AP Physics 1 Study Guide: Key Vocabulary & Concepts

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A collection of key vocabulary and concepts for AP Physics 1, covering topics such as kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, rotational motion, and electricity.

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74 Terms

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Displacement

Change in position of an object.

<p>Change in position of an object.</p>
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Velocity

Speed with direction; can be average or instantaneous.

Examples:

A car traveling at 60 miles per hour north .

  • A person walking 3 miles per hour east .

  • Throwing a ball 10 feet per second upwards .

  • A plane flying 500 miles per hour south .

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Acceleration

Rate of change of velocity.

<p>Rate of change of velocity.</p>
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Free Fall

Motion under gravity alone.

<p>Motion under gravity alone.</p>
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Projectile Motion

Motion in two dimensions under gravity.

<p>Motion in two dimensions under gravity.</p>
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Vector

<p></p>
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Scalar

<p></p>
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Position-Time Graph

Graph that shows motion over time.

<p>Graph that shows motion over time.</p>
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Velocity-Time Graph

Graph that shows acceleration and displacement trends.

<p>Graph that shows acceleration and displacement trends.</p>
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Force

A push or pull acting on an object.

<p>A push or pull acting on an object.</p>
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Newton’s 1st Law

Objects stay in motion/rest unless acted upon.

<p>Objects stay in motion/rest unless acted upon.</p>
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Newton’s 2nd Law

<p></p>
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Newton’s 3rd Law

<p></p>
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Mass

The amount of matter in an object.

<p>The amount of matter in an object.</p>
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Weight

The force due to gravity acting on an object.

<p>The force due to gravity acting on an object.</p>
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Normal Force

Perpendicular force from a surface.

  • Examples:

    • When you stand on the floor, the normal force is the force exerted by the floor pushing up against your feet, counteracting gravity. 

    • If a box is resting on a table, the normal force is the force exerted by the table pushing up against the box. 

<p>Perpendicular force from a surface.</p><ul><li><p><strong>Examples:</strong></p><ul><li><p>When you stand on the floor, the normal force is the force exerted by the floor pushing up against your feet, counteracting gravity.<span>&nbsp;</span></p></li><li><p>If a box is resting on a table, the normal force is the force exerted by the table pushing up against the box.<span>&nbsp;</span></p></li></ul></li></ul><p></p>
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Friction

Resistance between surfaces (static & kinetic).

<p>Resistance between surfaces (static &amp; kinetic).</p>
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Tension

Force in a string or rope.

<p>Force in a string or rope.</p>
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Free-Body Diagram

Diagram showing all forces acting on an object.

<p>Diagram showing all forces acting on an object.</p>
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Equilibrium

State where net force is zero.

<p>State where net force is zero.</p>
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Centripetal Acceleration

Acceleration toward the center of a circular path.

<p>Acceleration toward the center of a circular path.</p>
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Centripetal Force

Net force keeping an object in circular motion.

<p>Net force keeping an object in circular motion.</p>
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Uniform Circular Motion

Constant-speed motion in a circle.

<p>Constant-speed motion in a circle.</p>
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Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation

<p></p>
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Orbital Motion

Motion of planets and satellites.

<p>Motion of planets and satellites.</p>
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Gravitational Field

Force per unit mass due to gravity.

<p>Force per unit mass due to gravity.</p>
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Work

Force applied over a distance.

<p>Force applied over a distance.</p>
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Kinetic Energy

Energy of motion (KE = 1/2 MV²).

<p>Energy of motion (KE = 1/2 MV²).</p>
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Potential Energy

Stored energy.

<p>Stored energy.</p>
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Mechanical Energy

Sum of kinetic and potential energy.

<p>Sum of kinetic and potential energy.</p>
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Conservation of Energy

Total energy remains constant.

<p>Total energy remains constant.</p>
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Power

Formula : P=W/T

Power is a measure of how quickly work is done or energy is transferred over time.

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Work-Energy Theorem

Work done changes kinetic energy.

<p>Work done changes kinetic energy.</p>
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Momentum

Mass times velocity.

<p>Mass times velocity.</p>
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Impulse

Change in momentum.

<p>Change in momentum.</p>
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Conservation of Momentum

Momentum remains constant in an isolated system.

<p>Momentum remains constant in an isolated system.</p>
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Elastic Collisions

Collisions that conserve kinetic energy.

m_{1} v_{1 i}+m_{2} v_{2 i}=m_{1} v_{1 f}+m_{2} v_{2 f}
m_{1}

=

mass object 1

v_{1 i}

=

initial velocity object 1

m_{2}

=

mass object 2

v_{2 i}

=

initial velocity object 2

v_{1 f}

=

final velocity object 1

v_{2 f}

=

final velocity object 2

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Inelastic Collisions

Collisions that do not conserve kinetic energy.

m_{1} v_{1 i}+m_{2} v_{2 i}=\left(m_{1}+m_{2}\right) v_{f}
m_{1}

=

mass object 1

v_{1 i}

=

initial velocity object 1

m_{2}

=

mass object 2

v_{2 i}

=

initial velocity object 2

v_{f}

=

final velocity of objects

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Torque

Rotational force.

<p>Rotational force.</p>
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Moment of Inertia

Resistance to rotational motion.

I=\frac{L}{\omega}
I

=

inertia

L

=

angular momentum

{\omega}

=

angular velocity

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Angular Velocity

Rate of rotational change.

<p>Rate of rotational change.</p>
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Angular Acceleration

Change in angular velocity.

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Rotational Kinetic Energy

Energy of rotation.

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Angular Momentum

Rotational equivalent of momentum.

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Conservation of Angular Momentum

Angular momentum remains constant in a closed system.

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Period

Time for one cycle.

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Frequency

Cycles per second.

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Amplitude

Maximum displacement.

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Restoring Force

Force directing toward equilibrium.

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Hooke’s Law

Force in a spring is proportional to displacement.

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Charge

Property of matter causing electrical interaction.

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Current

Flow of electric charge.

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Voltage

Electric potential difference.

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Resistance

Opposition to current.

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Ohm’s Law

V = IR, where V is voltage, I is current, and R is resistance.

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Series Circuit

Circuit where components share current.

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Parallel Circuit

Circuit where components share voltage.

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Kirchhoff’s Laws

Laws regarding the conservation of charge and energy in circuits.

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Wave

A disturbance that transfers energy.

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Frequency (Waves)

Number of waves per second.

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Wavelength

Distance between crests of a wave.

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Period (Waves)

Time for one wave cycle.

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Amplitude (Waves)

Maximum wave displacement.

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Constructive Interference

When waves combine to increase amplitude.

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Destructive Interference

When waves combine to decrease amplitude.

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Doppler Effect

Change in frequency due to motion.

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System

Defined set of objects under analysis.

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Isolated System

A system with no external forces or energy exchanges.

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Open System

Exchanges energy and matter.

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Closed System

Exchanges only energy.

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Center of Mass

Point where mass is balanced.

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Dimensional Analysis

Checking equations by analyzing units.

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Scalar Quantity

A quantity that only has magnitude.

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Vector Quantity

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction.