SCIENCE QUARTER 1

Force

Any push or pull that causes movement or stops movement.

Applied force

Force exerted on an object through direct pushing or pulling.

Gravitational force

Force exerted by gravity, calculated as mass times gravity (weight).

Normal force

Force perpendicular to the surface an object is in contact with; absent without surface contact.

Elastic force

Force present in springs.

Tension force

Force present in cables, strings, or cords.

Frictional force

Force generated by two surfaces in contact or sliding against each other.

Newton's First Law (Law of Inertia)

A body at rest remains at rest, and a body in motion continues in motion unless acted upon by a net external force.

Newton's Second Law (Law of Acceleration)

Acceleration is directly proportional to force and inversely proportional to mass (A = f/m).

Newton's Third Law (Law of Interaction)

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

Uniform circular motion

Motion that allows an object to follow a circular path at a constant speed.

Centripetal force

Center-seeking force, calculated as v²/r.

Work

Force causing the movement or displacement of an object (W = Fd).

Power

The rate at which work is done; measured in watts.

Potential energy

Energy possessed by an object due to its position (MGH).

Kinetic energy

Energy present in a moving object (½ mv²).

Sound

Vibration that travels through air or another medium, produced by vibrating matter.

Medium

Material that transfers energy from one substance to another.

Wave

Disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another.

Mechanical waves

Waves that require a medium for transmission.

Electromagnetic wave

Waves that do not require a medium for transmission.

Sound speed

Sound travels fastest in solids and slowest in gases.

Light

An electromagnetic wave that stimulates sight and makes things visible.

Reflection

The bouncing back of waves.

Refraction

The bending of light when it passes through different media.

Diffraction

The bending of a wave when it passes through a gap or around edges.

Polarization

The property of light waves that allows unpolarized light to vibrate in one direction or plane.

Heat

Energy transfer from one system to another due to a temperature difference.

Temperature

A measure of how hot or cold an object is.

Thermometer

Instrument used to measure temperature.

Freezing point (Celsius)

0°C.

Boiling point (Celsius)

100°C.

Freezing point (Fahrenheit)

32°F.

Boiling point (Fahrenheit)

212°F.

Kelvin

Temperature scale where 0 is absolute zero, with no negative values.