PHYSICS 4TH PERIODIC TEST: TERMINOLOGIES

Physics: A Basic Science

Science - systematized body of knowledge based on facts gathered through observations/experiments
in order to formulate a conclusion that serves as basis of technology for the benefit of man & his
environment.
Physics - Matter and Energy (ME) and its interaction
- foundation of other sciences
2 Main Branches (Classical & Modern)
Classical - traditional topics; matter & energy under normal conditions
1) Mechanics (forces acting on bodies)
2) Acoustics (sound waves)
3) Optics (light)
4) Thermodynamic (relationship bet. heat & other forms of energy)
5) Electromagnetism (electric current & magnetism)
Modern - matter & energy under extreme conditions
1) Atomic & Nucear (behavior of nucleus)
2) Quantum (nature of phenomena @ atomic & subatomic levels)
3) Relativistic
4) Solid State (solid materials)
5) Condensed Matter (condensed materials)
6) Plasma
7) Low-Temperature (maintenance of temperatures)
Conversion of Units
1 inch = 2.54cm
1 mile = 1.6km
1km = 1000m = 10^3m
1h = 3600s
1m = 3.28ft
1kg = 1000g = 10^3g
1 cubit = 1.5ft
1J/s = 1W
1kW = 1000W
1hp = 746W
Scalars and Vectors
Scalar quantity - magnitude (denote as A) [scalar from latin word "scala" (steps/ladder)]
Vector quantity - magnitude and direction (denote as A) [vector from latin word "verene" (to carry)]
Vector addition (or composition of vectors) - adding two vectors
Resultant vector - the single vector which represents the sum of all vectors
Tail-head method - method of getting resultant vector where the tail of the 2nd arrow is connected to
the head of 1st arrow
Polygon method (graphical) - used to find resultant of three or more vectors
Component method (analytical) - used if vectors are oriented to each other at non-right angles
North and South - true bearing
Kinematics
Distance - total path length traveled; whole movement (denote speed as s)
Displacement - separation of object and a reference point; how far out of place (denote speed as v)
Speed - measure of how fast something is moving
Instantaneous speed - speed at any instant
Average speed - distance traveled divided by total time elapsed
Stagnant - no movement
Free Fall
Case 1 (Dropping) - Vi = 0 ; Vf > Vi ; +g
g = 9.8m/s^2 (positive when going
down, vice versa)

Case 2 (Throwing Down) - Vi <> 0 ; Vf > Vi

Case 3 (Throwing Up) - Vi <> 0 ; Vf = 0 at peak point
Projectile Motion
- any body that is given an initial velocity and follows a path determined by the effect of gravitational
acceleration
Trajectory - path followed by projectile
Parabola - curved path
Range - horizontal distance it may reach
2 components: x and y
PROJECTILE I
y-component becomes zero @ max. height; going up (+) // going down (-)
PROJECTILE II
Object is projected at 0 angle; shows half of parabola
Projectile - any object which the only force is gravity
- travel with parabolic trajectory due to gravity
- no horizontal forces; no h acceleration; h velocity is constant; h motion is dependent of v
motion
- v acceleration cause by gravity (9.8m/s^2); v velocity changes by 9.8 m/s^2
Force and Net Force
Force - represents object's interaction with environment; do not always cause motion
Net force - vector sum of all the forces acting on a body; causes obj. at rest to start moving & vice
versa; causes obj. to change direction
Balanced forces - two forces are equal and act in opposite directions (net force = 0)
Unbalanced forces - nonzero net force; produces acceleration
Contact forces - from physical contact bet. two objects involved
Field forces - action at a distance forces; does not involve physical contact
Inertia - natural tendency of object to maintain its current position
Newton's Law of Motion
Isaac Newton - published 2 famous books: "Principia" 1687 & "Optics"
- formulated 3 laws of motion
1st Law: Law of Inertia (a body at rest will remain at rest or a body in motion will remain in motion in
the absence of an unbalanced force)
2nd Law: Law of Acceleration (acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting
on the object and inversely proportional to the mass of the object) (GET EQ P72)
3rd Law: Law of Interaction (when an object exerts a force on another, the second object exerts a force
of same magnitude but in the opposite direction)
Impulse and Momentum
"impetus" - Isaac Newton used this word to refer to the tendency of a moving obj. to continue moving
w/o force
- originates from Latin word "petere" (where they got "p" for momentum) meaning "to seek for
information"
Linear Momentum - direction is either forward, backward, left or right
- two or more obj are travelling on the same path w/ same direction or opposite
directions
Impluse - change in momentum
Law of Conservation of Momentum - total momentum does not change if no net external forces are

