PHYSICS GLOSSARY OF A TO Z IMPORTANT TERMS
A
Acceleration: The rate
of change of velocity with respect to time.
Amplitude: The maximum
displacement of a wave from its equilibrium position.
Atom: The basic unit of matter consisting of a nucleus and electrons.
B
Black Hole: An object
with a gravitational field so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape
from it.
Buoyancy: The force exerted by a fluid on an object immersed in it, which is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid.
C
Capacitance: The
ability of a capacitor to store electrical energy.
Conduction: The
transfer of heat or electricity through a material without any net motion of
the material as a whole.
Coulomb: The unit of electric charge in the International System of Units (SI).
D
Density: The mass of
an object per unit volume.
Doppler Effect: The change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the source of the wave.
E
Electric Field: A
region of space around an electric charge where a force would be exerted on
other charges placed within the field.
Energy: The capacity
of a physical system to do work.
Entropy: A measure of the disorder or randomness in a system.
F
Force: An interaction
between two objects that causes a change in motion.
Frequency: The number of cycles of a periodic wave that occur in a unit of time.
G
Gauge Theory: A
mathematical framework used to describe the behavior of fundamental particles
in the Standard Model of particle physics.
General Relativity: A
theory of gravity proposed by Albert Einstein that describes the curvature of space-time
caused by the presence of matter and energy.
Gravity: The force of attraction between two objects with mass. It is equal to 9.8 m/s2 or 10 m/s2
H
Higgs boson: A subatomic particle responsible for giving mass to other particles in the Standard Model of particle physics.
I
Inertia: The tendency
of an object to resist changes in motion.
Infrared Radiation: Electromagnetic radiation with longer wavelengths than visible light, but shorter than radio waves.
J
Joule: The unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI).
K
Kinematics: The branch
of physics that studies motion without considering its causes.
Kinetic energy: The energy an object possesses due to its motion.
L
Laser: A device that
produces a coherent beam of light through the process of stimulated emission.
Light: Electromagnetic
radiation that is visible to the human eye.
Luminosity: The total amount of energy emitted per unit of time by a star or other astronomical object.
M
Mass: The amount of
matter in an object.
Momentum: The product
of an object's mass and velocity.
Newton's Laws of Motion: Three laws that describe the relationship between a body and the forces acting upon it.
N
Nuclear Energy: Energy
released by the process of nuclear fission or fusion.
Neutrino: A subatomic
particle with no electric charge and very little mass.
Nucleus: The central part of an atom that contains protons and neutrons.
O
Ohm's Law: A law
stating that the current through a conductor between two points is directly
proportional to the voltage across the two points.
Optics: The branch of physics that studies the behavior and properties of light.
P
Photon: A subatomic
particle that carries electromagnetic force and is responsible for the behavior
of light.
Potential Energy: The
energy an object possesses due to its position or state.
Proton: A subatomic particle with a positive charge and a mass slightly less than that of a neutron.
Q
Quantum Mechanics: The branch of physics that studies the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic scale.
Quantum Field Theory: A theoretical framework that combines quantum mechanics and special relativity to describe elementary particles' behavior and interactions.
R
Relativity: The branch of physics that deals with the relationship between space and time, and between matter and gravity, as described by Einstein's theories of special and general relativity.
Redshift: A shift in the wavelength of light from an object that is moving away from an observer, caused by the Doppler Effect.
Refraction: The bending of light as it passes through a medium with a different refractive index, such as from air to water.
Resistor: An electrical component that opposes the flow of electric current and converts electrical energy into heat.
S
Special relativity: Einstein's theory that describes the relationship between space and time for objects moving at a constant velocity, and shows that the speed of light is the same for all observers.
Strong force: One of the four fundamental forces of nature, responsible for binding quarks together to form protons and neutrons, and binding these particles together to form atomic nuclei.
T
Thermodynamics: The study of the relationship between heat, energy, and work, and the behavior of systems in equilibrium.
Transistor: An electronic device that can amplify or switch electrical signals.
U
Ultraviolet: Electromagnetic radiation with a shorter wavelength than visible light, but longer than X-rays.
Universe: The entirety of space, time, matter, and energy.
V
Velocity: The rate at which an object changes its position over time, usually measured in meters per second.
Virtual Particles: Particles that are not directly observable, but are postulated to exist by certain theories in physics, such as quantum field theory.
W
Wave: A disturbance that travels through a medium, such as sound waves or electromagnetic waves.
Wave Function: A mathematical description of the quantum state of a particle, used to calculate the probability of finding the particle in a particular location or with a specific momentum.
X
X-ray: Electromagnetic radiation with a shorter wavelength than ultraviolet light, and higher energy.
Y
Yang-Mills Theory: A theoretical framework that describes the behavior of elementary particles and their interactions using gauge fields, which are associated with the fundamental forces of nature.
Z
Zeeman Effect: The
splitting of spectral lines in the presence of a magnetic field, due to the
interaction of the field with the magnetic moment of the electrons in the atoms
or molecules.
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