Key brain terms glossary explore neuroscience dana. Derived from latin, albedo means whiteness albus white. Weight weight is the force of gravity on an object. Astronomical terms can be a little technical and difficult to understand. Science is a very vast subject that has innumerable words, terms, definitions, etc.
This is a glossary for the terminology often encountered in undergraduate quantum mechanics courses. At its heart quantum mechanics is a mathematically abstract subject expressed in terms of the language of complex linear vector spaces. Requests for permission to reproduce or translate all or any part of the material published herein should be addressed to the director, american petroleum institute, production department, 2535 one main place, dallas, tx 752023904. Asteroid belt an area between the orbits of mars and jupiter where millions asteroids orbit the sun. Glossary and terms asteroid an asteroid is a celestial body made of rock and metal that orbits the sun. Learn about some of the major physics terms at howstuffworks. The following article has a glossary list that will help you understand these difficult scientific terms and definitions at a glance. This is the most popular dictionary of physics available. In a definition, terms in italics are defined elsewhere in the glossary. Science glossary of science terms and scientific definitions. Thermal physics and materials glossary of terms absolute kelvin temperature scale is based on fixing t of the triple point for water a specific t 273. Over a period of time, the many definitions in this field have undergone several changes due to the development of new theories, and discovery of new chemical substances and phenomena.
Glossary of elementary quantum mechanics wikipedia. It is the branch of science concerned with the ultimate laws that govern the structure of the universe and the forms of matter and energy and their interactions. This guide contains brief explanations and definitions of some of the most important concepts, laws, theories and technical terms used in physics. In astronomy, the term albedo refers to the brightness of an object in space.
It contains over 3,800 entries covering all commonly encountered physics terms and concepts, as well as terms from the related fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and physical chemistry. Physics 101 terms to know inertia uniform motion newtons first law mass distance velocity vector quantity speed acceleration force net force equilibrium normal force support force newtons second law weight free fall acceleration of gravity friction work kinetic energy. Translation of physics terms based on the coursework for physics grades 9 to 12. The property of certain natural and synthetic crystals to develop a potential difference between opposite surfaces when subjected to a mechanical stress, and conversely. Ac supply alternating current ammeter ampere amp bulb capacitor charge circuit conductor connector lead crocodile clip current dc supply diode direct current dynamo earth electricity. Fuller explanations and examples for many terms may be found in the. List of glossary of physics terms and description vidyagyaan. An entry in a catalog of 103 star clusters, nebulas, and. Asteroids can vary in size from a few feet across to hundreds of miles. It is the part of physics that deals with radiation and the movement of atomic particles. The science that deals with the relationships between matter and energy.
Elementary particle physics glossary small html glossary from the lawrence berkeley national laboratory. Elements for physics pdf 280 currently this section contains no detailed description for. This is the transfer of heat by means of invisible rays, which travel outwards from the hot object, without needing a medium. Watt the watt is the standard unit of measure for power. An example is the photon, which carries electromagnetism or light and, of course, the. Glossary of chemistry terms and definitions science struck. Work is equal to the force times the distance and is measured in joules.
The percent of the work put into a machine that is converted into useful work output. Compendium of quantum physics concepts, experiments, history and philosophy. Glossary of physical quantities glossary definition for 1619 the aim, rather than writing a textbook, is to provide an authoritative voice that can help give confidence to all those involved in physics education at this stage, in the correct and consistent use of quantities, from conductivity and current to. It is a part of a machine, it is fitted inside a cylinder and moves back wards and forwards. A number describing the dispersion of an optical material in the visible spectrum.
