Chapter 1 physics vocabulary

Physics

is a branch helps develop explanation about events in nature

scientific methods

patterns of investigation procedures

hypothesis

is a possible explanation problems using what you know have observed

model

is a representation of an idea event structure or object that helps people better understand it

scientific theory

is an explanation of things or events based on knowledge gained from many observation and investigation

scientific law

is a statement about what happens in nature and seems to be true all the time

control

the standard by which test results in an experiment can be compared

dimensional analysis

this method of treating the units as algebraic quantities that can be cancelled

Significant figures

the valid digits in a measurement

SI

systeme international d’Unites the improved universally accepted verison of the metric system that is based on multiples of ten'; also called the International System of Units

measurement

is a comparison between an unknown quantity and a standard

Precision

the degree of exactness of a measurement

Accuracy

describes how well the results of a measurement agree with the "real” value that is the accepted value as measured by competent experimenters

Parallax

the apparent shifts in the position of an object when it is viewed from different angels

Independent variable

the factor that is manipulated during an investigation

dependent variable

the factor that depends on the independent

lines of best fit

the line in blue drawn as close to all the data points as possible

Linear relationship

the dependent variable varies linearly with the independent variable

quadratic relationship

exists when one variable depends on the square of another

Inverse relationship

is an hyperbolic relationship in which one variable depends on the inverse of the other variable

slope

on a graph the ratio of vertical change to horizontal change