Physics Regents Notes

Distance

A scalar quantity representing the total path length traveled, without regard to direction.

Displacement

A vector quantity representing the straight-line distance from the initial position to the final position, along with the direction.

Speed

A scalar quantity that measures the rate at which an object moves.

Velocity

A vector quantity that measures the rate of displacement.

Acceleration

The change in velocity over time.

Newton’s First Law

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist changes in motion; greater mass means greater inertia.

Newton’s Second Law

The net force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration (F=ma).

Friction

The force that resists the motion of two surfaces sliding past each other.

Work

The product of the force applied to an object and the displacement of that object in the direction of the force.

Kinetic Energy (KE)

The energy an object possesses due to its motion, calculated as KE=1/2 mv².

Potential Energy (PE)

Energy stored due to an object's position in a gravitational field, calculated as PE=mgh.

Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Momentum (p)

The product of an object's mass and its velocity, representing the quantity of motion.

Impulse

The change in momentum, defined as the product of force and the time during which it acts (J=FΔt).

Centripetal Force

The force directed towards the center of a circular path, keeping an object in circular motion.

Gravitational Force

The force of attraction between two masses, described by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation (F=G m₁ m₂/r²).

Wave Properties

Characteristics of waves including wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.

Frequency (f)

The number of waves passing a point per second, measured in hertz (Hz).

Wavelength (λ)

The distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs in a wave.

Amplitude

The maximum displacement from the equilibrium position in a wave.

Sound Waves

Longitudinal waves in which the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation.

Light Waves

Electromagnetic waves that can propagate through a vacuum and are subject to reflection, refraction, and diffraction.