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Sem B Exam
Physical Science 9
Term | Definition |
---|---|
absorption | energy transfer to a medium |
accelerate | change in velocity |
acceleration | the rate at which an object changes its velocity |
air resistance | drag experienced when moving through air |
alternating current (AC) | electrical current or charges that flow in alternating directions back and forth |
amperage | measure of the size of an electric current |
amplitude | the distance from the center line (or the still position) to the top of a crest or to the bottom of a trough |
analog signals | information encoded as continuously varying quantities |
analog system | electronic systems with a continuously variable signal |
analog transmission | a transmission method of conveying information using a continuous signal which varies in amplitude, phase, or some other property in proportion to that information |
analyzing | looking at data to try to find patterns |
antinode | a point on a standing wave of maximum amplitude |
atom | basic unit of matter and the defining structure of all elements |
attraction | the electric or magnetic force that acts between oppositely charged bodies, tending to pull them together |
bandwidth | the capacity to send a certain amount of data through the internet in a certain amount of time |
battery | a common DC power source |
beat frequency | the absolute value of the difference between the frequencies of two waves |
binary code | a coding system using the binary digits 0 and 1 to represent a letter, digit, or other character in a computer or other electronic device |
binary signals | The simplest possible signal of any kind that can be employed to transmit messages distortion free |
circuit | a closed path for transmitting electricity |
circuit diagram | symbolic representation of an electrical circuit and everything connected to it. |
concave | curving inward so that the edges point toward the viewer |
conclusion | a summary and interpretation of results that explains how and why the outcome occurred |
conduction | the transfer of thermal energy between objects through direct contact |
conductor | a material that allows electric current to flow through it easily |
constants | variable in the experiment that does not change |
convection | transfer of thermal energy within a fluid due to temperature differences |
convection current | a type of air current that develops as cooler and warmer particles move in a cycle |
convex | curving outward with the edges pointing away from the viewer |
coulomb | a unit used to measure electric charge which is represented by the SI unit C |
Coulomb’s Law | law that states that the force related to two charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the charges. |
crest | the point on a wave with the highest value above equilibrium |
critical thinking skills | reasoning effectively to solve problems |
current | electric current is the rate at which electric charge flows past a point on the electric circuit |
current electricity | an electrical charge traveling through a conductor |
dense | less compact |
density | a substance’s mass divided by its volume |
dependent variable | the variable on the y-axis/output and is the effect or change you want to observe |
diffraction | the spreading of waves around obstacles |
diffuse reflection | the scattering of light that happens when light reflects off a rough surface |
digital data transmission | information delivered as a series of discrete quantities, represented as the digits 0 and 1 |
digital information storage | saving data code as a series of discrete quantities, represented as the digits 0 and 1 |
digital signals | information encoded as a series of discrete quantities, represented as the digits 0 and 1 |
digital storage | information saved as a series of discrete quantities, represented as the digits 0 and 1 |
digital systems | devices or processes in which information is encoded and delivered as a series of discrete quantities, represented as the digits 0 and 1 |
digital transmission | the transfer of information encoded and delivered as a series of discrete quantities, represented as the digits 0 and 1 |
dipoles | a pair of equal and opposite electric charges or magnetic poles of opposite sign separated especially by a small distance |
direct current (DC) | electrical current which flows consistently in one direction |
Displacement | difference between an objects starting point and its final point |
Doppler effect | the effect during which the frequency of a wave changes when the source and observer are moving toward or away from each other |
drag | force that acts on, and in the opposite direction to, an object moving through a fluid |
drawing conclusions | deciding what the patterns in data says about a relationship between the data |
efficiency | ratio of the energy put into a machine or other systems to the useful energy put out by that machine or system |
effort | force that is applied in order to displace an object |
effort arm | part of a lever to which the effort is applied |
electric charge | property of an object or particle that causes it to experience a force when it is in an electric or magnetic field |
electric circuit | path or line through which electricity flows |
electric current | movement of electrons through a wire |
electric field | an area around a charged object that exerts a force without direct contact |
electric force | force between two electrically charged objects that are close to each other |
