Principles of Physics and Their Applications in Everyday Life

Physics

The study of the fundamental laws of nature that explain matter, energy, motion, and change.

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space.

Energy

The ability to do work or cause change.

Newton’s First Law

An object stays at rest or in uniform motion unless acted on by an external force.

Law of Inertia

Newton’s First Law; objects resist changes in their motion.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion.

External Force

A force from outside an object that can change its motion.

Newton’s Second Law

The force on an object equals its mass multiplied by its acceleration.

F = ma

The formula for Newton’s Second Law, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration.

Newton’s Third Law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Gravity

A force that attracts objects with mass toward each other.

Weight

The force of gravity acting on an object.

Kinetic Energy

The energy an object has because it is moving.

Potential Energy

Stored energy caused by an object’s position or condition.

Work

Done when a force is applied to an object and the object moves.

Thermodynamics

The study of heat, energy, and how energy changes or moves.

Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics

If two systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third system, they are in thermal equilibrium with each other.

Thermal Equilibrium

A state where systems have the same temperature and no net heat flows between them.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed or transferred.

Energy Transformation

The change of energy from one form to another.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Heat naturally flows from hot objects to cold objects, and entropy tends to increase.

Entropy

A measure of disorder or randomness in a system.

Third Law of Thermodynamics

As temperature approaches absolute zero, the entropy of a system approaches a minimum.

Absolute Zero

The lowest theoretical temperature, where a system has minimum thermal energy.

Electromagnetism

The study of how electric currents and magnetic fields interact.

Electric Current

The flow of electric charge.

Magnetic Field

The region around a magnet or electric current where magnetic forces act.

Electromagnetic Induction

The production of electric current through a changing magnetic field.

Reflection

The bouncing of light off a surface.

Refraction

The bending of light when it passes from one medium to another.

Dispersion

The splitting of white light into different colors.

Optics

The study of light and its behavior.

Medium

A material through which light travels, such as air, water, or glass.