Physics Glossary: Terms, Formulas, and Equations by Owen Borville
Acceleration=a=change in velocity/change in time. Acceleration due to gravity is the acceleration caused by the force of gravity
Acoustics=is related to sound, its creation, movement, and effects
Adhesion=is the stickiness of objects
Angular acceleration=the rate of change of angular velocity
Angular frequency= is a measure of rotation rate
Angular velocity=is how fast an object rotates around a point=two types=orbital vs spin angular velocity (radians per second)
Angular momentum=the rotational version of linear momentum; the inertia of rotational motion
Archimedes principle=is the buoyant force on an object body in a fluid=weight of fluid the body replaces=acts in upward direction
Bernoulli's principle=is the increase in speed of fluid occurs simultaneously with decrease in pressure or decrease in fluid’s potential energy
Buoyancy=upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of an immersed object
Bose-Einstein Condensate=state of matter predicted in 1924 by Albert Einstein, who built on the work of Satyendra Nath Bose, the condensation of which occurs when individual atoms meld into a "super atom" behaving as a single entity at just a few hundred billionths of a degree above absolute zero.
Brownian motion=is the random motion of particles suspended in a liquid or gas (discovered by English botanist Robert Brown)
Capacitance=the ratio of change in the electrical charge of a system to the corresponding change in its electric potential
Center of gravity=the point where total weight of a body is concentrated
Center of mass=point where all mass of an object is concentrated
Centrifugal force=the apparent outward force that draws a rotating body away from the center of rotation and is caused by inertia
Centripetal force=force that keeps a body moving along a circular path at constant speed directed toward the center of the motion
Chiral Bose Liquid State=a new state of matter that can be created at temperatures close to absolute zero, different than solid, liquid, or gas. In this state of matter, electrons can freeze into predictable patterns, be resistant to changes in spin, and synchronize their movements.
Convection=is the transfer of heat by the actual transfer of matter
Coefficient of friction=is the resistance to motion between two surfaces
Compression=is the reduction in volume of a mass causing an increase in pressure
Coulomb=is the unit of electrical charge
Coulomb's Law=the magnitude, or absolute value, of the attractive or repulsive electrostatic force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them (bodies with like charges repel, opposite charges attract)
Deformation=a change in an object's shape or size due to physical stress or force
Doppler effect=is the change in frequency of a wave for an observer moving relative to source
Drag forces=act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity
Ductility=ability of a solid material to deform under tensile stress
Elasticity= the tendency of a material to return to its original shape after deformation
Electric charge=the force produced when matter is near other electrically charged matter
Electric circuit=closed loop=current returns
Electric current=flow of electrical charge through a conductive medium ACDC alternating current direct current
Electric field=space surrounding electrically charged particles and the strength of their force on each other
Electric conductor=material which can conduct electrical current
Electric insulator=material which does not allow an electrical current
Electrical resistance=the opposition to electric current
Electromagnetic radiation spectrum=the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of EM radiation. Radiation is energy that travels and spreads out as it goes, such as the visible light and the radio waves are two types of electromagnetic radiation. The other types of EM radiation that make up the electromagnetic spectrum are microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma-rays.
Endothermic reaction=a chemical or physical reaction that absorbs heat from environment
Energy=quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat and light, and is conserved; kinetic, potential, elastic, chemical, radiation, internal energy of thermodynamic systems, living things absorb and release energy
Entropy=a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty
Exothermic reaction= chemical or physical reaction that releases energy, in the form of heat or electric energy
Force=F=ma=SUM of Force(net)=ma (mass x acceleration) =change the motion of a body
Four fundamental forces in physics=the electromagnetic force, weak force, strong force, gravitational force, and particles associated with these forces.
Frequency=measured in hertz cycles per second
Friction=the force resisting motion of an object on solid surfaces, fluid layers, and materials sliding against each other.
Friction, coefficient of static friction x normal force
Gamma rays=are electromagnetic radiation of high frequency and high energy
Gravity=force of attraction of two objects proportional to masses
Heat=is the thermal energy transferred between systems due to a temperature difference
Impulse=is the change in momentum of an object
Inertia=the resistance of any object to a change of its state of motion or rest, the tendency to resist any change in its motion
Kinetic energy=is the energy of motion=kinematics of motion equations
Magnetic field=of electric currents and magnetic materials, is a vector, magnitude and direction
Mass=is the quantitative measure of inertia, or matter in a body, and a property of all matter
Mass balance=is an accounting for all matter that enters and leaves a system, based on conservation (matter cannot be created or destroyed)
Moment=tendency of a body to rotate about a specific axis.
Momentum=the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.
