Introduction to Physics: Measurement, Mechanics, and Matter

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental physics concepts including measurement standards, kinematics, dynamics, work-energy theorems, elasticity properties, and hydrostatics.

Measurement

The art and science of obtaining the exact dimensions of a physical quantity using a recognized standard.

Fundamental Quantities

Physical quantities which are independent of each other and cannot be further resolved into any other physical quantity.

Derived Quantities

Quantities obtained by the combination of the basic or fundamental quantities, such as acceleration ($ms^{-2}$) or force ($N$).

Supplementary Quantities

A category of physical quantities in the SI system consisting of plane angle (measured in radian, $rad$) and solid angle (measured in steradian, $Sr$).

True Value

A standard or reference of known value or a theoretical value used in experimental procedures.

Accuracy

Closeness to the true value; the degree to which an instrument reading approaches the true or accepted value of the variable being measured.

Precision

A measure of the reproducibility of measurements, indicating the degree to which successive measurements of a fixed value differ from one another.

Sensitivity

The ability of a measuring instrument to respond to changes in the measured quantity, expressed as the ratio of change in output signal to change in input.

Resolution

The smallest change in measured value to which a measuring instrument will respond.

Dimension

A property used to indicate exclusively how a physical quantity is related to its basic quantities, providing its qualitative nature.

Kinematics

A branch of mechanics dealing with the concepts needed to describe motion without reference to the forces involved.

Statics

A branch of mechanics dealing with bodies at rest relative to some frame of reference and the forces between them in equilibrium.

Velocity

The rate of change of displacement, measured in meters per second ($m/s$).

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity ($a = \frac{\Delta v}{t}$).

Conservative Force

A type of force whose net work-done on a body is zero over a closed path, such as gravitational or elastic forces.

Inertia

The property of an object to resist changes to its state of rest or motion, which is proportional to its mass.

Momentum

The product of a body's mass and its velocity ($p = mv$).

Impulse

The product of constant force and time ($Ft$), which is equal to the change in momentum of a body.

Static Friction

The magnitude of force needed to just set a stationary body in motion.

Elastic Collision

A collision phenomenon in which both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

Coefficient of Restitution ($e$)

A ratio describing the capacity of impacting bodies to recover after impact, defined as the relative velocity of separation divided by the relative velocity of approach.

Work

The dot product of displacement and the resolved part of the force in the direction of the displacement ($W = FS\cos(\theta)$).

Kinetic Energy

The energy of a body due to its motion, calculated as $K.E = \frac{1}{2}mv^2$.

Power

The rate at which work is done or delivered ($P = \frac{dw}{dt}$), measured in Watts ($W$).

Elasticity

The ability of a deformed material to return to its original shape and size when the forces causing deformation are removed.

Hooke’s Law

States that the extension of a wire is proportional to the force or tension applied, provided the proportional limit is not exceeded ($F = ke$).

Ductile Material

A type of material that shows plastic deformation and signs of breaking (such as thinning) before actual failure, like copper or steel.

Young’s Modulus ($E$)

The ratio of tensile stress (force per unit area) to tensile strain (extension per unit length).

Bulk Modulus ($B$)

A constant of proportionality for volume deformation, relating volume stress to volume strain.

Density ($\rho$)

A substance's mass per unit volume ($\rho = \frac{m}{V}$).

Pressure ($P$)

The force acting normally on a unit surface area ($P = \frac{F}{A}$), often expressed as $P = h\rho g$ in liquids.

Archimedes Principle

States that when an object is immersed completely or partially in a fluid, the up-thrust is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced.

Up-thrust

An upward buoyancy force acting on an object in a liquid due to the difference in pressure acting on the upper and lower surfaces.