Physics Lecture Notes Review

These flashcards cover key physics concepts including definitions of fundamental terms and important laws.

Force

An interaction that causes an object to change its motion.

Weight

The gravitational force exerted on an object, calculated as mass times the acceleration due to gravity.

Momentum

The product of an object's mass and its velocity.

Kinetic Energy

The energy that an object possesses due to its motion.

Hooke's Law

The principle stating that the force exerted by a spring is directly proportional to its extension.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time.

Mass

A measure of the amount of matter in an object, typically measured in kilograms.

Friction

The force that opposes the motion of an object in contact with another surface.

Terminal Velocity

The constant speed that a freely falling object eventually reaches when the resistance of the medium prevents further acceleration.

Pressure

The force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area.

Thermal Conductivity

The property of a material to conduct heat.

Electrical Resistance

The difficulty encountered by a current when flowing through a conductor.

Electromagnetic Waves

Waves of energy that are propagated through space via electric and magnetic fields.

Refraction

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

Wave Frequency

The number of complete waves that pass a given point in one second.

Big Bang Theory

The leading explanation for the origin of the universe, describing how it expanded from a singularity.

Nuclear Fusion

The process by which multiple atomic nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy.

Sound Waves

Longitudinal waves that travel through a medium, caused by the vibration of particles.

Charge

A property of matter that causes it to experience a force in an electromagnetic field.