acting on it
Collisions
3 TYPES
Elastic - collide then move separately with no change in KE
Inelastic - collide then move separately in same direction; final KE is less than initial KE
Perfectly Inelastic - collide and move together as one mass after
Friction
- force that resists motion whenever two materials or media are in contact with each other &
sliding/rolling over each other
- opposing force
Three Types
1) Static - prevents impending motion between two obj; exists when two stationary surfaces tend to
slide over each other
Normal Force (force that presses the surfaces together; always perpendicular to contact
surface)
2) Sliding or Kinetic - two obj are moving against each other; there is relative (sliding) motion
3) Rolling - one rotates as it moves over another but does not slip nor slide
Starting friction - maximum value for static friction
Lubrication - most common method of reducing friction // Alloys - self-lubricating // friction can also
be reduced by using roller bearings or thin film of oil
Rosin bag / sanding icy sidewalks / tire chains & snow tires - increases friction
Coefficient of friction - constant
Actual frictional force - same magnitude as the applied force; opposite direction (when greater than
static ff, motion starts)
Equilibrium
Rigid bodies - obj wherein all parts remain at fixed distances from every other part
Mechanical equilibrium - vector sum of all forces acting on the body is zero and acceleration is zero
Static - at rest
Dynamic - in motion at a constant velocity
Stable - small displacement from equilibrium results in a force that returns obj to orig position //
center of gravity is @ lowest possible position
Unstable - cannot return to orig position
Neutral - can be rolled from one side to another
Center of gravity (cg) - located at the point where it can be suspended w/o tending to rotate
(cg is at center for regular shapes; cg is at thicker end for irregular shapes)
Concurrent forces - forces w/ lines of action through the same point
Torque
- quantity that measures how effectively a force causes a body to rotate; when force is applied w/
leverage
Lever arm - perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the line along which the force acts
Circular Motion
Uniform circular motion - motion in a circle at constant speed
*Velocity is always tangent to the circle // tangent - specifies direction of motion
Period - time needed by object in ucm to complete an orbit
Laws of Planetary Motion
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn - five small bright obj; called 'wandering stars'
Planet - comes from Greek word planetes which means wanderer

Aristotle - earth = center of universe; earth stood still while everything moved around it
Heracleides of Ponticus - earth turned on its axis
Aristarchus of Samos - earth moved around the Sun
Plato - God sheltered man on earth therefore it should be the greatest planet and center of the universe
Claudious Ptolemy - stationary earth = center of universe; all planets moved around it in epicycles
(geocentric theory)
Epicycle - planets move in small cirlces as the move around earth in a larger circle
Geocentric - earth-centered
Nicolaus Copernicus - sun is the center (heliocentric); he presented his ideas in a book (which he
dedicated to Pope Paul III)
Tycho Brahe - built huge protractors to see exact locations of the stars; last great naked-eye
astronomer
Johannes Kepler - Brahe's student; earth is stationary and moon & the sun move around it while other
planets revolve around the sun
Tychonic System - widely used in the 17th century
Copernican System - condemned by the church
Galileo Galilei - invented telescope which made Tycho's methods become instantly superseded;
Kepler handed to him the plantary data to conclude that Copernicus' theory was right
Ellipse - the path that the planets follow
Kepler's laws of planetary motion
1) Law of Ellpises: sun is located on one of the foci
2) Law of Equal Areas: line fom center of sun to center of any planet sweeps out in equal areas
3) Law of Harmonies (periods)
Law of Universal Gravitation
Gravitation - inward force exerted by the sun; keeps the planets in their orbits
Law - every obj attracts every other obj with a force that is directly prop to the product of the masses
of the two obj and inversely prop to the square of the distance bet the centers of the two
Work
- done whenever a force produces movement
SI unit is Joule (J) in honor of James Prescott Joule
Energy
Kinetic Energy - energy possessed by bodies in motion
Potential Energy - stored energy
gravitational PE - lift from ground
elastic PE - stretched, compressed, bent
Different forms - chemical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, radiant, sound
Law of conservation of energy - energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be
transformed from one form to another
GPE - energy obj possesses at a height
EPE - work required to stretch at a distance
Mechanical energy - sum of KE and PE
Power
- rate of doing work
Mechanics of Fluids
Fluid - substane whose shape can easily change and is able to flow
Fluid statics - study of fluids at rest

Fluid dynamics or hydrodynamics - fluids in motion

Hydraulics - mechanical prop of liquids
Specific gravity / relative density - ratio of a substance to the density of standard substance (water)
DENSITY
- ratio of mass of substance to its volume
PRESSURE
- force per unit area
Hydrostatic - pressure exerted on an obj by a column of liquid
Atmospheric - exterted by air
Pascal's Principle
Pascal's Law - the pressure exerted anywhere in a mass of confined liquid is transmitted undiminished
in all directions throughout the liquid (Blaise Pascal)
Brightness of Light
Photometry - measurement of the brightness of a light source
Three measurable quantities:
1) Luminous intensity - brightness (measured in candela (cd))
2) Luminous flux - rate at which light is emitted and strikes the surface of a whole sphere (measured
in lumens (lm))
3) Illumination - amount of illumination (measured in lumens per square meter or lux (lx))
Mirrors
Concave - curves inward
Convex - curves outward
Real images - created when light waves converge
Virtual images - light rays reflected from mirror seem to diverge