Glossary

Any change in the internal energy of a system must in the process of exchanging heat, doing work, or both.

a lever with the effort between the load and the fulcrum.

A lower limit of temperature corresponding to the minimum possible average kinetic energy of atoms and molecules.

the change in velocity per unit time, the slope of a velocity vs. time graph

the rate at which an object changes velocity when gravity is the only force acting on the object

refers to the closeness of a measured value to a standard or known value

a tough band of fibrous tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone

A process for which the heat transferred is zero (Q = 0).

a force acting opposite to the relative motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding fluid

examine methodically and in detail the constitution or structure of information for purposes of explanation and interpretation

the reading on a scale that is used to measure the weight of an object that is submerged in a fluid

a rough value obtained without making a measurement by using prior knowledge and assumptions.

The upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially submerged, is equal to the weight of the fluid being displaced by the body

ignoring some compilation of the in order to simplify the analysis or proceed even though information is lacking

not moving

average rate at which distance was traversed, equal to total distance traveled within a time interval, divided by the time interval

the average of all instantaneous velocities that occurred within a certain time interval, equal to the displacement divided by the time interval

Objects, events, or conditions that hinder access.

hard rock exposed or buried at the earth's surface

prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair or inaccurate.

(of an animal) using only two legs for walking

A framework for categorizing educational goals.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. BMI can be used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems but it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual

the upward force exerted by any fluid upon a body placed in it

any rigid structure projecting from a support, especially one in which the projection is great in relation to the depth of the structure

the maximum theoretical efficiency that a heat engine could achieve when operating between two set temperatures, as permitted by the Second Law of Thermodynamics

a point at which the force of gravity on body or system (weight) may be considered to act. In uniform gravity it is the same as the center of mass.

a point representing the mean (average) position of the matter in a body or system

kinetic energy stored in the center of mass motion of a system, calculated using the total mass of the system and the center of mass speed

a specific method for unit conversion that is designed to aid in reducing mistakes.

energy stored in the bonds between atoms and molecules

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses

reduction in size caused by application of compressive forces (opposing forces applied inward to the object).

using a computer program that is designed to simulate what might or what did happen in a situation

a judgment or decision reached by reasoning and logic based on results provided by analysis of data

Process of vapor changing phase into a liquid.

not changing, having the same value within a specified interval of time, space, or other physical variable

cyclic fluid flow caused by natural convection

a number that relates two different units of measure for the same quantity and allows conversion between the two units

the relatively thin layer of rock that makes up the outermost solid shell of our planet

collection of values measured during an experiment

relation between the amount of a material and the space it takes up, calculated as mass divided by volume.

a sequence of steps, logical, mathematical, or computational, combining one or more results to obtain another result

water that condenses on cool surfaces at night, when decreasing temperature forces humidity to 100% or higher

pushed out of original position, typically in reference to fluid pushed out of the way by an object placed in the fluid, or an object being displaced from its equilibrium position

change in position, typically in reference to a change away from an equilibrium position or a change occurring over a specified time interval

method for determining the volume of an object by measuring how much water it displaces

ratio of work done to output energy in the desired to energy input required to do that work

referring to a lever system, the force applied in order to hold or lift the load

collisions that conserve kinetic energy

Constant of proportionality relating a change in stress to a change in strain

energy stored in the deformation of materials

the range of values for stress and strain values over which a material returns to its original shape after deformation

mathematical explanation of the relation between measured values that is used for making predictions

A quantity representing the capacity of an object or system to do work.

the process of transferring chemical potential energy stored in food to useful work and thermal energy

A measure of energy dispersion in a system.

a state of having no unbalanced forces or torques

Forces applied by objects not contained in the system being analyzed.

Region of the stress vs. strain curve beyond the yield point, where permanent deformation occurs.

1) information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement.

2) the modification or control of a process or system by its results or effects, e.g., in a biochemical pathway or behavioral response

the value of velocity at the end of the time interval over which motion is being analyzed

any interaction that causes objects with mass to change speed and/or direction of motion, except when balanced by other forces. We experience forces as pushes and pulls.

attraction between two objects due to their mass as described by Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation

transfer of heat due to the movement of fluid molecules driven by external factors other than thermal expansion.

a graphical illustration used to visualize the forces applied to an object

The acceleration of an object when gravity is the only force acting on it. Equal to 9.8 m/s/s near the surface of Earth

a force that acts on surfaces in opposition to sliding motion between the surfaces

the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots

The glossary feature includes rollover definition capability.

potential energy stored in the separation of objects attracted by the gravitational force

Elevation of Earth's temperature relative to the atmosphere-free condition caused differential absorption of UV, visible, and IR light by specific gases and particles present in the atmosphere.

An amount of thermal energy transferred due to a difference in temperature.

