Physics Week 2 Flashcards - Mechanics, Matter, and Fluids

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from physics lecture notes covering Chapters 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 14.

Momentum

Mass multiplied by velocity ($p = mv$). Represents inertia in motion.

Impulse

Force multiplied by time ($\text{impulse} = Ft$). Represents a force acting over time.

Impulse-Momentum Relationship

Impulse equals change in momentum ($Ft = \Delta p$).

Force Reduction in Collisions

Increasing stopping or contact time reduces the force for the same momentum change.

Conservation of Momentum

With no external force, total momentum before an interaction equals total momentum after.

Bouncing Impulse

Bouncing creates a larger impulse because the object stops and reverses direction, causing a larger change in momentum ($\Delta p$).

Work

Force times distance ($W = Fd$), requiring a force to move an object.

Power

Work divided by time ($P = W/t$), measuring how fast work gets done.

Gravitational Potential Energy

Stored energy from height ($PE = mgh$).

Kinetic Energy

Energy of motion ($KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$).

Effect of Speed Doubling on Kinetic Energy

When speed doubles, kinetic energy becomes $4$ times as large because speed is squared in the formula.

Work-Energy Theorem

Net work equals change in kinetic energy ($W_{\text{net}} = \Delta KE$).

Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it transforms from one form to another.

Efficiency

Useful work output divided by total work input $\times 100\%$.

Atom

A tiny basic particle that makes up matter.

Atomic Nucleus

The tiny center of an atom containing nearly all of its atomic mass.

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which identifies the element.

Ion

A charged atom formed by gaining or losing electrons.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Mass Number

The total count of protons plus neutrons (nucleons) in an atomic nucleus.

Compound vs. Mixture

A compound consists of chemically bonded elements, while a mixture consists of substances together without chemical bonding.

Molecule

Two or more atoms bonded together.

Crystalline Solid

A solid whose atoms are arranged in an organized, regular array.

Amorphous Solid

A solid without a regular atomic array or repeating crystal pattern.

Density

Mass per unit volume ($\rho = m/V$). It is an intrinsic property of a material and does not depend on sample size.

Elasticity

The ability of a material to deform under force and return to its original shape.

Hooke's Law

Spring extension is directly proportional to applied force.

Tension vs. Compression

Tension stretches an object (pull), whereas compression squeezes an object (push).

Scaling of Area and Volume

Area scales with length squared ($L^2$) and volume scales with length cubed ($L^3$). Doubling length leads to $4\times$ area and $8\times$ volume.

Pressure

Force divided by area ($P = F/A$). Same force over a smaller area results in higher pressure.

Liquid Pressure with Depth

Liquid pressure increases with depth because deeper locations have more liquid weight above them.

Buoyant Force

The net upward force a fluid exerts on an immersed object.

Archimedes' Principle

Buoyant force on an object equals the weight of fluid displaced by the object.

Sinking Condition

An object sinks when it is more dense than the fluid it is in.

Floating Condition

An object floats when it is less dense than the fluid it is in.

Principle of Flotation

A floating object displaces a weight of fluid equal to its own weight.

Pascal's Principle

A pressure change in an enclosed fluid is transmitted undiminished throughout it.

Atmospheric Pressure

Pressure caused by the weight of air, measuring about $101\,kPa$ at sea level.

Barometer

An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.

Boyle's Law

At constant temperature, gas pressure and volume are inversely related ($P_1 V_1 = P_2 V_2$).

Buoyancy in Air

An object in air is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of air displaced.

Bernoulli's Principle

Where fluid speed increases, internal pressure decreases, and vice versa.

Plasma

Ionized matter made of charged particles; a gas-like state with free charges.