Physical Science Course Outcome 4: Measurement, Motion, and Acceleration

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on the concepts covered in the Physical Science Course Outcome 4 lecture notes.

SI System

The International System of Units, a revised version of the metric system adopted by international agreement in 1960.

Acceleration

In physics, it refers to the rate at which an object changes its velocity, including speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction.

Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion

States that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of that object multiplied by the acceleration of that object.

Cubic Meter (m³)

The SI unit of volume, defined as the volume of a cube measuring 1 meter on each side.

Kilogram (kg)

The base unit of mass in the SI system, originally defined as the mass of 1 liter of water at 4°C.

Liter (L)

A non-SI unit of volume equal to the volume of a cube measuring 10 centimeters on each edge.

Joule (J)

The SI unit of energy, equivalent to the amount of work done when a force of one newton displaces an object by one meter.

Diurnal Motion

The apparent daily motion of celestial bodies across the sky due to the rotation of the Earth.

Perihelion

The point in the orbit of a planet where it is closest to the sun.

Aphelion

The point in the orbit of a planet where it is farthest from the sun.

Summer Solstice

Occurs around June 21 when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, resulting in the longest day of the year.

Winter Solstice

Occurs around December 21 when the Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, resulting in the shortest day of the year.

Geocentric Theory

An ancient model of the universe that places Earth at the center.

Heliocentric Theory

The astronomical model that places the Sun at the center of the universe with the Earth and other planets orbiting around it.

Law of Ellipses

Kepler's first law, stating that the orbit of a planet around the sun is an ellipse with the sun at one of the two foci.

Law of Equal Areas

Kepler's second law, which states that a line segment joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.

Law of Harmonies

Kepler's third law, stating the square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.