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PhysicsOS:Ch.1
From Open Stax Free Book
Term | Definition |
---|---|
accuracy | the degree to which a measured value agrees with correct value for that measurement |
approximation | an estimated value based on prior experience and reasoning |
classical physics | physics that was developed from the Renaissance to the end of the 19th century |
conversion factor | a ratio expressing how many of one unit are equal to another unit |
derived units | units that can be calculated using algebraic combinations of the fundamental units |
English units | system of measurement used in the United States; includes units of measurement such as feet, gallons, and pounds |
fundamental units | units that can only be expressed relative to the procedure used to measure them |
kilogram | the SI unit for mass, abbreviated (kg) |
law | a description, using concise language or mathematical formula, a generalized pattern in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and repeated experiments |
meter | the SI unit for length, abbreviated (m) |
method of adding percents | the percent uncertainty in a quantity calculated by multiplication or division is the sum of the percent uncertainties in the items used to make the calculation |
metric system | a system in which values can be calculated in factors of 10 |
model | representation of something that is often too difficult (or impossible) to display directly |
modern physics | the study of relativity, quantum mechanics, or both |
order of magnitude | refers to the size of a quantity as it relates to a power of 10 |
percent uncertainty | the ratio of the uncertainty of a measurement to the measured value, expressed as a percentage |
physical quantity | a characteristic or property of an object that can be measured or calculated from other measurements |
physics | the science concerned with describing the interactions of energy, matter, space, and time; it is especially interested in what fundamental mechanisms underlie every phenomenon |
precision | the degree to which repeated measurements agree with each other |
quantum mechanics | the study of objects smaller than can be seen with a microscope |
relativity | the study of objects moving at speed greater than about 1% of the speed of light, or of objects being affected by a strong gravitational field |
scientific method | a method typically begins with an observation and question that the scientist will research -> hypothesis -> test hypothesis with experiment(s) -> finalizes the result of the experiment and draws a conclusion |
second | the SI unit for time, abbreviated (s) |
SI units | the international system of units that scientists in most countries have agreed to use; includes units such as meters, liters, and grams |
significant figures | express the precision of a measuring tool used to measure a value |
theory | an explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers |
uncertainty | a quantitative measure of how much your measured values deviate from a standard or expected value |
unit | a standard used for expressing and comparing measurements |