General Science: Physics Vocabulary, Motion, and Quantities

Vocabulary and key terminology flashcards covering foundational physics terms, scalar and vector quantities, translational and rotational motion, and linear versus angular formulas from the lecture notes.

Acceleration

The rate of change of speed

Amplitude

The height of a wave from its rest point

Atom

The smallest unit of matter

Current

The flow of electric charge

Density

Mass per unit volume

Electricity

Energy caused by moving electrons

Energy

The ability to do work

Force

A push or pull on an object

Friction

Resistance when two surfaces rub together

Gravity

The force that pulls objects toward Earth

Heat

Energy transferred due to temperature difference

Inertia

The resistance to a change in motion

Kinetic Energy

Energy of a moving object

Light

Visible energy that travels in waves

Magnetism

Force between magnetic materials

Mass

The amount of matter in an object

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space

Momentum

Mass in motion

Motion

Change in position over time

Power

The rate of doing work

Pressure

Force applied over an area

Speed

How fast something moves

Temperature

Measure of how hot or cold something is

Voltage

The force that pushes electric current

Weight

The force of gravity on an object

Scalar Quantities

Quantities that have magnitude but no direction

Vector Quantities

Quantities that have magnitude and direction

Translational Motion

A type of motion that occurs when an object moves from one location to another along a path in any three dimensions, where all parts of the object move the same distance, in the same direction, and at the same time

Rectilinear Translation

Translational movement along a straight line

Curvilinear Translation

Translational movement along a curved path

Rotational Motion

Circular movement of an object around a central line, known as the axis of rotation

Linear Displacement

A vector quantity defined by the change in position $\\text{Ax} = x_f - x_i$

Linear Velocity

A vector quantity defined by the formula $v = \frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}$

Linear Acceleration

The rate of change of linear velocity over time, given by $a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}$

Angular Displacement

The change in angular position calculated as $\Delta \theta = \theta_f - \theta_i$

Angular Velocity

The rate of change of angular displacement over time, given by $\omega = \frac{\Delta \theta}{\Delta t}$

Angular Acceleration

The rate of change of angular velocity over time, given by $\alpha = \frac{\Delta \omega}{\Delta t}$