Physics and Earth Science Flashcards: Laws of Motion, EMR, Plate Tectonics, and Electricity

A set of 50 vocabulary flashcards covering Newton's Laws of Motion, Electromagnetic Radiation, Plate Tectonics, Forces, Friction, and Current Electricity based on the lecture transcripts.

Force

A push or pull exerted on an object that can change its motion, velocity, or shape, measured in Newtons ($\text{N}$).

Motion

The change in an object's position over time relative to a reference point.

Energy

The ability to do work or cause change, which is required for movement, light, heat, and sound.

Inertia

The natural tendency of an object to resist any change in its state of rest or motion.

Newton's First Law of Motion

The physical law stating that an object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion continues moving at constant speed in a straight line, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Mass

A measure of how much matter an object contains, which directly determines the magnitude of its inertia.

Weight

The gravitational force exerted on an object's mass.

Equilibrium

The state of an object when the sum of all forces acting on it is zero, resulting in zero acceleration.

Static Equilibrium

The state of balance where an object is completely at rest because all acting forces are balanced.

Dynamic Equilibrium

The state of balance where an object moves at a constant velocity in a straight line because all acting forces are balanced.

Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)

Energy carried by oscillating electric and magnetic fields traveling through space as transverse waves at approximately $3 \times 10^8\,\text{m/s}$ in a vacuum.

Transverse Waves (EMR)

Waves in which electric and magnetic fields oscillate perpendicular ($90^\circ$) to each other and perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.

Wavelength

The distance between corresponding points of consecutive waves, represented by $\lambda$ and measured in meters ($\text{m}$).

Frequency

The number of complete wave cycles passing a fixed point per second, represented by $f$ and measured in hertz ($\text{Hz}$).

Wave Speed Formula

The mathematical relationship $v = f \times \lambda$, where $v$ is wave speed, $f$ is frequency, and $\lambda$ is wavelength.

Anatomy of a Wave

Diagram illustrating key wave properties including crest, trough, amplitude, and wavelength.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The complete arrangement of all types of electromagnetic radiation ordered by wavelength and frequency.

Radio Waves

Electromagnetic waves with long wavelengths and low frequencies, used to broadcast radio and television signals.

Microwaves

Electromagnetic waves used in cooking, radar systems, mobile phone communication, satellite transmission, and Wi-Fi.

Infrared Radiation

Electromagnetic waves that transmit thermal energy (heat) from sources such as the sun, fires, and radiators.

Visible Light

The narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be detected by the human eye, enabling sight.

Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation

Electromagnetic radiation absorbed by skin and used in fluorescent tubes, which can cause sunburn, premature skin aging, and skin cancer with excessive exposure.

X-rays

High-energy electromagnetic waves used in medicine to view internal body structures and bones.

Gamma Rays

The highest-frequency electromagnetic waves, used in medicine to destroy cancer cells, though high exposure can damage tissues and genetic material.

Plate Boundaries

The active borders where Earth's massive tectonic plates meet and interact.

Pangaea

The ancient supercontinent that existed millions of years ago before breaking apart into Earth's current continents.

Plate Tectonics

The geological theory explaining that Earth's lithosphere is divided into large plates that move slowly and interact at plate boundaries.

Divergent Boundary

A plate boundary where tectonic plates move away from each other, creating mid-ocean ridges and rift valleys.

Convergent Boundary

A plate boundary where tectonic plates collide or move toward each other, forming mountain ranges or deep oceanic trenches.

Transform Boundary

A plate boundary where tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other, generating earthquakes along fault lines.

Types of Plate Boundaries

Diagram depicting divergent boundaries with mid-ocean ridges, convergent boundaries with oceanic trenches, and transform boundaries with transform faults.

Pacific Ring of Fire

The tectonically active region surrounding the Pacific Ocean where the Philippines is located, characterized by frequent earthquakes, active volcanoes, and deep trenches.

Newton's Second Law of Motion

The physical law stating that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass, expressed as $a = \frac{F_{\text{net}}}{m}$.

Average Speed

The total distance traveled divided by the total time taken, calculated as $v_{\text{avg}} = \frac{d}{t}$.

Velocity

A vector quantity describing the rate of change of displacement with respect to time, indicating both speed and direction.

Average Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity with respect to time, given by $a = \frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t} = \frac{v_f - v_i}{t_f - t_i}$.

Net Force

The overall resultant force acting on an object, obtained by vectorially adding all individual forces together.

Contact Forces

Forces that act between objects that are physically touching each other, such as applied force, normal force, friction, air resistance, tension, and spring force.

Non-Contact Forces

Forces that act over a distance without direct physical contact between objects, including gravitational force, electrical force, and magnetic force.

Free-Body Diagram (FBD)

A simple drawing used in physics to show all individual force vectors acting on an object, labeled with arrows and force names.

Frictional Force

The force that opposes or resists relative motion between two surfaces in contact.

Static Friction

The frictional force acting on an object at rest that prevents it from starting to move, governed by the inequality $F_s \le \mu_s N$.

Kinetic Friction

The frictional force acting on an object already in motion, opposing its sliding movement according to $f_k = \mu_k N$.

Newton's Third Law of Motion

The physical law stating that whenever one object exerts a force on another, the second object exerts an equal force in the opposite direction on the first object.

Current Electricity

The continuous flow of electric charges (electrons) through a conductor in a closed circuit.

Electric Current

The rate at which electric charges flow through a conductor, represented by symbol $I$, measured in amperes ($\text{A}$) using an ammeter.

Voltage

The electrical force or pressure that pushes electrons through a circuit, represented by symbol $V$, measured in volts ($\text{V}$) using a voltmeter.

Resistance

The opposition to the flow of electric current in a conductor, represented by symbol $R$, measured in ohms ($\Omega$) using an ohmmeter.

Factors Affecting Resistance

The physical properties influencing resistance in a conductor, including material type, length, thickness (cross-sectional area), and temperature.

Ohm's Law

The fundamental electrical relationship stating that electric current is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance, written as $I = \frac{V}{R}$ or $V = I \times R$.