The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of an object by one temperature unit.

the degradation of energy quality associated with a spontaneous processes.

A graph of relating how often a value falls within a certain range.

the force required to displace a material from its current shape is proportional to the displacement and the stiffness constant of the material

a technique for measuring the mass per unit volume of a living person's body. It is a direct application of Archimedes' principle, that an object displaces its own volume of water

The condition of having a body temperature well above the normal range.

The condition of having a body temperature well below the normal range.

a proposed explanation made on the basis evidence that can be supported or refuted by the result of experimentation

average force applied during a collision multiplied by the collision time

the change in momentum experienced by system is equal to the net force on the system multiplied by the amount of time that force is applied

a collision for which kinetic energy is not conserved

the total energy of all types stored within components that are internal to the system

a process that is not a reversible process in which the system and environment can be restored to exactly the same initial states that they were in before the process

a system for which neither thermal energy or particles are allowed to leave or enter.

SI unit of temperature

energy stored in the motion of an object

a force that resists the sliding motion between two surfaces

the thermal energy required to melt a unit mass of a substance

Thermal energy input required to change a unit mass of liquid into vapor.

a statement, usually in the form of a mathematical equation, that summarizes, but not explains, the results of repeated experiments or observations that describe some aspect of the natural, usually within a certain range of application.

The net external work done on a system is equal to it's change in energy. If the net external work is zero, the system total energy cannot change, but energy may be transferred between different types within the system.

The total momentum of an isolated system cannot change.

a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of educational courses, training programs, or learning and development programs

a rigid structure rotating on a pivot and acting on a load, used multiply the effect of an applied effort (force) or enhance the range of motion

There are three types or classes of levers, according to where the load and effort are located with respect to the fulcrum

linear region of the stress vs. strain curve

Material property that relates the fractional change in length experienced by an object due to a unit change in temperature.

the size or extent of a vector quantity, regardless of direction

a measurement of the amount of matter in an object made by determining its resistance to changes in motion (inertial mass) or the force of gravity applied to it by another known mass from a known distance (gravitational mass). The gravitational mass and an inertial mass appear equal.

Measurement Error (also called Observational Error) is the difference between a measured quantity and its true value. It includes random error (naturally occurring errors that are to be expected with any experiment) and systematic error (caused by a mis-calibrated instrument that affects all measurements)

a unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same kind of quantity. Any other quantity of that kind can be expressed as a multiple of the unit of measurement.

efficiency in converting energy from the source form (thermal, chemical potential, electromagnetic) to one of the mechanical forms of gravitational potential energy, elastic potential energy, or kinetic energy.

the total of the kinetic, elastic potential, and gravitational potential energy in a system

rate at which energy is transferred into mechanical energy

changing phase from solid to liquid.

awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes

a state in which a slight disturbance results in a restoring force that maintains stability, but a sufficiently large disturbance moves the system into an unstable region (or different metastable region)

using the number of digits provided in a measurement value to indicate the measurement uncertainty

a unit prefix that precedes a basic unit of measure to indicate a multiple or fraction of the unit

a representation of something that is often too difficult (or impossible) to observe or display directly

mass multiplied by velocity

Splitting attention between more than one task at a time.

Transfer of heat due to fluid movement caused by thermal expansion of the fluid

the network of nerve cells and fibers which transmits nerve impulses between parts of the body

the total amount of remaining unbalanced force on an object

remaining unbalanced torque on an object

the sum of all the works done by each force acting on a system

the SI unit of force. It is equal to the force that would give a mass of one kilogram an acceleration of one meter per second per second

Observation that the rate of change of the temperature of an object is proportional to the difference between its own temperature and the environmental temperature

An object will not change it's motion unless acted upon by an external force.

The net force on a system is equal to the system mass multiplied by the acceleration

If object A exerts a force on object B, then object B also exerts an equal and opposite force on object A for the same amount of time

forces that do non-conservative work, which is work that does not transfer energy only among kinetic and potential forms (mechanical energy)

the outward force supplied by an object in response to being compressed from opposite directions, typically in reference to solid objects.

default position that there is no relation between two measured quantities

designating which power of 10 (e.g. 1,10,100,100)

the process of approximating a value to obtain a result you expect to at least be within one order of magnitude of the correct answer.