Newtonian mechanics (Classical Mechanics)=Isaac Newton's laws of motion of objects and forces acting on objects.
Newton's laws of motion are three physical laws of motion: 1 A body remains at rest, or in motion at a constant speed in a straight line, except if it is acted upon by a force. 2 At any instant of time, the net force on a body is equal to the body's acceleration multiplied by its mass or, equivalently, the rate at which the body's momentum is changing with time.
3 If two bodies exert forces on each other, these forces have the same magnitude but opposite directions.
Newton's law of universal gravitation=every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
Newtonian fluid=a fluid whose viscosity is not affected by shear rate, or the rate of change in velocity as one layer of fluid passes over another
Ohm's law=states that electric current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the potential difference across the two points
Optics=is the study of behavior and properties of light and electromagnetic radiation
Pascal's law=states that pressure exerted anywhere in a confined fluid is transmitted equally in all directions throughout the fluid such that initial pressure variations remain the same
Photoelectric effect=the emission of electrons from a material caused by electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light; this phenomenon is used to find information about properties of atoms, molecules, and solids.
Power=P=dW/dt=change in work
Pressure=ratio of force to the area over which that force is distributed
Potential energy=energy of an object other than from motion, such as position, stress, electric charge
Quantum mechanics=mechanics of objects at the atomic and subatomic scale
Radioactive decay=the emission of energy in the form of ionizing radiation, including alpha particles, beta particles and/or gamma rays. Radioactive decay occurs in unbalanced atoms called radionuclides.
Radiation=Radiation is energy that comes from unstable atoms that undergo radioactive decay, or it can be produced by machines. Radiation travels from its source in the form of energy waves or energized particles. Radiation exists in different forms and has different properties and effects.
Redshift=phenomenon when light seen coming from an object that is moving away is proportionally increased in wavelength or “shifted” to the red end of the visible light spectrum
Reflection=change in direction of a wave when bouncing off a barrier
Refraction= change in the direction of a wave as it passes from one medium to another or as a result of a change in the medium. Light, sound, fluid waves experience refraction
Relativity=is a concept that explains the relationship between space, time, mass, and energy; and general relativity, which describes how gravity fits into the mix. Albert Einstein proposed these theories starting in 1905 and by the 1920s, these theories were widely accepted by physicists.
Rigid body=a solid body where deformation is zero or negligible.
Rotational energy speed=see angular energy speed
Scalar=value described with a single number without direction like vectors
Speed=D/T distance divided by time
Speed of Light=is the universal constant speed of light measured about 300 million meters per second in a vacuum.
Statics=is the branch of physics focused on forces on objects in static equilibrium, not moving or constant velocity.
Strain=is the transformation of position on a body
Stress=is the force or forces applied that strains or deforms a body, or internal forces
Sublimation=transformation from solid directly to gas phase (endothermic)
Superconductor=phenomenon of zero electrical resistance and expulsion of magnetic fields of materials when below a particular temperature
Temperature=is the amount of hot or cold, heat or cooling
Tension=is the pulling or stretching force transmitted axially along a lenticular object (rope) or flat sheet object (tectonic plate)
Thermal equilibrium=thermal energy in equilibrium no net flow of thermal energy between two systems when connected to heat.
Thermodynamics= first law of thermodynamics, second law, energy, heat
Torque=tendency of force to rotate an object about an axis (twist to object). Also called moment.
Triple point=is the temperature and pressure where three phases (solid, liquid, gas) of a substance are in thermodynamic equilibrium.
Uncertainty principle=is the uncertainty of position and momentum of a particle.
Vacuum=is the space or area with no matter
Valence electron=electron associated with an atom that participates in chemical bonding with another atom
Vector=physical quantity with both magnitude and direction, in contrast to scalars with only magnitude
Velocity=v(average velocity)=Δx/Δt
v(final)=v(initial)+at (acceleration x time)
x(position displacement)=v(initial)t+1/2at^2
K(kinetic energy)=1/2mv^2
v^2=v0^2+2aΔx
Visible light=is electromagnetic radiation or wavelengths of light seen by the human eye
Volt=is the unit of electrical potential or difference in electrical potential between two points in a conducting wire
Voltage=is the electric force or potential difference measured in volts
Watt=is the unit of power=one joule per second
Wave=is an oscillation that travels through spacetime and includes a transfer of energy Crest Trough
Wavelength=is the distance traveled by a single period of a wave, the distance over which the wave shape repeats.
