Foundation Physics for Health and Life Sciences - Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts across all chapters of Foundation Physics FPHY001.

Statics

The branch of mechanics studying the stability of systems under the influence of forces, primarily gravity.

Equilibrium

The state of a system where the net force acting on it is zero ($\Sigma F = 0$) and the net torque is zero ($\Sigma \tau = 0$).

Static Equilibrium

The state of a system when it is in equilibrium and stationary.

Dynamic Equilibrium

The state of a system when it is in equilibrium while moving at a constant velocity and/or rotating at a constant rate.

Torque

A moment of force that causes an object to rotate or change its rate of rotation, calculated as $\tau = F d \sin(\theta)$ and measured in Newton meters ($\text{N\,m}$).

Force Arm ($d$)

The perpendicular distance between the axis of rotation (fulcrum) and the line/point of force application.

Principle of Moments

The condition for static rotational equilibrium stating that the total sum of counterclockwise moments equals the total sum of clockwise moments ($\Sigma \tau_{\text{CCW}} = \Sigma \tau_{\text{CW}}$).

Center of Gravity (C.G)

The specific point in an object at which the total force of gravity may be considered to act.

Lever

A rigid bar that rotates around a fixed axis (fulcrum) to apply or transfer force to move a load.

Fulcrum

The fixed pivot point or axis of rotation around which a lever moves.

Mechanical Advantage (M.A.)

The ratio of the force (effort) arm to the load (resistance) arm, given by $\text{M.A.} = \frac{\text{force arm}}{\text{load arm}} = \frac{\text{load}}{\text{force}}$.

First Class Lever

A lever classification in which the fulcrum is positioned between the applied force (effort) and the load.

Second Class Lever

A lever classification in which the load is located between the fulcrum and the applied force (effort), providing a mechanical advantage greater than $1$.

Third Class Lever

A lever classification in which the applied force (effort) is located between the fulcrum and the load, providing speed and range of motion advantages with a mechanical advantage less than $1$.

Wave

A repeating disturbance or movement that transfers energy through matter or space.

Wavelength ($\lambda$)

The distance from one point on a wave to the next corresponding adjacent point, such as between two consecutive crests or troughs.

Frequency ($f$)

The number of complete wave cycles that pass a given point in one second, measured in Hertz ($\text{Hz}$) or $\text{s}^{-1}$.

Transverse Wave

A wave in which the particles of the medium oscillate perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.

Longitudinal Wave

A wave in which the particles of the medium oscillate back and forth parallel to the direction of wave propagation.

Standing Wave

A stationary wave pattern formed by the superposition of two counter-propagating waves with equal frequency and speed.

Acoustic Impedance ($Z$)

The product of the density of a medium ($\rho$) and the speed of sound in that medium ($c$), defined as $Z = \rho c$ in units of $\text{kg\,m}^{-2}\,\text{s}^{-1}$.

Reflectance ($R$)

The ratio of reflected wave intensity ($I_r$) to incident wave intensity ($I_i$), expressed as $R = \left(\frac{Z_1 - Z_2}{Z_1 + Z_2}\right)^2$.

Sound Intensity ($I$)

The sound wave power per unit area, given by $I = \frac{(\Delta P)^2}{2 Z}$ where $\Delta P$ is maximum pressure amplitude and $Z$ is acoustic impedance.

Decibel Scale

A logarithmic measure of sound intensity level ($L$), calculated as $L = 10 \log_{10}\left(\frac{I}{I_0}\right)$ in $\text{dB}$ with reference intensity $I_0 = 10^{-12}\,\text{W\,m}^{-2}$.

Doppler Effect

The shift in observed frequency of a sound wave caused by relative motion between the sound source and the observer.

Pressure ($P$)

The force exerted per unit area, $P = \frac{F}{A}$, measured in Pascals ($\text{Pa}$ = $\text{N\,m}^{-2}$).

Pascal's Principle

The principle stating that pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted undiminished throughout every portion of the fluid and container walls.

Cohesion

The attractive force between molecules of the same substance.

Adhesion

The attractive force between molecules of different substances.

Surface Tension ($\gamma$)

The tension force per unit length existing at the surface of a liquid, causing the surface to contract to a minimum area ($\gamma = \frac{F}{L}$).

Surfactant

A surface-active agent that lowers the surface tension of a liquid when dissolved in it.

Capillary Action

The elevation or depression of a liquid in a narrow tube resulting from the balance of adhesive and cohesive forces and surface tension.

Volume Flow Rate ($F$)

The volume of fluid crossing a given surface per unit time, given by $F = A v$ in $\text{m}^3\,\text{s}^{-1}$.

Equation of Continuity

The mathematical statement of mass conservation for an incompressible fluid stating that $A_1 v_1 = A_2 v_2$.

Bernoulli's Principle

The principle stating that an increase in fluid velocity occurs simultaneously with a decrease in fluid pressure or potential energy ($P + \frac{1}{2}\rho v^2 + \rho g h = \text{Constant}$).

Viscosity ($\eta$)

The internal friction or resistance of a fluid to flow.

