Definition	Word	Ch.
The quantity of heat required to change the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by 1 degree Celsius.	Specific heat capacity	15
SI unit for energy (or heat).	Joule	15
SI unit for temperature.	Kelvin	15
The average kinetic energy per molecule in a system.	Temperature	15
The total amount of kinetic energy of the molecules in a system.	Thermal energy	15
The current state of the atmosphere.	Weather	15
Energy an object possesses due to its motion and mass.	Kinetic energy	15
The lowest possible temperature that a substance may have — the molecules have their minimum kinetic energy.	Absolute zero	15
The characteristic weather patterns in an area over a long period of time.	Climate	15
The measurement of energy in transit between a system with higher kinetic energy to one of lower kinetic energy.	Heat	15
Warming of a planet's lower atmosphere, due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface.	Greenhouse effect	16
The measurement of energy in transit between a system with higher kinetic energy to one of lower kinetic energy.	Heat	16
The transfer of energy by means of electromagnetic waves.	Radiation	16
The rate of heat loss from an object is proportional to the temperature difference between the object and its surroundings.	Newton’s law of cooling	16
The total amount of kinetic energy of the molecules in a system.	Thermal Energy	16
For a wave, the number of crests that pass a particular point each second.	Frequency	16
The transfer of heat energy by molecular and electron collisions within a substance (especially a solid).	Conduction	16
The distance between successive crests, troughs, or identical parts of a wave.	Wavelength	16
The transfer of heat energy in a gas or liquid by means of currents in the heated fluid.	Convection	16
The average kinetic energy per molecule in a system.	Temperature	16
The change of phase from gaseous to plasma.	Ionization	17
The process of melting under pressure and the subsequent refreezing when the pressure is removed.	Regelation	17
The change of phase from gaseous to liquid.	Condensation	17
Rapid evaporation that takes place within a liquid as well as at its surface.	Boiling	17
The change of phase from solid to gaseous, skipping the liquid phase.	Sublimation	17
The change of phase from plasma to gaseous.	Deionization	17
The change of phase from gaseous to solid, skipping the liquid phase.	Deposition	17
The change of phase from solid to liquid.	Melting	17
The change of phase from liquid to gaseous.	Evaporation	17
The change of phase from liquid to solid.	Freezing	17
The total of all molecular energies, kinetic plus potential, that are internal to a system.	Internal energy	18
A process, often of fast expansion or compression, wherein no heat enters or leaves a system.	Adiabatic process	18
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.	1st law of thermodynamics	18
The current state of the atmosphere.	Weather	18
The study of heat and its transformation to different forms of energy.	Thermodynamics	18
A line on a weather map that connects places that have the same atmospheric pressure.	Isobar	18
A boundary or transition zone between two air masses with different properties, such as temperature and humidity.	Front	18
The force per unit area exerted against a surface by the weight of the air above that surface.	Atmospheric pressure	18
Thermal energy never spontaneously flows from a cold object to a hot object.	2nd law of thermodynamics	18
A large body of air with roughly the same temperature and moisture conditions throughout.	Air mass	18
A stationary wave pattern formed in a medium when two sets of identical waves pass in opposite directions.	Standing Wave	19
A wave in which the medium vibrates in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels.	Transverse Wave	19
A wave in which the medium vibrates in a direction parallel to the direction in which the wave travels.	Longitudinal Wave	19
For a wave or vibration, the maximum displacement on either side of the equilibrium (midpoint) position.	Amplitude	19
The time in which a full vibration or wave oscillation is completed.	Period	19
The distance between successive crests, troughs, or identical parts of a wave.	Wavelength	19
For something vibrating, the number of vibrations per unit of time. For a wave, the number of crests that pass a particular point each second.	Frequency	19
The displacement due to the interference of waves is determined by adding the disturbances produced by each wave.	Superposition Principle	19
The SI unit for frequency. It equals one vibration per second.	Hertz	19
The shift in received frequency due to motion of a vibrating source toward or away from a receiver.	Doppler Effect	19
The return of light, heat, sound, or energy from a surface.	Reflection	20
Region of higher density and pressure in the medium through which a longitudinal wave travels.	Compression	20
The number of complete vibrations or oscillations per unit of time.	Frequency	20
A phenomenon in which the frequency of forced vibrations on an object matches the object’s natural frequency.	Resonance	20
The distance between successive crests, troughs, or identical parts of a wave.	Wavelength	20
Region of lower density and pressure in the medium through which a longitudinal wave travels.	Rarefaction	20
For a wave or vibration, the maximum displacement on either side of the equilibrium (midpoint) position.	Amplitude	20
The change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another caused by its change in speed.	Refraction	20
A sound that has a frequency too high to be heard by the normal human ear.	Ultrasonic	20
A wave in which the medium vibrates in a direction parallel to the direction in which the wave travels.	Longitudinal wave	20
A material without free charged particles and through which charge does not easily flow.	Insulator	22
Term applied to an atom or molecule in which the charges separate causing one side to be slightly more positive and the other to be slightly more negative.	Electrically polarized	22
Electric charge is neither created nor destroyed. The total charge before an interaction equals the total charge after.	Conservation of Charge	22
The SI unit for electrical charge (symbol C) is equal to the total charge of 6.25 x 10^18 electrons.	Coulomb	22
Energy possessed by a charged particle due to its location in an electric field.	Electric potential energy	22
Any material having free charged particles that easily flow through it when an electric force acts on them.	Conductor	22
Like charges repel and opposite charges attract, with a force proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.	Coulomb’s law	22
The electric potential energy per unit of charge, measured in volts, and often called voltage.	Electric potential	22
The study of electric charge at rest (not in motion, as in electric current).	Electrostatics	22
A region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other charged particles or objects.	Electric field	22
The rate at which electric charge flows and transports energy.	Electric Current	23
A substance that can act as an electrical conductor or insulator depending on chemical changes or external conditions.	Semiconductor	23
The difference in electric potential between two points (potential difference).	Voltage	23
The property of a material that resists electric current.	Resistance	23
The current in a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance.	Ohm’s Law	23
An electric circuit or path with branches so that the current divides and only part of it flows through any branch.	Parallel Circuit	23
Flow of electric charge that periodically reverses.	Alternating Current (AC)	23
An electric circuit or path along which the whole current flows through each component.	Series Circuit	23
The amount of energy per unit time, measured by the product of current and voltage.	Electric Power	23
Electric charge that is flowing in one direction only.	Direct Current (DC)	23

Unit 3 Science Vocab