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Physics Ch1 vocab
World History 30-32
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Law | A mathematical relation between variables, inferred from data or through some reasoning process |
| Observational experiment | Collecting data without any expectation of the outcome |
| Testing experiment | An experiment that is putting a hypothesis “on trial” |
| Hypothesis | Explanation usually based on some mechanism behind what is going on in an experiment |
| Prediction | Expected outcome based on the hypothesis |
| Assumption | A statement that is accepted as true without logical reasoning |
| Physical quantities | Measurable properties of a phenomena |
| Models | Simplified representation of physical phenomena |
| Point like objects | Simplified representation of a real object |
| Modeling | Process followed to decide when a real object could be considered a point like object |
| Physical qualities | Features of phenomena that can be measured experimentally |
| SI system | Global standard for expressing the magnitude or quantities of important, natural phenomena |
| Unit | A quantity chosen as the standard in terms of which other quantities may be expressed |
| Sig figs | physical quantity equal to the number of digits in a number that are known with certainty |
| Scientific notation | A number of order unity times an appropriate power of ten |
| Interrogation | Continually asking yourself the same question when reading a text |
| The Object of Interest | Demotion being described when describing motion |
| Reference frame | The person observing the motion |
| Linear motion | A model that assumes that an object, considered as a point like object, moves in a straight line |
| One dimensional motion | Aka - linear motion |
| Velocity arrow | Indicates which way an object moves and how fast it is moving |
| Motion diagrams | Diagrams expressing motion by velocity arrows |
| Scalar quantity | Quantity determined through Xf - Xi |
| Vector quantity | Indicates a characteristic of motion has direction and magnitude |
| Velocity change arrow | Represents a change in velocity on a motion diagram |
| Displacement vector | Starts from object’s, initial position and ends at its final position |
| Kinematics | Study of motion and how to describe it |
| Slope | Change in vertical quantity/change in horizontal quantity |
| Distance | Total length of travel in meters |
| Displacement | Change in position = final position - initial position |
| Position | The location of an object relative to a chosen origin |
| Path length | The length of the path a moving object took |
| Rate | Rate if change |
| Speed | How fast an object is moving |
| Velocity | Speed and direction of an object in motion |
| Average velocity | Displacement/elapsed time |
| Instantaneous velocity | Velocity of an object at a specific point in time |
| Acceleration | Physical quantity characterizing the change in velocity during a particular time |
| Elapsed time | Difference between the end and beginning of time |
| Free fall | The motion of falling objects in the absence of air |
| Average acceleration | Change in velocity divided by a time interval |
| Observer | Person doing the observing |