Matter, Energy, and Measurement Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on Chapter 1 material covering matter, kinetic and potential energy, metric measurements, and temperature scales.

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space.

Substance

A specific type of matter.

Solid State

A state of matter where particles are close together and in an ordered arrangement.

Liquid State

A state of matter where particles are in a disordered arrangement but interacting with other particles.

Gas State

A state of matter where particles are far apart, interacting only during the occasional collision.

Energy

The capacity to do work.

Work

The act of moving an object against an opposing force.

Kinetic Energy

Energy of motion, existing at both the macroscale (e.g., a moving car) and the atomic scale (particles in motion).

Temperature

A measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of matter.

Heat

The kinetic energy transferred from matter at a higher temperature to matter at a lower temperature; it always flows from hot to cold.

Potential Energy

Stored energy resulting from the position or composition of matter.

Meter ($m$)

The metric base unit for length and distance.

Gram ($g$)

The metric base unit for mass and weight.

Liter ($L$)

The metric base unit for volume.

Second ($s$)

The metric base unit for time.

Metric Prefix

A prefix attached to a base unit that increases or decreases the numerical value by a factor of $10^x$ or $10^{-x}$.

Meniscus

The curved surface of a liquid; measurements are read from the bottom of this curve.

Volume Displacement

A method to measure the volume of irregular solid objects by determining the volume of water it displaces ($V_{object} = V_{final} - V_{initial}$).

Significant Figures

Used to express uncertainty in measurement; it includes all certain digits plus one estimated (uncertain) digit.

Exact Numbers

Numbers with no uncertainty and unlimited significant figures, typically obtained by counting, defined quantities, or whole numbers in calculations.

Dimensional Analysis

A reliable method for unit conversions where two or more conversion factors are multiplied in sequence so that units cancel until only the desired unit remains.

Density

Defined as the mass of a sample divided by its volume ($g/mL$ or $g/cm^3$).

Specific Gravity

A unitless measurement defined as the density of a substance divided by the density of water ($1.00\,g/mL$).

Dosage

The mass of medication prescribed per kilogram of body weight, often expressed as a ratio (e.g., $mg\,drug / kg\,body\,weight$).

Kelvin ($K$)

The SI unit for temperature and an absolute scale where particles have no kinetic energy at $0\,K$.

Fahrenheit ($^\circ F$)

A relative temperature scale used for reporting weather in the United States; not generally used in the medical field.

Celsius ($^\circ C$)

A relative temperature scale used worldwide for medicine and science; normal body temperature is defined as $37^\circ C$.