Weight=is the force of gravity on an object
Work=is the energy transferred to or from an object by force along a displacement, product of force and displacement
Work=is Fscos𝛳 (force*displacement*cos angle)
X-ray=is high-energy photon
Young's Modulus=is the measure of stiffness of a solid material between stress and strain
Acceleration=a=change in velocity/change in time. Acceleration due to gravity is the acceleration caused by the force of gravity
Acoustics=is related to sound, its creation, movement, and effects
Adhesion=is the stickiness of objects
Angular acceleration=the rate of change of angular velocity
Angular frequency= is a measure of rotation rate
Angular velocity=is how fast an object rotates around a point=two types=orbital vs spin angular velocity (radians per second)
Angular momentum=the rotational version of linear momentum; the inertia of rotational motion
Archimedes principle=is the buoyant force on an object body in a fluid=weight of fluid the body replaces=acts in upward direction
Bernoulli's principle=is the increase in speed of fluid occurs simultaneously with decrease in pressure or decrease in fluid’s potential energy
Buoyancy=upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of an immersed object
Bose-Einstein Condensate=state of matter predicted in 1924 by Albert Einstein, who built on the work of Satyendra Nath Bose, the condensation of which occurs when individual atoms meld into a "super atom" behaving as a single entity at just a few hundred billionths of a degree above absolute zero.
Brownian motion=is the random motion of particles suspended in a liquid or gas (discovered by English botanist Robert Brown)
Capacitance=the ratio of change in the electrical charge of a system to the corresponding change in its electric potential
Center of gravity=the point where total weight of a body is concentrated
Center of mass=point where all mass of an object is concentrated
Centrifugal force=the apparent outward force that draws a rotating body away from the center of rotation and is caused by inertia
Centripetal force=force that keeps a body moving along a circular path at constant speed directed toward the center of the motion
Chiral Bose Liquid State=a new state of matter that can be created at temperatures close to absolute zero, different than solid, liquid, or gas. In this state of matter, electrons can freeze into predictable patterns, be resistant to changes in spin, and synchronize their movements.
Convection=is the transfer of heat by the actual transfer of matter
Coefficient of friction=is the resistance to motion between two surfaces
Compression=is the reduction in volume of a mass causing an increase in pressure
Coulomb=is the unit of electrical charge
Coulomb's Law=the magnitude, or absolute value, of the attractive or repulsive electrostatic force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them (bodies with like charges repel, opposite charges attract)
Deformation=a change in an object's shape or size due to physical stress or force
Doppler effect=is the change in frequency of a wave for an observer moving relative to source
Drag forces=act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity
Ductility=ability of a solid material to deform under tensile stress
Elasticity= the tendency of a material to return to its original shape after deformation
Electric charge=the force produced when matter is near other electrically charged matter
Electric circuit=closed loop=current returns
Electric current=flow of electrical charge through a conductive medium ACDC alternating current direct current
Electric field=space surrounding electrically charged particles and the strength of their force on each other
Electric conductor=material which can conduct electrical current
Electric insulator=material which does not allow an electrical current
Electrical resistance=the opposition to electric current
Electromagnetic radiation spectrum=the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of EM radiation. Radiation is energy that travels and spreads out as it goes, such as the visible light and the radio waves are two types of electromagnetic radiation. The other types of EM radiation that make up the electromagnetic spectrum are microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma-rays.
Endothermic reaction=a chemical or physical reaction that absorbs heat from environment
Energy=quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat and light, and is conserved; kinetic, potential, elastic, chemical, radiation, internal energy of thermodynamic systems, living things absorb and release energy
Entropy=a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty
Exothermic reaction= chemical or physical reaction that releases energy, in the form of heat or electric energy
Force=F=ma=SUM of Force(net)=ma (mass x acceleration) =change the motion of a body
Four fundamental forces in physics=the electromagnetic force, weak force, strong force, gravitational force, and particles associated with these forces.
Frequency=measured in hertz cycles per second
Friction=the force resisting motion of an object on solid surfaces, fluid layers, and materials sliding against each other.
Friction, coefficient of static friction x normal force
Gamma rays=are electromagnetic radiation of high frequency and high energy
Gravity=force of attraction of two objects proportional to masses
Heat=is the thermal energy transferred between systems due to a temperature difference
Impulse=is the change in momentum of an object
Inertia=the resistance of any object to a change of its state of motion or rest, the tendency to resist any change in its motion
Kinetic energy=is the energy of motion=kinematics of motion equations
Magnetic field=of electric currents and magnetic materials, is a vector, magnitude and direction
Mass=is the quantitative measure of inertia, or matter in a body, and a property of all matter
Mass balance=is an accounting for all matter that enters and leaves a system, based on conservation (matter cannot be created or destroyed)
Moment=tendency of a body to rotate about a specific axis.
Momentum=the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.
Newtonian mechanics (Classical Mechanics)=Isaac Newton's laws of motion of objects and forces acting on objects.
