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A TO Z GLOSSARY OF IMPORTANT TERMS IN PHYSICS

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.

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.

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.

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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