Integrated Physical Science C165 WGU

Physics

Study of forces, energy, motion

Chemistry

Study of atoms and molecules, their structures, and their interactions to form various substances.

Earth Science

Earth's structure and composition, as well as the processes that change Earth, such as volcanic and seismic activity.

Astronomy

The study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space

Science

An organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world.

Precision

Measure of how close a series of measurements are to one another

SI

Scientific method of expressing the magnitudes or quantities of important natural phenomena. There are seven base units in the system, from which other units are derived. Universal for comparing data.

Physical Science

Sciences concerned with the study of inanimate natural objects, including physics, chemistry, astronomy, and related subjects.

Life Science

Study of living things

Controlled Experiment

An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time. Or a condition that is being held constant. Cause/effect

Lab/non-natural scenario

independent variable

what is intentionally being changed

Ex: type of soil used

dependent variable

what is being measured. variable that changes because of independent variable

Ex: Time to absorb water

control

In an experiment, the standard that is used for comparison

Observational experiment or study

Where studies attempt to understand cause-and-effect relationships as they appear in nature. However, unlike experiments, the researcher can't control (1) how subjects are assigned to groups and/or (2) which treatments each group receives.

A sample survey is an example of an observational study.

field study

a research investigation carried out in a naturally occurring setting

laboratory study

Research done in a laboratory/controlled environment

Physical Model

A physical representation of an object. Prototypes and appearance models are physical models.

Ex: Model of planets

conceptual model

a verbal or graphical explanation for how a system works or is organized

Ex: Image of an atom

mathematical model

one or more equations that represent the way a system or process works

Ex: Formula/graph

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

No evidence, narrow, tentative question)

Theory

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of evidence. Broad. Explains in detail why something happened.

Scientific theory is not the same word theory (guess/prediction)

Law

Scientific laws (also known as natural laws) imply a cause and effect between the observed elements in nature and must always apply under the same conditions. Explains a body of observations in the form of a verbal or mathematical statement. Explains how it happened not why, can be changed with new evidence.

Observation

Information obtained through the senses.

evidence

proof

Data

Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis

Big Bang Theory

Cosmological model that explains the sudden development of the universe through expansion from a hot, dense state.

plate tectonics

A theory stating that the earth's surface is broken into plates that move.

atomic theory

a theory that states that all matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms.

gram

a metric unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.

meter

The meter is the basic unit of length in the SI system of units. ... The previous definition of the meter was one ten-millionth of the distance from the geographic north pole to the equator, measured over the earth's surface in a circle running through Paris, France.

second

SI base unit for time

Celsius

Metric unit for measuring temperature; On this scale water freezes at zero and boils at 100.

Kelvin

The SI base unit of temperature

liter

Basic unit of volume in the metric system

Metric Prefixes

Giga, Mega, Kilo, deci, centi, milli, micro, nano

derived unit

A unit defined by a combination of base units

direct relationship

a relationship in which one variable increases with an increase in another variable

inverse relationship

a relationship in which one variable decreases when another variable increases

Speed

The distance an object travels per unit of time

Velocity

objects speed and direction

Acceleration

a change in an object's velocity over time; an object accelerates if its speed, direction, or both change

It can still be accelerating even if its slowing down.

Ex: Ask, is there a change. If an ice skater is going in a loop at the same speed, the skater is accelerating because going in a loop changes direction.

distance

The length of a path between two points

Displacement

Distance and direction of an object's change in position from the starting point.

Balance force

Forces that combine to produce a net force of zero (object is in place at rest, newtons first law)

o Zero net force is basically the same as balanced force. The only difference is balanced forces cancel each other out. With zero net force all forces equal 0.

o Book resting on a table

o Tug of war with equal teams

o Car traveling at a constant speed

unequal/unbalanced force

Forces that do not cancel out.

unbalanced forces cause a change in motion; speed. and/or direction. When two forces act in the same direction on an object, the net force is. equal to the sum of the two forces. When two unequal forces act in opposite directions.

net force

The combination of all forces acting on an object, all totals

Ex: Two people pushing on a big box

Newton's First Law

An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Mass

the amount of matter in an object

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist a change in motion

Newton's Second Law

Force equals mass times acceleration

Newton's Third Law

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

Friction

A force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are in contact

Gravity

Gravity is the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its center. The force of gravity keeps all of the planets in orbit around the sun.

gravitational force

an attractive force that acts between any two objects

Momentum

the force or speed with which something moves

law of conservation of momentum

One of the most powerful laws in physics is the law of momentum conservation. ... For a collision occurring between object 1 and object 2 in an isolated system, the total momentum of the two objects before the collision is equal to the total momentum of the two objects after the collision.

work

Force exerted on an object that causes it to move

Energy

the ability to do work

potential energy

Energy that is stored and held in readiness

kinetic energy

the energy an object has due to its motion

gravitational potential energy

Energy stored by objects due to their position above Earth's surface.

chemical potential energy

the energy stored in the chemical bonds of a substance

elastic potential energy

the energy of stretched or compressed objects

electrical energy

The energy of electric charges

electromagnetic energy

Electromagnetic energy is a term used to describe all the different kinds of energies released into space by stars such as the Sun. These kinds of energies include some that you will recognize and some that will sound strange

thermal energy

Heat energy

Law of Conservation of Energy

the law that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be changed from one form to another

wave

A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place

oscillation

the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm

Equilibrium

A state of balance

medium

The material through which a wave travels is called a

Gases (air), liquids, solids

mechanical wave

A wave that requires a medium through which to travel

electromagnetic waves

A form of energy that can move through the vacuum of space.

transverse wave

A wave that moves the medium in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels

longitudinal wave

A wave in which the vibration of the medium is parallel to the direction the wave travels. Compressed

Compression

The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are close together.

expansion

an increase in the volume of a substance while its mass remains the same. Expansion is usually due to heating. When substances are heated, the molecular bonds between their particles are weakened, and the particles move faster, causing the substance to expand.

Rarefaction

The part of a longitudinal wave where the particles of the medium are far apart

Wavelength

The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave

Frequency

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time

Amplitude

the height of a wave's crest or how intense

Crest

Highest point of a wave (peak)

Trough

lowest point of a wavelength

Period of a wave

Time for one complete waveform to travel

electromagnetic spectrum

All of the frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation

radio waves

Electromagnetic waves with the longest wavelengths and lowest frequencies

microwave

very short electromagnetic wave; microwave oven (oven that cooks quickly by using microwaves)

Infrared

Electromagnetic waves of frequencies lower than the red of visible light.

visable light

portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye.

ultraviolet light

Electromagnetic radiation of several wavelengths is used to control microbial growth

X-ray

A form of energy that travels in waves that can pass through some living tissue, but not through bone.

gamma rays

Electromagnetic waves with the shortest wavelengths and highest frequencies

pitch

a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency

Loudness

A physical response to the intensity of sound, modified by physical factors

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space

Atom

Basic unit of matter

Protron

partical that carries a positive charge

Neutron

A small particle in the nucleus of the atom, with no electrical charge

Electron

A subatomic particle that has a negative charge

electron cloud

a region around the nucleus of an atom where electrons are likely to be found