Newton's laws of motion are three physical laws of motion: 1 A body remains at rest, or in motion at a constant speed in a straight line, except if it is acted upon by a force. 2 At any instant of time, the net force on a body is equal to the body's acceleration multiplied by its mass or, equivalently, the rate at which the body's momentum is changing with time.
3 If two bodies exert forces on each other, these forces have the same magnitude but opposite directions.
Newton's law of universal gravitation=every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
Newtonian fluid=a fluid whose viscosity is not affected by shear rate, or the rate of change in velocity as one layer of fluid passes over another
Ohm's law=states that electric current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the potential difference across the two points
Optics=is the study of behavior and properties of light and electromagnetic radiation
Pascal's law=states that pressure exerted anywhere in a confined fluid is transmitted equally in all directions throughout the fluid such that initial pressure variations remain the same
Photoelectric effect=the emission of electrons from a material caused by electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light; this phenomenon is used to find information about properties of atoms, molecules, and solids.
Power=P=dW/dt=change in work
Pressure=ratio of force to the area over which that force is distributed
Potential energy=energy of an object other than from motion, such as position, stress, electric charge
Quantum mechanics=mechanics of objects at the atomic and subatomic scale
Radioactive decay=the emission of energy in the form of ionizing radiation, including alpha particles, beta particles and/or gamma rays. Radioactive decay occurs in unbalanced atoms called radionuclides.
Radiation=Radiation is energy that comes from unstable atoms that undergo radioactive decay, or it can be produced by machines. Radiation travels from its source in the form of energy waves or energized particles. Radiation exists in different forms and has different properties and effects.
Redshift=phenomenon when light seen coming from an object that is moving away is proportionally increased in wavelength or “shifted” to the red end of the visible light spectrum
Reflection=change in direction of a wave when bouncing off a barrier
Refraction= change in the direction of a wave as it passes from one medium to another or as a result of a change in the medium. Light, sound, fluid waves experience refraction
Relativity=is a concept that explains the relationship between space, time, mass, and energy; and general relativity, which describes how gravity fits into the mix. Albert Einstein proposed these theories starting in 1905 and by the 1920s, these theories were widely accepted by physicists.
Rigid body=a solid body where deformation is zero or negligible.
Rotational energy speed=see angular energy speed
Scalar=value described with a single number without direction like vectors
Speed=D/T distance divided by time
Speed of Light=is the universal constant speed of light measured about 300 million meters per second in a vacuum.
Statics=is the branch of physics focused on forces on objects in static equilibrium, not moving or constant velocity.
Strain=is the transformation of position on a body
Stress=is the force or forces applied that strains or deforms a body, or internal forces
Sublimation=transformation from solid directly to gas phase (endothermic)
Superconductor=phenomenon of zero electrical resistance and expulsion of magnetic fields of materials when below a particular temperature
Temperature=is the amount of hot or cold, heat or cooling
Tension=is the pulling or stretching force transmitted axially along a lenticular object (rope) or flat sheet object (tectonic plate)
Thermal equilibrium=thermal energy in equilibrium no net flow of thermal energy between two systems when connected to heat.
Thermodynamics= first law of thermodynamics, second law, energy, heat
Torque=tendency of force to rotate an object about an axis (twist to object). Also called moment.
Triple point=is the temperature and pressure where three phases (solid, liquid, gas) of a substance are in thermodynamic equilibrium.
Uncertainty principle=is the uncertainty of position and momentum of a particle.
Vacuum=is the space or area with no matter
Valence electron=electron associated with an atom that participates in chemical bonding with another atom
Vector=physical quantity with both magnitude and direction, in contrast to scalars with only magnitude
Velocity=v(average velocity)=Δx/Δt
v(final)=v(initial)+at (acceleration x time)
x(position displacement)=v(initial)t+1/2at^2
K(kinetic energy)=1/2mv^2
v^2=v0^2+2aΔx
Visible light=is electromagnetic radiation or wavelengths of light seen by the human eye
Volt=is the unit of electrical potential or difference in electrical potential between two points in a conducting wire
Voltage=is the electric force or potential difference measured in volts
Watt=is the unit of power=one joule per second
Wave=is an oscillation that travels through spacetime and includes a transfer of energy Crest Trough
Wavelength=is the distance traveled by a single period of a wave, the distance over which the wave shape repeats.
Weight=is the force of gravity on an object
Work=is the energy transferred to or from an object by force along a displacement, product of force and displacement
Work=is Fscos𝛳 (force*displacement*cos angle)
X-ray=is high-energy photon
Young's Modulus=is the measure of stiffness of a solid material between stress and strain