General Science: Motion, Machines, Fluids, Electricity, Waves, Light, Sound, and Consumer Chemistry

A vocabulary flashcard set covering key terms, definitions, equations, and principles from General Science 11 including physics (motion, simple/compound machines, fluids, electricity, light, sound) and consumer chemistry.

Translational Motion

Movement in a straight line where all parts move the same distance with no rotation around a center.

Rotational Motion

Movement around a fixed axis where parts move in circular paths and different parts move different distances.

Linear Displacement

The shortest straight-line distance and direction from an object's initial position to its final position, measured in meters ($m$) with symbol $s$.

Linear Velocity

The rate at which an object changes its displacement with respect to time, measured in meters per second ($m/s$) with symbol $v$.

Linear Acceleration

The rate of change of linear velocity with respect to time, measured in meters per second squared ($m/s^2$) with symbol $a$.

Angular Displacement

The angle through which an object rotates around a fixed axis from its initial position to its final position, measured in radians ($rad$) or degrees ($^\text{o}$) with symbol $\theta$.

Angular Velocity

The rate at which angular displacement changes with respect to time, measured in radians per second ($rad/s$) with symbol \text{\textomega}.

Angular Acceleration

The rate of change of angular velocity with respect to time, measured in radians per second squared ($rad/s^2$) with symbol \text{\textalpha}.

Machine

Any device that helps perform work more easily by changing the magnitude or direction of the applied force.

Simple Machine

A machine with few or no moving parts that changes the direction or magnitude of force.

Lever

A rigid bar that rotates around a fixed point called the fulcrum.

Fulcrum

The fixed pivot point around which a lever rotates.

Load

The object or weight being moved by a machine.

Effort

The force applied by the user to operate a machine.

Wheel and Axle

A simple machine consisting of a large wheel rigidly attached to a smaller cylinder called the axle.

Pulley

A grooved wheel with a rope or cable running through it.

Fixed Pulley

A pulley attached to a fixed support.

Movable Pulley

A pulley that moves together with the load.

Compound Pulley

A combination of fixed and movable pulleys.

Inclined Plane

A flat, sloped surface that allows moving a load to a higher elevation with less effort than lifting it straight up.

Wedge

A moving inclined plane with one or two sloping surfaces used to split, cut, or hold objects.

Screw

An inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder.

Compound Machine

A machine made by combining two or more simple machines working together.

Fluid

Any substance that is capable of flowing because its particles are free to move past one another.

Fluidity

The ability of a substance to flow.

Viscosity

The internal resistance of a fluid to flow.

Compressibility

A property describing how much the volume of a substance changes when pressure is applied.

Density

The amount of mass contained in a given volume, calculated as $\rho = \frac{m}{V}$ with SI unit $kg/m^3$.

Surface Tension

The property resulting from attractive forces between liquid molecules that allows lighter objects to rest on a liquid surface.

Cohesion

Attraction between molecules of the same substance.

Adhesion

Attraction between molecules of different substances.

Pressure

A measure of how concentrated a force is over a certain area, calculated as $P = \frac{F}{A}$ in Pascals ($Pa$).

Fluid Pressure

The pressure exerted by a fluid on any surface in contact with it, calculated as $P = \rho g h$.

Pascal's Principle

States that pressure applied to a confined, incompressible fluid is transmitted equally and undiminished in all directions throughout the fluid and to the walls of its container.

Hydraulics

The branch of science and engineering dealing with the behavior and practical use of liquids under pressure to transmit, control, and multiply force.

Archimedes' Principle

States that an object wholly or partially immersed in a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.

Buoyant Force

The upward push that a fluid exerts on an object placed in it.

Electricity

A form of energy produced by the movement of tiny negatively charged particles called electrons.

Electric Current

The rate at which electric charges flow through a conductor or circuit, measured in Amperes ($A$) with symbol $I$.

Voltage

The electrical pressure that pushes electrons through a wire, measured in Volts ($V$) with symbol $V$.

