Phy. Sci. 2nd Semester Final Review

Force

A push or pull on an object resulting from the object's interaction with another object.

Gravity

The force that attracts two bodies toward each other, proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

Air resistance

The frictional force air exerts against a moving object, acting in the opposite direction of the object's motion.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.

Newton's 1st 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.

Newton's 2nd law

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (F = ma).

Newton's 3rd law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Law of Conservation of Momentum

The total momentum of a closed system remains constant if no external forces act on it.

Mass

A measure of the amount of matter in an object, typically measured in kilograms.

Momentum

The product of an object's mass and its velocity (p = mv).

Weight

The force exerted by gravity on an object, calculated as the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity (W = mg).

Terminal velocity

The constant speed reached by an object when the force of gravity is balanced by the drag force of the medium through which it is falling.

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Speed is a scalar quantity representing how fast an object is moving, while velocity is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction.

Motion is a change in ______________.

position.

What is a reference point?

A stationary object or location used to determine the position of another object.

What does the slope of a distance vs. time graph tell you?

The slope indicates the speed of the object; a steeper slope means a higher speed.

Kinetic energy

The energy an object possesses due to its motion, calculated as KE = 0.5(mass)(velocity)^2.

Gravitational potential energy

The energy stored in an object due to its height above the ground, calculated as PE = mass × gravity × height.

Thermal energy

The total kinetic energy of particles in a substance, related to temperature.

Mechanical energy

The sum of potential energy and kinetic energy in a system.

Electromagnetic energy

Energy that travels in waves and includes visible light, radio waves, and X-rays.

Specific heat

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Convection

The transfer of heat through the movement of fluids (liquids or gases).

Insulator

A material that does not conduct electricity well, preventing the flow of electric current.

Conductor

A material that allows the flow of electric current with minimal resistance.

Work

The energy transferred to or from an object via the application of force along a displacement.

Series circuit

An electrical circuit in which components are connected end-to-end, so that current flows through each component sequentially.

Parallel circuit

An electrical circuit in which components are connected across common points or junctions, allowing current to flow through multiple paths.

Electroscope

An instrument used to detect electric charge by the movement of a metal rod or leaves.

Voltmeter

An instrument used to measure the electrical potential difference (voltage) between two points.

Grounding

The process of connecting an electrical circuit to the ground to prevent electric shock or damage.

Electrons

Negatively charged subatomic particles found in atoms, responsible for electricity.

Protons

Positively charged subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

Neutrons

Neutral subatomic particles found in the nucleus of an atom, contributing to the atom's mass.

Ferromagnetism

The property of certain materials (like iron) to become magnetized in the presence of a magnetic field.

Electromagnets

Magnets created by electric current flowing through a coil of wire.

Wave

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

Medium

The substance through which a wave travels, such as air, water, or solid materials.

Period

The time it takes for one complete cycle of a wave to pass a given point.

Frequency

The number of complete wave cycles that pass a point in one second, measured in Hertz (Hz).

Reflection

The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a surface that it cannot pass through.

Refraction

The bending of a wave as it passes from one medium to another due to a change in speed.

Diffraction

The spreading out of waves when they pass through a narrow opening or around obstacles.

Absorption

The process by which a wave's energy is taken up by a material.

Interference

The phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet and combine to form a new wave pattern.

Resonance

The phenomenon that occurs when an object vibrates at its natural frequency due to an external force.

Electromagnetic waves

Waves that can travel through a vacuum and consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields.

Electromagnetic spectrum

The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays.

What is instantaneous speed?

The speed of an object at a specific moment in time.

What is velocity?

The speed of an object in a specific direction, such as 3 m/s north.

What is constant speed?

A speed that does not change over time.

What is motion?

A change in position of an object.

What is a reference point?

An indicator that orients you when describing motion.

What does the slope of a distance vs. time graph represent?

The speed of the object.

What variable is on the Y-axis of a velocity vs. time graph?

Velocity.

What does zero acceleration indicate on a velocity vs. time graph?

The object is moving at a constant velocity.

What is gravitational potential energy?

The energy of an object due to its height above the ground.

What is kinetic energy?

The energy of an object in motion.

What does the law of conservation of energy state?

Energy in a system can change forms but cannot be created or destroyed.

What is an example of energy conversion from kinetic to thermal energy?

Friction.

What is power?

How much work is done in a given amount of time.

What is an insulator?

A material that resists the flow of heat.

What is the relationship between gravitational potential energy and height?

GPE increases with height.

What happens to potential and kinetic energy when an object is dropped?

Gravitational potential energy decreases while kinetic energy increases.

What is the formula for potential energy?

Potential Energy = (Height)(9.8)(mass).

What is the formula for kinetic energy?

Kinetic Energy = 0.5(mass)(velocity)^2.

What is thermal energy?

Energy in the form of heat due to the motion of particles.

What is mechanical energy?

The sum of kinetic and potential energy in a system.

What is convection?

The transfer of energy by the movement of heated particles.

What is a conductor?

A material that allows heat to flow easily.

What is the formula for current?

Current is calculated as voltage (volts) divided by resistance (ohms).

What is the formula for voltage?

Voltage is calculated as current (amps) multiplied by resistance (ohms).

What direction do electric charges flow?

Electric charges always flow from negative areas to positive areas.

Which statement about electric charge is true?

Electrical forces act at a distance.

What is a good example of an insulator?

A plastic plate is a good example of an insulator.

What increases the resistance of a wire?

Increasing the temperature of the wire will increase its resistance.

Which two areas of physical science are closely related to electric motors and generators?

Electricity and magnetism are closely related to the development of electric motors and generators.

What decreases the strength of the magnetic field around a wire?

Using less loops around the iron core will decrease the strength of the magnetic field.

What is a fuse?

A fuse contains a piece of metal that melts if it gets too hot in order to open a circuit.

What is a series circuit?

A series circuit is a circuit that has only one pathway for current to travel through.

What is a parallel circuit?

A parallel circuit is a circuit that has more than one pathway for current to travel through.

What occurs during refraction?

Refraction occurs when a wave changes its speed as it passes through a different medium.

Why are houses with carpet quieter than those with tile?

Houses with carpet are quieter due to sound wave absorption.

What is an example of a compressional wave?

A sound wave is an example of a compressional wave.

What happens when the amplitude of a sound wave increases?

Increasing the amplitude of a sound wave makes it louder.

What must happen for reflection to occur?

The wave must bounce off an object.

What is the matter through which a wave travels called?

The matter through which a wave travels is called the medium.

Which electromagnetic wave gives you Vitamin D?

Ultraviolet waves from the sun give you Vitamin D.

What type of waves are sound waves?

Sound waves are compressional waves.

In which medium do light waves travel the fastest?

Light waves travel the fastest in empty space.

In which medium do sound waves travel the fastest?

Sound waves travel the fastest in a solid.

What is diffraction?

Diffraction is the bending of light waves as they bend around an object.

What are the parts of a wave?

The parts of a wave include amplitude, crest, wavelength, and trough.