electric/magnetic field | a region around a charged particle or object that exerts a force on other charged particles or objects |
electric/magnetic field lines | lines that show the path a positive test charge would follow in an electric field. The direction of the arrow is the direction of the force. |
electric/magnetic force | the attractive or repulsive interaction between two charged particles or objects |
electrical circuit | a path or line through which electrical energy flows. |
electrical energy | energy of moving electrons |
electrical impulses | sudden bursts of electric charge |
electricity | form of electrical energy that flows through wires to power electrical devices |
electromagnet | device consisting of an iron or steel core inside a wire coil; when electric current runs through the wire, the core becomes magnetized |
electromagnetic force | a force that acts on charged particles |
electromagnetic wave | a wave, such as visible light or a radio wave, that transfers energy through electric and magnetic fields. This type of wave does not require a medium to propagate. |
electron | negatively charged subatomic particle surrounding the atom’s nucleus |
energy | ability to do work |
energy transfer | occurs when matter with higher kinetic or thermal energy interacts with matter that is lower in energy; energy moves from high to low |
evaluate | to determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study |
experimental design | all the parts of the experimental setup |
Faraday’s Law of electromagnetic induction | movement of magnets around a coil of wire to create an electric charge though a wire |
focal length | the distance between the center of a convex lens or mirror and the focal point of the lens or mirror |
focal point | the point where parallel rays of radiation meet after being refracted or reflected |
force | push or pull on an object |
frequency | the number of wave crests that move past a fixed point in a given time period |
friction | the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another |
frictionless | the absence of resistance between a surface or substance and something that is moving along or through it |
fulcrum | point at which a lever pivots |
fuse | an electrical safety device used to protect a circuit from surges in electricity |
gravitational attraction | the attractive force between any two objects due to their mass |
gravitational force | attractive force between any two objects due to their mass |
gravity | force that attracts objects that have mass toward each other |
harmonic | a whole number multiple of the natural frequency |
heat | energy transferred within a substance or from one substance to another; always flows from a warmer area to a cooler area |
hypothesis | specific, testable prediction] or a specific, testable prediction |
incandescent light bulb | converts electrical energy to light and heat |
incident ray | a ray of light that strikes a surface |
inclined plane | type of simple machine with a slanted surface that reduces the force needed to do work |
independent variable | the variable on the x-axis/input and cause changes |
input displacement | distance a load would travel when doing a certain amount of work using a given simple machine |
input force | force one would have to apply to do a certain amount of work using a given simple machine |
thermal insulator | a material that is not good at conducting thermal energy transfer |
electrical insulator | a material that resists the flow of electric current through |
interference | the combination of two traveling waves in the same material. |
interpreting | explaining the meaning of data |
inverse proportionality | relationship between two objects where one object’s value decreases as the other object’s value increases |
iron filings | small particles of iron |
joule (J) | standard unit of work |
kinetic energy | energy of motion |
Kirchhoff’s law | states that the sum of currents into a circuit junction equals the sum of currents out of that junction |
Law of Conservation of Energy | law that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only changed from one form into another |
lever | type of simple machine that consists of a solid bar that pivots on a fulcrum |
(work) load | object being moved by a lever |
(electrical) load | device in an electric circuit that converts electrical energy into other forms of energy |
load arm | part of a lever that moves the load |
maglev | transportation system in which vehicles are lifted and propelled by magnetic force |
magnet | any material capable of attracting iron and producing a magnetic field outside itself |
magnetic domain | a region within a magnetic material in which the magnetization is in a uniform direction. This means that the individual magnetic moments of the atoms are aligned with one another and they point in the same direction |
magnetic field | a region around a magnet within which a force is exerted on other magnetic or electrical particles or objects |
magnetic flux | number of magnetic field lines passing through a surface |
magnetic force | attraction or repulsion that arises between electrically charged particles because of their motion. ... It is the basic force responsible for such effects as the action of electric motors and the attraction of magnets for iron |
magnetic pole | region at each end of a magnet where the external magnetic field is strongest. |
magnetism | the force that magnetic objects exert when they attract or repel each other |
mass | measure of the amount of matter in an object |
