Pearson Physics - Chapter 1 Vocabulary

physics

the study of the fundamental laws of nature

science

an organized way of thinking about nature and understanding how it works

scientific method

the systematic approach scientists use to learn about the laws of nature

observation

a logical and orderly description of an event

inference

a logical interpretation based on observations

hypothesis

a detailed scientific explanation for a set of observations that can be verified or rejected by careful experiments

independent variable

the variable that is changed in an experiment

dependent variable

the variable that is measured in an experiment to see how it depends on the independent variable

theory

a detailed explanation of some aspect of nature that accounts for a set of well-tested hypotheses

bias

a preference for a particular point of view due to personal rather than scientific reasons

peer review

the process in which a report is sent to several experts in the field to look for errors, biases, and oversights

meter

the base unit of length, abbreviated as m

second

the base unit of time, abbreviated as s

kilogram

the base unit of mass, abbreviated as kg

SI Unit

the unit system also know as the Systeme International d'Unites

mass

a measure of the amount of matter in an object

weight

a measure of the gravitational force acting on an object

dimensional analysis

a type of calculation written in terms of dimensions

equation

a mathematical expression that relates physical quantities

accuracy

a measure of how close the measured value of a quantity is to the actual value

precision

a measure of how close together the values of a series of measurements are to one another

significant figure

the digits actually measured plus one estimated digit in a properly expressed measurement

scientific notation

a method used to express numerical values as a number between 1 and 10 times an appropriate power of 10

linear relationship

the relationship that exits between two quantities that form a straight line on a graph

parabola

a curved shape on a graph indicating that one quantity depends on the square of another

inverse relationship

a relationship between two quantities in which one gets larger as the other gets smaller

scalar

a quantity represented by a numerical value and a unit

speed

a scalar quantity that describes the rate of motion

vector

a quantity consisting of both a numerical value with its unit and a direction

velocity

a vector quantity that describes the rate of motion and its direction