General Science Midterm Reviewer Flashcards

VOCABULARY flashcards based on the General Science Midterm Reviewer covering LAS 1.1 through 3.1.

Gravitational force

An invisible pulling force that acts between any two objects that have mass.

Heat transfer

The movement of thermal energy from a warmer object or area to a cooler one.

Conduction

The process where heat moves through direct touch.

Convection

The process where heat moves through liquids and gases.

Radiation

The process where heat moves through empty space using waves.

Conservation of energy

A rule in physics stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes from one form to another.

Thermal energy

Heat created by moving tiny particles inside matter or friction.

Chemical energy

Energy stored in the tiny bonds of atoms and molecules, released when wood burns or food digests.

Electrical energy

Energy from moving tiny electric charges or electrons.

Radiant energy

Light and other wave-based energy coming from the sun.

Nuclear energy

Energy stored deep inside the center part of an atom.

Force

A push or a pull upon an object that can change its speed, direction, or shape.

Motion

The change in position of an object over time compared to a place that stays still.

Energy

The capacity of a physical system to do work or to otherwise bring about a change in the system.

Work

The energy transferred to or from an object when a force acts on it through a distance.

Efficiency

The ability to do a task well while using the least amount of time, money, and effort.

Balance

An even distribution of weight, stability, or equal proportions between different elements that keeps things steady.

Friction

A contact force that resists the sliding or rolling of one solid object over another.

Translational Motion

Also called linear motion, it happens when an object moves in a straight or curved path, and all parts of the object move the same distance in the same direction.

Distance

A measurement of how far an object travels.

Displacement

The change in position of an object from start to end.

Velocity

Speed with direction.

Rotational Motion

Occurs when an object spins around a fixed axis, involving circular movement.

Axis of rotation

The line around which an object spins during rotational motion.

Angular displacement

A measurement of how far an object rotates.

Angular velocity

A measurement of how fast an object rotates.

Rolling Motion

Occurs when an object moves forward while also rotating, combining translational and rotational motion.

Simple machines

Tools that make work easier by changing the size or direction of a force, such as levers, pulleys, and inclined planes.