Physics Test #2 Review: Key Concepts and Principles

Brownian motion

Movement of particles due to atom collisions.

Atoms

Basic units with nucleus and electrons.

Elements

Atoms with different proton counts.

Molecules

Smallest part of a substance, can be identical.

Compounds

Combination of two different elements.

Density

Mass divided by volume.

Pressure

Force per unit area, measured in Pascals.

Pascal's law

Pressure applied to fluid transmits equally.

Solid

Matter with fixed volume and shape.

Liquid

Matter with fixed volume but no shape.

Gas

Matter with neither fixed volume nor shape.

Plasma

Fourth state of matter, ionized gas.

Bernoulli's law

Faster fluid movement results in lower pressure.

Temperature

Average kinetic energy of particles.

Archimedes' Principle

Displaced fluid volume equals object's volume.

Buoyancy

Weight of displaced fluid equals buoyant force.

Buoyant Force

Upward force on immersed objects.

Phase change

Transitions like melting and boiling.

Conduction

Heat transfer through direct contact.

Convection

Heat transfer by fluid movement.

Radiation

Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves.

Thermodynamics

Study of heat and energy transfer.

1st law of thermodynamics

Energy conservation: heat into work.

2nd law of thermodynamics

Heat flows from hot to cold.

3rd law of thermodynamics

Absolute zero is unattainable.

Entropy

Measure of disorder in a system.

Boyle's law

Pressure times volume remains constant.

Adiabatic process

No heat transfer with the environment.

Crystalline solids

Solids with ordered atomic arrangements.

Amorphous solids

Solids without crystalline structure, like glass.