Fundamental Units, Conversion of Units, & Power of Ten Notation

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts related to fundamental units, physical quantities, and basic principles in physics.

Physical Quantities

Measurable quantities used to describe a certain property of a material, having numerical magnitude and unit.

Scalar Quantity

A quantity that has only magnitude.

Vector Quantity

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

Speed

The rate at which an object covers a distance; calculated as V = d/t.

Velocity

The speed of an object in a given direction.

Mass

The amount of matter in an object, always constant and expressed in kilograms (kg).

Weight

The measure of the gravitational pull on an object, expressed in newtons (N); varies with position from the earth's center.

Force

An interaction that changes the motion of an object, measured in newtons (N).

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in meters per second squared (m/s²).

Scientific Notation

A way to express very large or very small numbers, written as a number between 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.

Significant Figures

Digits in a measurement that contribute to its accuracy, following rules for counting them.

Free Fall Motion

The motion of an object falling under the influence of gravity alone, experiencing a downward acceleration of approximately 9.8 m/s².

Impulse-Momentum Theorem

States that the change in momentum of an object is equal to the impulse applied to it.

Law of Conservation of Momentum

The total momentum of a closed system remains constant unless acted upon by external forces.

Thermal Efficiency

The ratio of useful work output to the total heat input for a heat engine, expressed as a percentage.

Kinetic Energy

The energy an object possesses due to its motion, calculated as KE = ½ mv².

Potential Energy

The energy possessed by an object because of its position or condition, often gravitational in nature.

Heat Engines

Devices that convert heat energy into mechanical work.

Vector Resolution

The process of breaking down a vector into its component parts that are perpendicular to each other.

Pythagorean Theorem

In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides (a² + b² = c²).

Law of Conservation of Energy

states that the total energy of the universe is constant.

What is Chemical Energy?

Energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules, found in substances like batteries, coal, biomass, petroleum, and natural gas.

What is Radiant Energy?

Electromagnetic energy that travels in transverse waves, including visible light, X-rays, gamma rays, and radio waves.

What is Nuclear Energy?

Energy that holds the nucleus together, stored in the nucleus of an atom, and released during nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.

What is Mechanical Energy?

Energy stored in objects in tension, such as compressed springs and stretched rubber bands.

What is Sound Energy?

Energy produced when a force causes an object or substance to vibrate, transferring energy through the substance in a wave.

What is Electrical Energy?

Energy delivered by tiny charged particles called electrons that typically move through a wire.

What is Potential Energy?

Energy possessed by a system by virtue of position or condition, including types such as gravitational and elastic potential energy.

What is Kinetic Energy?

Energy possessed by a body by virtue of its motion, calculated using the formula KE = ½ mv².

What did Sadi Carnot propose regarding heat engines?

Sadi Carnot, a French engineer, proposed a hypothetical heat engine known as the ideal heat engine or Carnot engine, analyzing its cycle and efficiency.

What does the Third Law of Thermodynamics state about reaching absolute zero?

According to the Third Law of Thermodynamics, it is impossible to lower the temperature to 0 K (absolute zero), thus making it impossible to achieve an ideal efficiency of 100%.

Third Law of Thermodynamics

It states that it is impossible to lower the temperature to 0 K (absolute zero), thus making it impossible to achieve an ideal efficiency of 100%.

Ideal Efficiency (Carnot Efficiency)

The highest possible efficiency of a heat engine, calculated using the formula: Ideal efficiency = (Th - Tc) / Th x 100, where Th is the temperature of the heat source and Tc is the temperature of the cold sink.

Thermodynamics

A field of Physics that deals with the relationship between heat and other properties such as pressure, density, and temperature in a substance, and the study of heat and its transformation to work.

Heat

The energy transferred from one body to another as a result of a temperature difference, which can increase a body's internal energy by doing work or by heating.

Factors that increase internal energy of a body

The internal energy of a body increases when its temperature increases and when it changes from solid to liquid or from liquid to gas.

James Prescott Joule's demonstration

Joule demonstrated that the quantity of work necessary to cause a change of state is independent of the type of work, and that work can be converted into heat and heat into work.

Perfectly Inelastic Collision

bodies cling to each other after the collision and move with a common velocity. Linear momentum is conserved.

Perfectly Inelastic Collisions

kinetic energy (KE) is not conserved; some of the KE dissipates as heat, sound,

Elastic Collision

bodies separate after the collision while conserving linear momentum. Both kinetic energy and momentum are conserved in this type of collision.

Inelastic Collision

Bodies separate after the collision while linear momentum is conserved. However, kinetic energy (KE) is not conserved; some of the KE dissipates as heat, sound, or through permanent deformation of the body/bodies.

Inelastic Collisions

while linear momentum remains conserved, kinetic energy is not conserved due to energy dissipation in forms such as heat and sound.

Momentum

Momentum is a property of movement defined as the product of the mass and the velocity of an object.

Impulse

Impulse is the force that gives momentum to a body, defined as the product of force and the time duration over which the force acts.

Projectile Motion Type I

Describes the motion of an object launched with an initial horizontal velocity from an elevated position, following a parabolic path to the ground.

Projectile Motion Type II

involves an object launched at an angle to the horizontal, resulting in a curved path due to both horizontal and vertical motion.

Uniform Motion

The motion of an object in a straight line with uniform velocity.

Uniformly Accelerated Motion

Objects moving in a straight line whose acceleration does not change over time are said to have uniformly