AP Physics 2: Lecture Notes Review

These flashcards cover key concepts, definitions, and laws relevant to the AP Physics 2 curriculum based on the lecture notes.

Acceleration due to gravity (g)

The acceleration experienced by an object in free fall due to the Earth's gravitational pull, approximately 9.81 m/s².

Newton's Second Law

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

Kinetic Energy (KE)

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

Potential Energy (PE)

The energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field, calculated as PE = mgh.

Electromagnetic Waves

Waves that propagate through space carrying electromagnetic radiant energy, characterized by oscillating electric and magnetic fields.

Planck's Constant (h)

A fundamental constant used to describe the sizes of quanta in quantum mechanics, approximately 6.626 x 10⁻³⁴ Js.

Photoelectric Effect

The emission of electrons from a material when it is exposed to light or electromagnetic radiation.

Focal Length

The distance from the lens or mirror to the focal point, where light rays converge or appear to diverge.

Wavelength (λ)

The distance between successive crests of a wave, commonly used in the context of sound and light waves.

Frequency (f)

The number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time, typically measured in hertz (Hz).

Conservation of Energy

A fundamental principle stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Half-life (t½)

The time required for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay.

Nuclear Fission

The process in which a heavy nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing energy.

Nuclear Fusion

The process of combining two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, accompanied by the release of energy.

Thermal Equilibrium

The state in which two objects in thermal contact do not exchange energy due to having the same temperature.

Resistance (R)

The opposition to the flow of electric current, measured in ohms (Ω).

Ohm's Law

The relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in an electrical circuit, stated as V = IR.

Rayleigh Scattering

The scattering of light or other electromagnetic radiation by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the light.

Quantum Mechanics

The branch of physics that deals with phenomena at the atomic and subatomic levels, where the actions of particles are probabilistic.

Uncertainty Principle

Heisenberg's principle stating that certain pairs of physical properties, like position and momentum, cannot both be known to arbitrary precision.

Superposition Principle

In wave theory, the principle stating that the resultant wave at any point is the sum of the individual waves at that point.

What is fluid statics?

Fluid statics is the study of fluids at rest and the forces and pressure associated with them.

What is Pascal's principle?

Pascal's principle states that a change in pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted undiminished throughout the fluid.

What is buoyancy?

Buoyancy is the upward force exerted by a fluid, which opposes the weight of an object immersed in it.

What is Archimedes' principle?

Archimedes' principle states that an object immersed in a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced.

What is Bernoulli's equation?

Bernoulli's equation relates the pressure, velocity, and height of a fluid in steady flow, illustrating the conservation of energy.

What is thermodynamics?

Thermodynamics is the study of heat, work, and the transfer of energy in a system.

What is the first law of thermodynamics?

The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

What is the second law of thermodynamics?

The second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of an isolated system always increases over time.

What is an isothermal process?

An isothermal process is one that occurs at a constant temperature.

What is an adiabatic process?

An adiabatic process is one in which no heat is exchanged with the environment.

What is heat capacity?

Heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius.

What is specific heat?

Specific heat is the heat capacity per unit mass of a material.

What is electric charge?

Electric charge is a property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field.

What is Coulomb's law?

Coulomb's law describes the force between two charged objects, stating it is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

What is electric field?

An electric field is a region around a charged object where other charged objects experience a force.

What is capacitance?

Capacitance is the ability of a system to store electric charge per unit voltage.

What is electric potential?

Electric potential is the amount of work needed to move a unit charge from a reference point to a specific point in an electric field.

What is Ohm's law?

Ohm's law states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points.

What is Kirchhoff's laws?

Kirchhoff's laws include the junction rule (current conservation at junctions) and loop rule (voltage conservation in closed loops).

What is magnetic field?

A magnetic field is a field that exerts a force on charged particles and magnetic materials, caused by moving electric charges.

What is Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction?

Faraday's law states that a change in magnetic flux induces an electromotive force (EMF) in a circuit.