1.
1st class lever: Fulcrum in the middle; see-saw, wire-cutters, scissors.
2.
2nd class lever: Fulcrum at the end, load in the middle; wheel barrow, car-jack.
3.
3rd class lever: Fulcrum at the end, effort in the middle; tweezers, baseball bat.
4.
Air Resistance: A type of friction that opposes the force of gravity.
5.
Atomic number: The order of an element in Mendeleyev's table of the elements and the number or protons of a neutral atom.
6.
Average Speed: Total distance divided by total time
7.
Balanced Forces: Forces that are equal in size and opposite in direction; They do not move an object and the net force is equal to zero.
8.
Conduction: Direct contact (frying an egg, grilling meat).
9.
Conductor: Something that allows electricity to flow through it easily (ex: copper).
10.
Control: In an experiment, the standard that is used for comparison.
11.
Convection: Currents in liquids or gases (boiling pasta).
12.
Diffraction: When an object causes a wave to change direction and bend around it.
13.
Distance: How far an object has moved.
14.
Electromagnetic Waves: Waves that do not require a medium to travel through.
15.
Energy: The ability to cause change.
16.
Experiment: A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effects.
17.
Friction: A force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are touching each other; it slows down the motion of objects.
18.
Fulcrum: Fixed point on a lever; the location of the fulcrum determines the class of lever.
19.
Gravity: The force of attraction between all things.
20.
Heat: Thermal energy that flows from something warm to something cooler.
21.
Inclined Plane: Sloping surface that reduces the amount of force required to do work.
22.
Instantaneous Speed: Speed at a given moment.
23.
Insulator: Something that resists the flow of electricity (ex: wood).
24.
Joules: The unit for energy and work.
25.
Kinetic energy: Energy in the form of motion; greatest at the bottom of a hill on a roller coaster assuming the coaster is already in motion. .
26.
Law: A summary of many experimental results and observations; a law tells how things work.
27.
Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy may change from one form to another, but the total amount of energy never changes
28.
Law of Gravitation: The law that states that the force of gravity depends on the mass and distance between the objects.
29.
Lever: Simple machine free to pivot about a fixed point; ex: seesaws, scissors, baseball bats, fishing poles, arm, etc.
30.
Mass: The amount of matter in an object; stays the same no matter where you are.
31.
Mechanical Advantage: The number of times a machine multiplies the effort force; not determined the same for all simple machines, depends on different things
32.
Mechanical Energy: The total amount of potential and kinetic energy in a system
33.
Mechanical Wave: Waves that must travel through a medium.
34.
Motion: The change in an object's position.
35.
Newton's 1st Law of Motion: An object in motion stays in motion and an object at rest stays at rest until a net force acts upon the object.
36.
Newton's 2nd Law of Motion: The acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied. The less mass the more acceleration the object will have. The more force the more acceleration the object will have.
37.
Newton's 3rd Law of Motion: For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.
38.
Nuclear Fission: The process of splitting a nucleus into two nuclei with smaller masses.
39.
Nuclear Fusion: The process of two nuclei with low masses combining to form one nucleus of a larger mass.
40.
Opaque: Absorbs and reflects light; does not allow light to pass through it
41.
Periodic Table: A table that shows the elements, their atomic number, symbol, and average atomic mass; elements with similar chemical properties are grouped together.
42.
Potential energy: Stored energy; greatest at the top of a hill on a rollercoaster
43.
Power: the amount of work done in a certain amount of time; the rate at which work is done; equals work divided by time and is measured in watts
44.
Pulley: Grooved wheel with a rope, simple chain, or cable running along the groove.
45.
Radiation: No medium required (sunlight, microwave).
46.
Reflection: When a wave strikes an object and bounces off.
47.
Refraction: The bending of a wave caused by a change in its speed as it moves from one medium to another.
48.
Screw: Inclined plane wrapped around a cylindrical post.
49.
Sliding Friction: Friction that opposes motion between two surfaces sliding past one another.
50.
Static Electricity: The accumulation of excess electric charges (electrons) on an object.
51.
Static Friction: Friction between two surfaces that are not moving past each other.
52.
Temperature: The average kinetic energy of an object's atoms or molecules.
53.
Theory: A well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations.
54.
Three forms of energy: Kinetic, potential, and mechanical.
55.
Three methods of transferring thermal energy: Conduction, Convection, and Radiation.
56.
Three types of potential energy: Elastic (rubber band), chemical (food, fuel), and gravitational (book on a shelf).
57.
Translucent: Some light passes through it.
58.
Transparent: Almost all light passes through it.
59.
Unbalanced Forces: Forces that are unequal in size and the direction is the same; they cause an object to move.
60.
Variable: A factor that can change in an experiment.
61.
Velocity: The speed and direction of an object's motion; EX: 25 mph North
62.
Wave: Repeating disturbance or movement that transfers energy through matter or space.
63.
Wedge: Inclined plane with one or two sloping sides that pushes things apart.
64.
Weight: The force of gravity pulling on a body; changes as gravitational force changes.
65.
Work: The transfer of energy that occurs when a force makes an object move in the direction of the applied force; measured in joules (lifting weights, moving a desk)/
66.
Work NOT being done: Holding something over your head, standing still, pushing a wall.
