physic vocab

physics

the branch of science that studies the nature of matter and energy and how they interact

scientific method

step by step process used to explore observations hypothesis and answer questions safely

model

simplified representation of a physical system used to explain, analyze, and predict how that system behaves

hypothesis

a testable explanation for a starting idea that can be checked through an experiment

experiment

a controlled test used to discover have nature works, test a scientific idea or hypothesis, and mausuee physical quantities

indepdent cariable

the specific factor you intentionally change or manipulate during an experiment to observe its effects on another variable

dependent variable

the séptico factor or outcome that you measure or observe in an experiment, which changes in response to the independent variable

control

a condition or variable kept constant or unchanged to ensure that only the targeted independent variable affects the outcome

theory

broad explanation that is widely accepted because it is supported by a great deal of evidence

scientific law

short statement that tells us what always happens in nature under specific conditions

system

specific object or group chosen for analysis l, separated from the rest

accuracy

how close a measured value is to the true and accepted standard

precision

how closely repeated measurements of the same item agree with each other

significant figures

the digits in a measured and calculated value that carry meaningful information about its precision

uncertainty

the doubt or range of values that surround any physical measurement

base units

standard units of measurement for basic physical quantities

derived units

unit of measurement by combining two or more base units through multiplication or division

central tendency

statistical concept to find a single representative value that describes the center outcome of a set of measurements (mean median and mode)

percent error

a measure of how inaccurate a lab measurement is compared o the true theoretical value

speed

the rate at which an object covers distance measuring how fast or slow it moves

distance

total length of the path an object covers during its motion regardless its direction

scientific method order

1. observation

2. hypothesis

3. research

4. testing

5. collect data

6. anaylyze

7. conclusion