Absolute zero of temperature temperature at which a gas would exert no pressure. Ionisation energy the ionization energy of an atom is. Absorbed dose d total energy absorbed per unit mass of tissue acceleration a rate of change of velocity accuracy an indication of how close a measurement is to the accepted value a measure of correctness acoustic impedance z the product of the density of a substance and the speed of. The turning effect of a force or moment or torque about a point is defined as the force x the. A collection of terms from the physics 2007 syllabus glossary and senior sciences curriculum glossary. A number denoting the brightness of a star or other celestial object. Vector a vector is a quantity that has magnitude and direction. The rotational kinetic energy depends on rotation about an axis, and for a body of constant moment of inertia is equal to the. The brightness of a star if viewed from a distance of 32. This is used to convert alternating current to direct current. Collision a collision in physics occurs when any two objects bump into each other. Physics terms word lists collins english word lists. Acoustic impedance z the product of the density of a substance and the speed of sound in that substance active solar heater solar panel designed to capture as much thermal energy as possible by allowing solar radiation to heat water running through a pipe in the panel.
The standard unit of measure for energy is the joule. The lowest point on the kelvin scale lessons 19, 31 acceleration. To place the definitions in broader mathematical contexts, most entries also refer to sections in this teachers reference manual. Glossary of physics terms webs pdf book manual free. Dictionary of pure and applied physics dipak basu dictionary of material science and high energy physics. Absolute magnitude a classification scheme, which compensates for the distance, differences to stars. The study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of laws and concepts of physics. Astrophysics indexed and crossreferenced glossary of astrophysics terms. Work work occurs in physics when a force acts on an object to move it some distance. Flashcards from the igcse physics revision guide glossary learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Displacement in physics, displacement refers to an objects overall change in position.
The lexicon and glossary of terms in level 5 is a compilation and modern updating of astronomical terms culled from the published literature. Adiabatic is a thermodynamic process in which no heat is transferred to or from the working. The higher the amplitude of a wave, the higher is its energy. The translational kinetic energy depends on motion through space, and for a rigid body of constant mass is equal to the product of half the mass times the square of the speed. Wordforword glossaries are used for testing accommodations for elllep students.
Below is a list of definitions and explanations to help you navigate astronomical texts and services. It means the theoretical lowest possible temperature. Glossary of physics terms absolute humidity or saturation value the maximum amount of water vapor, which could be present in 1 m. Physics terms definitions and units page 3 ph1 ref item definition 3. Absorption absorption is when some of the waves energy is taken away when a wave encounters a medium. Englishchinese glossary of terms commonly used in the teaching of chemistry in secondary schools 2007 englishchinese glossary of terms commonly used in the teaching of physics in secondary schools 1991 supplement 2007 englishchinese glossary of terms commonly used in the teaching of science s in secondary schools 2017. In this section, we have included those basic terms that are relevant to modern chemistry.
The most comprehensive investing glossary on the web. The imaginary northsouth line that passes directly overhead through the zenith. Sometimes called a spike or described as a neuron firing, an action potential occurs when there is a significant increase in the electrical activity along the membrane of a nerve cell. Just read on the following glossary to get a quick idea about some interesting terms. With 200 new entries and expanded coverage in areas including applied physics, statistical distributions, polymers, and nanoscience, a dictionary of. A particle of 2 protons and 2 neutrons essentially a helium nucleus that is emitted by an unstable radioactive nucleus during radioactive decay. The shifting of a topic or the entire contents of a. A glossary of highenergy physics terms essential vocabulary. Dictionary of geophysics, astrophysics, and astronomy edited by richard a. It is a relatively lowpenetration particle due to its comparatively. It is designed to cover all of astronomy, including particle physics and some statistics. Amplitude the measure of the displacement of the wave from its rest position.
Glossary the glossary defines terms used in the introduction and throughout the schedules, tables, and manual. The reflection of light is the bouncing back of light from a surface. To describe the quantum properties of any physical system, a new mathematical language is required as compared to that of classical mechanics. Glossary of physics terms advertisement this guide contains brief explanations and definitions of some of the most important concepts, laws, theories and technical terms used in physics.
The refraction of light is the bending of light as it. Our universe would then be just one of an enormous number of separate and distinct parallel universes, the vast majority of which would be dead and uninteresting, not having a set of physical laws which would allow the emergence of stars, planets and life. For example, a 1stmagnitude star is 100 times brighter than a 6thmagnitude star. Rader an acronym for radio direction and ranging device for locating objects in space, direction finding, and navigation by means of transmitted and reflected highfrequency radio waves.
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