location where the position is zero

side by side, pointing in exactly the same direction, or having the same distance continuously between them

collisions in which objects start or end stuck together

at an angle of 90° to a given line, plane, or surface

mechanistic explanation of how a physical system works

the central point, pin, or shaft on which a mechanism turns or oscillates

the location of an object relative to a defined reference point

a unit of force equal to 4.44822 Newtons, or the the weight of a 0.4536 kg mass on Earth's surface

rate of energy conversion or transfer

rate at which work is done

refers to the closeness of two or more measurements to each other

the quality or fact of being greater in number, quantity, or importance

principles summarize rules created and followed by scientists when formulating hypotheses, designing experiments, analyzing results.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred through the process of work

describing what happens, but not how much happens

describing what and how much happens

a unit of angle, equal to an angle at the center of a circle that produces an arc length equal to the radius

random errors are fluctuations (in both directions) in the measured data due to the precision limitations of the measurement device. Random errors usually result from the experimenter's inability to take the same measurement in exactly the same way to get exact the same number

a type of force supplied by an object in response to application of a different force on the object. Friction is a reactive force

a measure of how many water molecules are in the vapor phase relative to the maximum number that could possibly be in the vapor phase at at a given temperature. A relative humidity of 100% means that no more water molecules can be added to the vapor phase.

the force working against the rotation of a lever that would be caused by the effort

a force that tends to move a system back toward the equilibrium position

information acquired by analyzing data

a state of having not net torque and no change in rotational motion

the sudden and complete failure of a material under stress

a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses

a way of writing very large or very small numbers. A number is written in scientific notation when a number between 1 and 10 is multiplied by a power of 10.

each of the digits of a number that are used to express it to the required degree of accuracy, starting from the first nonzero digit

method for measuring body fat percentage using specially designed calipers to measure the thickness of skinfolds that are pinched from several specific locations on the body as inputs to empirical equations

the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a standard, usually water for a liquid or solid, and air for a gas

A material property that determines the amount of energy required to raise the temperature one mass unit of the material by one temperature unit.

distance traveled divided by time during which motion occurs

a process which occurs naturally on its own, without the need for work to be done in forcing it to happen.

constant of proportionality between the displacement and the force causing the displacement in materials following Hooke's Law

a measure of the displacement from equilibrium an object can experience and still move back toward equilibrium

a state in which a body tends to return to its original position after being disturbed

a system of physical units ( SI units ) based on the meter, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, candela, and mole

the state being in equilibrium (no unbalanced forces or torques) and also having no motion

a force that resists the tenancy of surfaces to slide across one another due to a force(s) being applied to one or both of the surfaces

proportionality constant relating maximum static frictional force to normal force

The total radiant heat energy emitted from a surface is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature.

the measure of the relative deformation of the material

a physical quantity that expresses the internal forces that neighboring particles of material exert on each other

a thoughtful and specific process for self-directed learning.

region defined by lines connecting points of contact with the supporting surface

A collection of objects to be analyzed. Forces between the objects are considered internal forces, while forces applied by objects outside the system are considered external forces.

an error having a nonzero mean (average), so that its effect is not reduced when many observations are averaged. Usually occurring because
there is something wrong with the instrument or how it is used.

the force that is provided by an object in response to being pulled tight by forces acting from opposite ends, typically in reference to a rope, cable or wire

an item or event of a component or system that could be verified by one or more test cases, e.g., a function, transaction, feature, quality, attribute, or structural element

an explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can be repeatedly tested and verified in accordance with the scientific method using accepted standard protocols

kinetic energy stored in the motion of microscopic particles

a two systems are in thermal equilibrium when they do not exchange heat, which means they must be at the same temperature

The increase change in volume of an object resulting from a change in temperature.

rate at which chemical potential energy is converted to thermal energy by the body, batteries, or heat engines. Also, rate at which thermal energy is converted to electrical energy by a thermal power plant.

Electromagnetic radiation spontaneously emitted by all objects with temperature above absolute zero.

a device that measures temperature

the point at which an object is displaced from a region of stable equilibrium

the result of a force applied to an object in such a way that the object would change its rotational speed, except when the torque is balanced by other torques

motion by which a body shifts from one point in space to another (up-down, back-forth, left-right)

maximum stress a material experiences before failure occurs

Amount by which a measured, calculated, or approximated value could be different from the actual value

apparent weight when submerged in water

in a way that is the same in all cases, across a defined set of space and times

act of ensuring that the units resulting from a calculation match the type of quantity calculated.

every particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers

a state of equilibrium such that when the body is slightly displaced it departs further from the original position

work done by the body to transfer chemical potential energy to mechanical energy (kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy,  elastic potential energy)

a quantity with both magnitude (size) and direction

a quantity having direction as well as magnitude

a quantity of speed with a defined direction, the change in speed per unit time, the slope of the position vs. time graph

a quantity of space, such as the volume within a box or the volume taken up by an object.

Unit of power. Equal to Joules per second

the force of gravity on on object, typically in reference to the force of gravity caused by Earth or another celestial body

Increase in rate of heat loss from objects that are warmer than air caused by the flow of air across the object surface.

A quantity representing the effect of applying a force to an object or system while it moves some distance.

the change in kinetic energy of an object or system is equal to the net work done on the object or system