General Science - Laboratory Safety, Scientific Method, Physics, Machines, Fluids, and Electricity

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering laboratory safety, scientific inquiry, branches of physics, types of motion, simple and compound machines, mechanical advantage, fluid principles, and basic electrical circuits.

Scientia

The Latin word meaning 'having knowledge', from which the word 'Science' is derived.

Science

A system of knowledge and the method used to find that knowledge, involving observations followed by experimentations.

Social Science

A branch of science that focuses on people, society, and culture, including Economics, Geography, History, Law, Education, Sociology, and Psychology.

Natural Science

A branch of science that seeks to understand the natural world, encompassing Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Pure Science

Science used in pursuit of new knowledge, dealing with new discoveries that may or may not have current practical applications.

Physics

The science that deals with matter and energy and the interactions between them, coming from the Greek 'physis' and Latin 'physica'.

Chemistry

The science that deals with matter, its compositions, structure, and properties.

Earth Science

The study of Earth and its composition, including nonliving things.

Biological Science

A branch of natural science that involves the study of living things.

Applied Science

Science that uses the discoveries of pure sciences to create solutions and products in actual settings, such as engineering, medicine, and computer science.

Scientific Method

An organized set of investigation procedures following the steps: Problem, Gather data, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analyze, and Communicate.

Hypothesis

A possible explanation for a problem using what you know and what you observe; an educated guess.

Null Hypothesis ($H_0$)

The default assumption that there is no effect, no difference, or no relationship between variables (simply negative).

Alternative Hypothesis ($H_1$)

The statement that directly contradicts the null hypothesis, representing the specific effect or relationship the researcher aims to prove (simply positive).

Theory

An explanation of things or events based on knowledge gained from many observations and investigations.

Scientific Law

A statement about what happens in nature that seems to be true all the time.

Experiment

An organized procedure for testing a hypothesis.

Trial

A repetition of the same procedure or experiment.

Variable

A factor that can cause a change in the results of an experiment.

Independent Variable

The factor you change to see its effect on another variable; also called the manipulated variable.

Dependent Variable

The factor that changes because another variable was manipulated; the measured or responding variable.

Controlled Variable

A factor in an experiment that is kept constant throughout testing.

Classical Mechanics

A branch of physics dealing with the motion of macroscopic objects.

Optics

A branch of physics that explores the behavior and properties of light.

Thermodynamics

A branch of physics exploring the relationships between heat, work, temperature, and energy.

Law of Inertia

Newton's law stating that an object stays at rest or in motion unless acted upon by an external force.

Law of Acceleration

Newton's law represented by the force equation $F = ma$.

Law of Action-Reaction

Newton's law stating that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Hazard Symbols

Warning icons used to identify laboratory risks, including magnetic fields, sharp objects, hot/cold surfaces, electrical hazards, chemical toxicity, and biohazards.

Types of Motion

The classification of object movement into random, translational (rectilinear, curvilinear, circular), rotational, and oscillatory motion.

Random Motion

Refers to the unpredictable and irregular movement of an object or particle, such as a bee flitting between flowers.

Translational Motion

The movement of an object where all points move the same distance in the same direction, shifting position without rotation.

Rectilinear Motion

The movement of an object along a straight line; also known as straight-line motion.

Curvilinear Motion

Describes the movement of an object along a curved path.

Circular Motion

The movement of an object along the circumference of a circle or a circular path.

Rotational Motion

Describes the movement of an object around a central axis, such as a spinning top or ceiling fan.

Oscillatory Motion

Motion where an object moves back and forth repeatedly around an equilibrium or central point, like a pendulum clock.

Machine

A device that changes a force by altering its size, direction, or the distance over which it acts.

Simple Machine

A machine that does work with only one movement.

Lever

A simple machine made up of a bar that pivots at a fixed point called a fulcrum.

First-Class Lever

A lever classification where the fulcrum is in the middle, between the load and effort force (e.g., seesaws, scissors).

Second-Class Lever

A lever classification where the load (resistance) is in the middle, between the force and fulcrum (e.g., wheelbarrow, nutcracker).

Third-Class Lever

A lever classification where the effort force is in the middle, between the load and fulcrum (e.g., baseball bat, elbow joint).

Pulley

A simple machine that changes the direction of an effort force (single pulley) or changes direction and multiplies force (double pulley).

Wheel and Axle

A simple machine consisting of two circular objects of different sizes, where the wheel is always larger than the axle.

Inclined Plane

A simple machine formed by a straight, slanted surface used to make raising objects easier.

Screw

A simple machine consisting of an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder.

Wedge

An inclined plane that is wider or thicker at one end than at the other, used to cut, split, or pry objects apart.

Input Force

The force exerted on a machine by the user.

Output Force

The force exerted by a machine onto an object.

Compound Machine

A machine created through a combination of two or more simple machines.

Actual Mechanical Advantage (AMA)

The ratio of the output force to the input force of a machine, given by $\text{AMA} = \frac{F_o}{F_i}$.

Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA)

The mechanical advantage of a machine in the total absence of friction, calculated as $\text{IMA} = \frac{d_i}{d_o}$.

Efficiency

The percentage of work input that becomes work output, calculated as $\text{Efficiency} = \frac{W_o}{W_i} \times 100\%$.

Fluid

A substance that can flow and does not maintain a fixed shape, including liquids and gases.

Density

The mass of a substance per unit volume, usually expressed in $g/mL$.

Buoyancy

The upward force that a fluid exerts on an object less dense than itself.

Archimedes' Principle

States that an object's weight will cause it to sink while displacing fluid; if the weight of displaced water equals the object's weight, it floats.

Pressure

The force exerted on an object per unit area ($P = \frac{F}{A}$), exerted in all directions by fluids.

Pascal's Principle

States that pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted equally throughout the fluid.

Bernoulli's Principle

States that as the velocity of a fluid increases, the pressure exerted by the fluid decreases.

Electrical Charge

A fundamental property of matter that can be positive or negative, measured in Coulombs ($C$).

Electrical Current

The directed flow of electric charge through a conductor, measured in Amperes ($A$).

Voltage

The electric potential difference between two points in a circuit that drives current flow, measured in Volts ($V$).

Resistance

A measure of how much a material opposes the flow of electric current, measured in Ohms ($\Omega$).

Electrical Power

The rate at which electrical energy is transferred or consumed in a circuit, measured in Watts ($W$).

Closed Circuit

An uninterrupted electrical circuit where energy is allowed to flow through it because it is turned on.

Open Circuit

A circuit in which the flow of energy is interrupted or stopped because the switch is turned off.

Series Circuit

A circuit where resistors are wired one after another in a single loop, with each experiencing the same amount of current.

Parallel Circuit

A circuit containing multiple loops where the total current splits among individual paths.