Physical Science Course Outcome 4 Notes

These flashcards cover essential concepts related to Measurement, Motion, and Acceleration in Physical Science, as outlined in the lecture notes.

Acceleration

In physics, acceleration refers to any change in the velocity of an object, including speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction.

SI Units

The International System of Units, abbreviated SI, is a standardized system of measurement used worldwide, adopted in 1960.

Base Unit

A base unit is a defined unit of measurement in which all other units of measurement are derived; examples include meter (length) and kilogram (mass).

Kilogram (kg)

The base unit of mass in SI, originally defined as the mass of 1 liter of water at 4°C.

Prefix

A prefix in the metric system denotes multiples or fractions of units, such as kilo (10^3) or milli (10^-3).

Liter (L)

The volume of a cube measuring 10 cm on each edge, equivalent to 1000 cubic centimeters.

Volume

The amount of space occupied by a sample of matter, calculated for solids by multiplying length, width, and height.

Weight vs. Mass

Weight is the force exerted by gravity on an object, while mass is the amount of matter in the object and is constant regardless of location.

Pressure

Pressure is defined as force per unit area, measured in pascals (Pa) in SI.

Period of Revolution

The time it takes for the Earth to complete one full orbit around the sun, approximately 365.25 days.

Diurnal Motion

The apparent daily motion of stars and celestial bodies across the sky due to Earth's rotation.

Elliptical Orbit

The path of a celestial body moving around another body in an elongated circular shape, with one focus at the sun.

Kepler's First Law

Law of Ellipses: Each planet's orbit around the sun is an ellipse with the sun at one focus.

Heliocentric Theory

The astronomical model which posits that the sun is at the center of the universe, with planets orbiting around it.

Geocentric Theory

The outdated astronomical model which places Earth at the center of the universe, with all other celestial bodies orbiting it.

Solstice

An event occurring when the sun appears at its northernmost or southernmost point relative to the celestial equator.