Advanced Physics Final Study Guide

Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it only changes form

Energy

The ability to do work (the ability to cause change)

Work

The change in energy of a system. For work to occur the object must move.

Power

The rate of change of a system's energy. Power indicates how quickly energy is being generated or used.

Gravitational Potential Energy

The energy stored due to an object's height (Ug)

Kinetic Energy

The energy associated with an object's motion (KE)

Elastic Potential Energy

The energy stored when an object is stretched or compressed (Us)

Electricity

A form of energy resulting from the flow of charged particles

Electrical Conductor

A material through which electric charge can flow easily

Electrical Insulator

a material through which electric charge cannot flow easily

Kilowatt-hour

a measure of electrical energy equal to a power consumption of 1,000 watts for 1 hour.

Voltage

The force that pushes the electrons. The potential for electricity to flow.

Current

The term used to measure the amount of electrons flowing

Resistance

The opposition to the flow of the current. It occurs when electrons bump into other materials.

Circuit Breakers

Devices made to prevent too much current form flowing through a wire.

Momentum

The quantity of motion of a moving body. Momentum can be though of as how hard it is to stop an object from moving.

Impulse

The change in momentum. For an impulse to occur, a force must be applied over a period of time.

Elastic Collisions

Collisions in which kinetic energy is conserved. These collisions bounce quickly.

Inelastic Collision

Collisions in which kinetic energy is NOT conserved. Objects bounce slowly or stick together

Perfectly Inelastic Collisions

Inelastic collisions in which objects stick together.

Wave

A vibration or disturbance. All types of waves transfer energy. Waves do not have to transfer matter.

Pulse Wave

A sudden disturbance where only a few waves are generated

Periodic Wave

A wave that repeats itself for several cycles

Transverse Wave

Waves that occur when the disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of the wave travel

Longitudinal Wave

Waves that occur when the disturbance is parallel to the direction of wave travel

Crest

The highest point of the wave

Trough

the lowest point of the wave

Wave length

The distance between identical points on adjacent waves

Period

The time to complete one wave

Frequency

The number of cycles completed each second

Amplitude

The distance from the midline to the crest or trough

Wave Velocity

How quickly the wave is moving

Superposition Principle

when two or more waves overlap, the resulting wave is the sum of the individual waves

Sound

A pressure wave that travels through a medium

Sound Intensity

Amount of energy that a sound wave brings to a unit area every second.

Doppler Effect

A change in sound frequency caused by motion of the sound source, motion of the listener, or both.

Solid

The state in which molecules are closely spaced and cannot change places

Liquid

The state in which molecules are closely spaced but can change places

Gas

The state in which molecules are spread apart and can change places

Fluid

A material that can flow. Fluids include gasses and liquids. All fluids take the shape of their container.

Density

mass/volume

Pressure

Force exerted over a given area. Pressure is always perpendicular to the surface.

Atmospheric Pressure

the pressure exerted by molecules in the atmosphere surrounding Earth

Gauge Pressure

the difference between the actual pressure and the atmospheric pressure

Absolute Pressure

The total pressure exerted on a system, including atmospheric pressure.

Buoyant Force

An upward force exerted on an object submerged in a fluid

Archimedes' Principle

the buoyant force acting on an object is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid

Pascal's Principle

The pressure applied to a fluid is transmitted throughout the fluid

Thermal Energy

the average kinetic energy of molecules

Temperature

A measure of the thermal energy of an object

Celsius Scale

metric unit for temperature. Freezing point of water: 0, boiling point of water: 100

Fahrenheit Scale

The US customary unit for temperature

Absolute Zero

The coldest possible temperature that occurs when molecules stop moving

Heat

Heat is the transfer of thermal energy

Specific Heat Capacity

A material property that indicates how much energy is required to change a material's temperature

Phase Change

a change from one state (solid or liquid or gas) to another without a change in chemical composition

Heating Curve

a diagram that shows the temperature changes and changes of state of a substance as it is heated

Sensible Heat

heat that results in a temperature change, not a phase change

Latent Heat

Heat that does not result in a temperature change but it does result in a phase change

Latent Heat of Fusion

How much energy needed to melt one kg of a material

Latent Heat of Vaporization

How much energy needed to boil 1 kg of a material

Conduction

A mode of heat transfer that occurs when two surfaces touch

Convection

A mode of heat transfer when a fluid passes over a surface

Radiation

A mode of heat transfer when an object absorbs or emits electromagnetic waves

Insulator

Materials that impede the flow of thermal energy

Conductor

Materials that allow the flow of thermal energy

Coefficient of Thermal Conductivity

A material property that indicates how well a material conducts energy

Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient

coefficient that takes into account the properties of the fluid, velocity of fluid, geometry and surface roughness of the object in contact with the fluid