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OP Phys Ch1 Vocab
Physics and measurement definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| accuracy | how close a measurement is to the correct value for that measurement |
| ampere | the SI unit for electrical current |
| atom | smallest and most basic units of matter |
| classical physics | physics, as it developed from the Renaissance to the end of the nineteenth century |
| constant | a quantity that does not change |
| conversion factor | a ratio expressing how many of one unit are equal to another unit |
| dependent variable | a ratio expressing how many of one unit are equal to another unit |
| derived units | units that are derived by combining the fundamental physical units |
| English units | (also known as the customary or imperial system) system of measurement used in the United States; includes units of measurement such as feet, gallons, degrees Fahrenheit, and pounds |
| experiment | process involved with testing a hypothesis |
| fundamental physical units | the seven fundamental physical units in the SI system of units are length, mass, time, electric current, temperature, amount of a substance, and luminous intensity |
| hypothesis | testable statement that describes how something in the natural world works |
| kilogram | the SI unit for mass, abbreviated (kg) |
| meter | the SI unit for length, abbreviated (m) |
| model | system that is analogous to the real system of interest in essential ways but more easily analyzed |
| modern physics | physics as developed from the twentieth century to the present, involving the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics |
| observation | step where a scientist observes a pattern or trend within the natural world |
| order of magnitude | the size of a quantity in terms of its power of 10 when expressed in scientific notation |
| physics | science aimed at describing the fundamental aspects of our universe—energy, matter, space, motion, and time |
| precision | how well repeated measurements generate the same or closely similar results |
| principle | description of nature that is true in many, but not all situations |
| quantum mechanics | major theory of modern physics which describes the properties and nature of atoms and their subatomic particles |
| scientific law | pattern in nature that is true in all circumstances studied thus far |
| scientific methods | techniques and processes used in the constructing and testing of scientific hypotheses, laws, and theories, and in deciding issues on the basis of experiment and observation |
| scientific notation | way of writing numbers that are too large or small to be conveniently written in simple decimal form; the measurement is multiplied by a power of 10, which indicates the number of placeholder zeros in the measurement |
| second | the SI unit for time, abbreviated (s) |
| SI Units | International System of Units (SI); the international system of units that scientists in most countries have agreed to use; includes units such as meters, liters, and grams; also known as the metric system |
| significant figures | when writing a number, the digits, or number of digits, that express the precision of a measuring tool used to measure the number |
| theory | explanation of patterns in nature that is supported by much scientific evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers |
| theory of relativity | theory constructed by Albert Einstein which describes how space, time and energy are different for different observers in relative motion |
| uncertainty | a quantitative measure of how much measured values deviate from a standard or expected value |
| universal | applies throughout the known universe |
Created by:
Mrs. Benkendorf
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