Term | Definition |
Sir Isaac Newton | 17th century physicist & mathematician considered the founder of Newtonian Physics (the physics of motion) and of integral calculus |
Newtons's First Law of Motion | Objects remain at rest unless acted upon by some force |
Newton's Second Law of Motion | For an object of a certain mass, the greater the force applied to the object, the greater its acceleration - or the lesser the force applied the lesser its acceleration |
Acceleration | An object's increase in velocity over time |
Newton's Third Law of Motion | For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction |
Gravitation | Basic natural force of attraction existing among all masses in the universe, but noticeable only in the large masses, such as planets, stars and natural satellites |
Gravitational Field | Gravitation of a particular mass over its entire extent of influence |
Gravity | Gravitation displayed by the earth |
Constant | Not changing, the same under all circumstances; a value that does not vary as the gravitational acceleration in a vacuum is constant for all masses |
Rate of Acceleration Due to Gravity | 9.8 meters per second |
Parallel | running alongside and never crossing |
Orbit | circular motion of an object around a central point as the result of a centripetal force and its own inertia; especially the movement of a planet around the sun or a satellite around a planet |
Inertia | the tendency of moving objects (masses) to keep moving and of stationary objects to remain stationary unless they are acted upon by forces |
Fluid | non-solid matter (liquids or gases) that are characterized by their tendency to flow when acted upon by forces |
Trigonometry | series of mathematical techniques useful for analyzing cyclic patterns such as waves and curves |
Work | a force applied over distance |
Machine | device used in applying work for the completion of a task |
Fulcrum | pivot point of a lever where the direction of motion changes |
Lever | simple machine used to change the direction of motion and/or to increase either force or distance of a motion at the expense of the other |
System | portion of the universe being considered |
Potential Energy | energy stored in an object by doing work against force |
Kinetic Energy | energy of motion (released energy); opposite of potential (resting) energy |
Law of Conservation of Energy | universal principal that energy is neither created nor destroyed; it is simply transferable from one form to another |
Generator | device for generating electricity by moving a magnetic field in the vicinity of an electrical conductor |
Resistance | device that converts electrical energy to heat energy by collisions among its atoms and the electrons that flow through it |
Tungsten Filament | narrow piece of wire which glows when an electric current is passed through it (used in light bulbs) |
Mass Energy | expression of mass as a form of energy or the quantity of energy present in the form of mass |
Atomic Bomb | explosive device that makes use of nuclear energy |
Fossil Fuels | fuel thought to have arisen over time from the decay of biomass beneath the surface of the earth |
Electromagnetic Force | either of two related natural attractions (electric or magnetic) between two objects having either opposite charges or opposite magnetic poles |
Atoms | smallest stable form of matter consisting of some number of protons and neutrons in a central solid nucleus and a series of electrons held in orbit around the nucleus |
Protons | positively charged particle having an atomic mass of 1 AMU and occurring in the nuclei of atoms |
Neutrons | subatomic particle occurring in the nuclei of atoms, having a mass of 1 AMU but no charge |
Electrons | one of the three fundamental particles making up atoms having a negative charge |
Nucleus | central portion of an atom containing protons and neutrons held together by nuclear forces and around which electrons orbit |
Repel | push apart as two like charges or similar magnetic poles |
Charge | basic characteristics of a particle that displays a force of electrical attraction to an opposite-charged particle |
Electric Force | force of attraction or repulsion existing between two fundamental particles (protons or electrons); one aspect of electromagnetic force |
Static | staying the same; opposite of dynamic |
Current | main path of travel of a fluid |
Element | a single atom or pure substance having certain characteristic number of protons |
Nuclear Force | natural force of attraction between protons within the nucleus of an atom that prevents them from repelling one another from the nucleus |
Radioactive | describing atoms that give off energy and subatomic particles as their unstable nuclei decay (break up) |
Thermometer | device for measuring temperature |
Expansion | Spreading out of the molecules in a substance due to absorption of heat energy by the atoms and an increase in their vibration |
Contraction | pulling together; as molecules when the cool, having less vibrational energy; opposite of expansion |
Turbine | device for converting fluid motion into mechanical motion used to turn a shaft |
Locomotion | movement from place to place |
Interaction | any result of an encounter among objects |
Chemical | specific type of matter distinguished from other types based on the specific elements making it up and how they are bound to one another |
Chemical Reactions | interactions of chemical compounds to form new combinations of elements drawn to these changes by the forces that exist between their atoms |
Light | electromagnetic radiation, especially in the visible band of wavelengths |
Spectrum | entire range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation |
Infrared | electromagnetic radiation (light) having energies lower than those of the red end of the visible spectrum |
Ultraviolet | band of electromagnetic spectrum more energentic than visible violet light |
Wavelength | distance from wave crest to wave crest in a series of waves and indicating the amount of energy generating the series of waves (the shorter wavelengths corresponding to higher levels of energy) |
Fluorescent | type of light bulb filled with a gas or vapor that gives off light energy (fluoresces) when an electric charge is placed across it |
Incandescent | type of light bulb consisting of a narrow wire called a filament that glows brightly when an electric current is applied across it |
Color | perception & interpretation by the brain of different energies (or wavelengths) of electromagnetic energy (light) |
Pigment (Chemical) | chemical that absorbs light, giving it a characteristic color |
Glare | reflected light from a surface that interferes with clear vision |
Translucent | passing distorted light such that images may not be clearly seen |
Prism | angular glass device used for splitting a beam of light into its component colors |
Lens | piece of curved glass specially shaped for bending light as in scientific instruments and optical devices (e.g. binoculars, reading glasses) |
Magnification | increase in the apparent size due to passage of light through one or more lenses |
Bicovex | lens which is thinner at the outer edges and increasingly thicker towards its center due to the bulging of each of the two opposing surfaces; makes things appear bigger |
Biconcave | lens which is ticker at the outer edges and increasingly thinner toward its center due to the concavity of each of the two opposing surfaces; makes thing appear smaller |