Grade 11 General Science: Physics in Daily Life

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers fundamental physics concepts and their practical applications in household appliances, transportation, and safety equipment.

Physics

The study of matter, energy, motion, forces, and interactions in the universe; it explains how things move and why things happen.

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space (has volume).

Energy

The capacity to do work or the ability to cause change; it is a conserved property that cannot be created or destroyed.

Motion

The change in an object's position over time relative to a reference point.

Force

A push or pull acting on an object.

Friction

A force that opposes motion, such as shoes gripping the floor or tires on a road.

Gravity

A force pulling objects downward.

Centrifugal Force

The force used by washing machines during the spinning cycle to remove water.

Inertia

The tendency of a body to keep moving forward during a sudden stop, which seatbelts help to counteract for safety.

Lift Force

The force generated by differences in air pressure that allows airplanes to fly.

Momentum

The amount of 'moving power' an object has, which is determined by its mass and velocity ($\text{speed}$).

Impulse

The change in momentum; it is the amount of 'stopping work' that must be done to bring an object to a rest.

Time of Impact

The duration of a collision; increasing this duration spreads out the force and results in a lower, safer impact force.

Force Absorption

The principle of stretching out the time it takes for a stop to happen so that less force is felt.

EPS (Expanded Polystyrene)

The thick layer of crushable foam liner inside a helmet designed to collapse and increase the time of impact to protect the head.

Electromagnetic Waves

Waves used by microwave ovens to heat food and by technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for communication.

Thermodynamics

The physics principle involving heat transfer used by refrigerators to keep food cold.