General Physics Vocabulary Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary concepts from the General Physics course.

Kinematics

The branch of mechanics that studies the motion of bodies without regard to the forces causing the motion.

Average Velocity

The total displacement divided by the total time taken.

Instantaneous Velocity

The velocity of an object at a specific instant in time.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity with respect to time.

Free Fall

The motion of a body under the influence of gravity only.

SI Units

The international system of units used in scientific measurements.

Kinematic Equations

Equations that relate the motion variables of an object under constant acceleration.

Projectile Motion

The motion of an object thrown into the air, subject to the acceleration due to gravity.

Oscillation

A repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central point.

Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)

The simplest type of oscillatory motion, described by a restoring force proportional to the displacement.

Restoring Force

The force that brings a system back to its equilibrium position.

Period (T)

The time it takes to complete one cycle of motion in periodic motion.

Frequency (f)

The number of cycles of motion per unit of time.

Work-Energy Principle

Work done on an object is equal to the change in kinetic energy of that object.

Conservation of Energy

The principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Dimension

A physical quantity that can be measured, such as mass, length, time.

Unit Conversion

Changing a quantity from one unit of measure to another.

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Three fundamental laws that describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting on it.

Momentum

The quantity of motion an object has, dependent on its mass and velocity.

Torque

A measure of the force that produces or tends to produce rotation or torsion.

Work

The result of a force acting over a distance.

Energy

The capacity to do work or produce change.

Wave Motion

The transfer of energy through a medium in the form of oscillations or vibrations.

Standing Waves

Waves that remain in a constant position, formed by the interference of two traveling waves.

Dimensional Analysis

A method for checking the consistency of equations by examining the dimensions of each term.

Gravitational Force

The attractive force between two objects due to their masses.

Harmonic Motion

A type of periodic motion where the restoring force is proportional to the displacement.

Reference Frames

A coordinate system used to measure the position and movement of objects.

Vector Quantity

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

Scalar Quantity

A quantity that has only magnitude and no direction.