Poiseuille's Law

The equation determining the volumetric flow rate of an incompressible laminar fluid in a pipe: $F = \frac{\Delta P \pi r^4}{8 \eta l}$.

Laminar Flow

Smooth fluid motion in parallel layers with varying velocities and without cross-layer mixing.

Turbulent Flow

Complex, irregular fluid flow characterized by mixing between layers, high flow resistance, and eddy currents.

Coulomb's Law

The law stating that the electrostatic force between two point charges is $F = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2}$, where $k = 9 \times 10^9\,\text{N\,m}^2\,\text{C}^{-2}$.

Capacitor

An electrical device that stores electric charge on two conducting surfaces separated by an insulator, defined by $Q = C V$.

Electric Current ($I$)

The rate at which electric charge moves across a cross-sectional area ($I = \frac{\Delta Q}{\Delta t}$), measured in Amperes ($\text{A}$).

Ohm's Law

The law stating that potential difference across a conductor is directly proportional to current ($V = I R$), where $R$ is resistance in Ohms ($\Omega$).

Index of Refraction ($n$)

The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum ($c$) to the speed of light in a given medium ($v$), defined as $n = \frac{c}{v}$.

Snell's Law

The formula describing the refraction of light across two media: $n_1 \sin(\theta_1) = n_2 \sin(\theta_2)$.

Critical Angle ($\theta_c$)

The angle of incidence in a denser medium for which the angle of refraction in the less dense medium is $90^\circ$, given by $\sin(\theta_c) = \frac{n_2}{n_1}$.

Total Internal Reflection

The complete reflection of a light ray back into its original medium when incident at an angle greater than the critical angle.

Ray Diagram for a Converging Lens

A visual ray construction for a convex lens where parallel rays refract through the focal point, central rays pass unrefracted, and focal rays refract parallel to the optical axis.

Lens Power ($P$)

The reciprocal of the focal length of a lens measured in meters ($P = \frac{1}{f}$), expressed in Diopters ($\text{m}^{-1}$).

Emmetropia

The normal optical condition of a relaxed eye where parallel light rays from distant objects focus directly on the retina.

Accommodation

The physiological process by which ciliary muscles alter the focal length of the eye lens to focus objects at varying distances.

Myopia

Short-sightedness defect where light rays converge in front of the retina, requiring a diverging (concave) lens for correction.

Hypermetropia

Long-sightedness defect where light rays converge behind the retina, requiring a converging (convex) lens for correction.

Presbyopia

Age-related reduction in the eye's accommodative power caused by loss of flexibility in the crystalline lens.

Astigmatism

A vision defect caused by non-spherical curvature of the cornea leading to uneven light refraction in different planes.

Atomic Number ($Z$)

The total number of protons contained within the nucleus of an atom.

Mass Number ($A$)

The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom ($A = p + n$).

Isotopes

Varieties of an element possessing the same atomic number ($Z$) but different mass numbers ($A$) due to varying neutron counts.

Half-Life ($T$)

The time required for half of the radioactive parent nuclei in a sample to decay.

Activity ($A$)

The rate of nuclear disintegrations in a radioactive sample ($A = \lambda N$), measured in Becquerels ($\text{Bq}$) where $1\,\text{Bq} = 1\,\text{disintegration/s}$.

Alpha Particle ($\alpha$)

A nuclear particle consisting of two protons and two neutrons, identical to a helium nucleus ($^{4}_{2}\text{He}$).

Beta Particle ($\beta$)

A high-energy electron ($\beta^-$) or positron ($\beta^+$) emitted from an atomic nucleus during beta decay.

Gamma Ray ($\gamma$)

High-energy electromagnetic photon emitted when an excited nucleus transitions to a lower energy state.

Penetrating Power of Radiation

The relative ability of nuclear emissions to penetrate matter: alpha particles are stopped by paper, beta particles by thin aluminum, gamma rays by lead, and neutrons by water/paraffin.

Photoelectric Effect

An interaction in which an incoming photon transfers all its energy to an inner-shell bound electron, completely ejecting it from the atom.

Compton Scattering

An interaction in which an incoming photon collides with an outer-shell electron, transferring part of its energy and scattering at a longer wavelength.

Pair Production

The conversion of a high-energy gamma photon into an electron-positron pair in the field of a nucleus ($E = m c^2$).

Absorbed Dose

The physical quantity measuring radiation energy absorbed per unit mass of matter, measured in Grays ($\text{Gy}$ = $\text{J\,kg}^{-1}$) or rad ($1\,\text{Gy} = 100\,\text{rad}$).

Equivalent Dose

A dosimetric quantity reflecting the biological impact of different radiation types, calculated as $\text{Absorbed Dose} \times \text{Quality Factor (QF)}$ in Sieverts ($\text{Sv}$).

Deterministic Effects

Somatic biological radiation effects that have a threshold dose below which they do not occur, with severity increasing as dose increases.

Stochastic Effects

Probabilistic biological radiation effects that have no threshold dose and whose probability of occurrence increases with dose.