Resistance

The opposition to the flow of electric current, measured in Ohms (\text{\textOmega}) with symbol $R$.

Ohm's Law

States that the electric current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage applied across it and inversely proportional to its resistance ($V = I \times R$).

Electric Power

The rate at which electrical energy is used, calculated as $P = I \times V$ with unit Watt ($W$).

Electrical Energy

The total amount of electricity consumed over time, calculated as $E = P \times t$ and measured in kilowatt-hours ($kWh$).

Main Switch

The primary control (main breaker) that turns the entire electrical supply of a house ON or OFF.

Circuit Breaker

A device that automatically disconnects electricity during overloads or short circuits.

Live Wire

An energized wire (black, brown, or red) that carries electrical current to appliances.

Neutral Wire

A wire (white or blue) that returns electricity back to the electrical supply.

Ground Wire

A wire (green or bare copper) that provides a safe path for excess electricity into the Earth.

Grounding

A safety system providing a low-resistance path for excess electrical current to flow safely into the Earth.

Electrical Hazard

Any condition where electricity may cause injury, burns, fire, explosion, or death.

Overloading

Occurs when too many electrical devices draw current from one outlet or extension cord.

Insulation

The protective material covering electrical wires that prevents electricity from escaping and protects people from shock.

Electrocution

Death caused by electric current.

Wave

A disturbance or vibration that transfers energy from one place to another without transferring matter.

Mechanical Waves

Waves that require a material medium in order to travel.

Electromagnetic Waves

Waves that do not require a medium to travel and can move through a vacuum.

Transverse Waves

Waves in which particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction the wave travels.

Crest

The highest point of a transverse wave above the equilibrium (rest) position.

Trough

The lowest point of a transverse wave below the equilibrium (rest) position.

Wavelength

The distance between two consecutive identical points on a wave, represented by \text{\textlambda} and measured in meters ($m$).

Amplitude

The maximum distance a particle moves from its equilibrium position to a crest or a trough.

Longitudinal Waves

Waves in which particles vibrate parallel to the direction the wave travels.

Compression

A region in a longitudinal wave where particles of the medium are close together, characterized by high pressure and high density.

Rarefaction

A region in a longitudinal wave where particles of the medium are spread farther apart, characterized by low pressure and low density.

Frequency

The number of complete waves passing a point in one second, measured in hertz ($Hz$) with symbol $f$.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The complete range of all electromagnetic waves arranged according to their wavelength or frequency.

Reflection

The bouncing back of light or sound waves when striking a surface that returns them to the original medium.

Refraction

The bending of light or sound waves as they pass from one medium to another or through regions of different temperatures/densities due to a change in speed.

Diffraction

The bending and spreading of waves around obstacles or after passing through narrow openings.

Dispersion

The separation of visible white light into its component colors (ROYGBIV) as it passes through a triangular prism.

Interference

Occurs when two or more waves overlap and combine, producing regions of reinforced or canceled amplitudes.

Polarization

The restriction of light vibrations into one plane.

Resonance

Occurs when an object vibrates with a much larger amplitude because it is driven by an external vibration matching its natural frequency.

Doppler Effect

The apparent change in the observed frequency or pitch of a wave due to relative motion between the sound source and the observer.

Consumer Product

A product manufactured for people to purchase and use in everyday life.

Chemical Substance

Matter with a particular composition and characteristic properties.

Hazard

The potential of a substance to cause harm.

Risk

The likelihood and severity of harm under particular conditions of exposure.

Abrasive

A material capable of helping remove substances from a surface through mechanical action.

Solvent

A substance capable of dissolving another substance (solute) to form a solution.

Acid

A substance that can donate protons ($H^+$) or increase the concentration of hydronium ions in water.

Base

A substance that can accept protons or increase the concentration of hydroxide ions in water.

Saponification

The chemical reaction under strongly alkaline conditions where triglycerides (fats and oils) react with lye to produce soap.