mechanical advantage | ratio of the output force to the input force |
mechanical energy | the sum of potential and kinetic energies |
mechanical force | push or pull used to move an object |
mechanical wave | a wave, such as a sound wave or water wave, that is an oscillation of matter. It transfers energy through a medium. |
medium | a substance, such as air or water, through which one can transfer energy by waves |
memory | the part of a computer in which data or program instructions can be stored for retrieval |
modifications | changes made |
multiplexing | combining multiple signals into one |
Newton (N) | standard unit of force |
node | a point on a standing wave of minimum or zero amplitude |
noise immunity | not susceptible to interference |
normal | a line perpendicular to the surface at a particular point |
north pole | A bar magnet suspended in Earth's magnetic field orients itself in a north |
Ohm’s law | states that voltage = current • resistance |
output displacement | distance a load would travel when doing a certain amount of work |
output force | force one would have to apply to do a certain amount of work |
parallel circuit | a circuit in which there multiple paths from the negative terminal of a battery to the positive terminal |
period | the time for one complete oscillation of a wave to pass a fixed point |
potential energy | energy stored by an object because of its position relative to another object |
power | amount of work done over a period of time |
principal axis | line passing through the center of the surface of a lens or spherical mirror |
proportionality | relationship between two objects where they increase or decrease at the same rate |
pulley | type of simple machine that consists of a wheel with a rope or chain wrapped around it |
pulses | sudden bursts |
radiate | distribute heat to surroundings |
radiation | the transfer of energy in the form of waves through matter or through empty space |
reasoning | an explanation of the data and how that supports your conclusion |
reflection | bouncing off a surface |
refraction | changing direction after passing from one medium to another |
repulsion | the electric or magnetic force that acts between like charged bodies, tending to push them apart |
resistance | force that moves in opposition to the flow of electricity |
resistor | opposes the flow of electric current in a circuit |
resonance | vibration of an object at the same natural frequency of a second object, causing the second object to vibrate at an increased amplitude |
resonant frequency | the natural frequency at which an object or system vibrates in response to an external force |
rigidity | the ability of a solid to withstand the application of outside force |
screw | type of simple machine consisting of an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder |
series circuit | a circuit in which there is only one path from the negative terminal of a battery to the positive terminal |
simple machine | basic mechanical device that changes the direction or amount of a force needed to do work |
sine waves | an s-shaped, smooth wave that oscillates above and below zero. |
south pole | the pole of a magnet that seeks Earth's south magnetic pole |
speed | distance traveled per unit of time, how fast an object is moving |
square wave | a periodic wave that varies abruptly in amplitude between two fixed values, spending equal times at each |
standing wave | a wave superposition phenomenon in which peaks and troughs of contributing waves align and amplify the wave |
static electricity | a stationary electrical charge |
strong nuclear force | the force that holds an atomic nucleus together |
superposition | when two or more waves occur in the same place and add together |
surface area | amount of space covering the outside of a three-dimensional shape |
switch | device used to easily start and stop the flow of electrical current |
temperature | a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object due to their random motions |
terminal velocity | maximum velocity an object can attain when moving through a fluid |
testable question | type of question that you can only find the answer by conducting an experiment |
thermal energy | the kinetic energy associated with the random motions of the molecules of a material or object; often used interchangeably with the terms heat and heat energy |
transition point | the point where a wave characteristic changes, such as the boundary between two media |
trough | the lowest part of the wave |
variable | any factor that can be manipulated, controlled, or measured in an experiment |
velocity | rate at which an object is traveling in a particular direction |
volt | a unit used to measure voltage which is represented by the SI unit V |
voltage | measure of the strength of an electric current |
wave | a disturbance in a medium that carries energy without a net movement of particles |
wave crest | a point on a wave with the highest value above equilibrium |
wave pulse | a special non-periodic waveform that typically has one major crest |
wave speed | the speed of a wave crest |
wave trough | a point on a wave with the lowest value below equilibrium |
wavelength | the distance between corresponding points on adjacent waves, such as two wave crests |
waves | periodic disturbances that transfer energy |
weak nuclear force | a force that governs how elements break down naturally |
weight | force of gravity acting on an object |
work | force acting upon an object, causing displacement |