- Electricity and Magnetism

1) Charges- negative and positive charges

2) Negative charge-  has more electrons than protons.

3) positive charge- has more protons. 

4) Ohm's Law: Voltage= current x resistance

5) Voltage(V) is in the units of volts (V), what the battery gives to the circuit

6) Current is the flow of charge

7) Power= current x voltage or Work/time

Section 5- Heat

1)Heat-the flow of thermal energy, which always flows from hot to cold.

2) Temperature- a measure of the average kinetic energy of molecules.

3) Conduction- heat that is transferred by contact and collision of molecules which can

happen in solids, liquids, and gases.

4) Convection‐“heat rises”, only occurs in liquids and gases,

5) Radiation ‐heat that is transferred by electromagnetic radiation (infrared rays).

6) Evaporation- a cooling process (seen in the water cycle too)

7) Condensation is a warming process 

Section 6- Waves

1) A Wave - transfer energy; it is a disturbance moving through some type of medium.

2) Period (T, measured in seconds)- the time it takes to complete a cycle

3) Frequency(f, measured in Hertz which is 1/seconds) - the number of cycles completed in a unit of time

4) Transverse Wave- a wave that oscillates up and down. Such as a light wave.

5) Longitudinal Wave- the displacement and motion of the wave are in the same direction or opposite direction. Such as a sound wave.

6) Reflection: when waves bounce from a surface back toward the source. A reflected wave "bounces back" from a surface

7) Refraction: when waves are deflected going through a substance. This creates an angle change it the image appears "bent"

8) Diffraction: when a wave goes through a small gap/hole.