Kennesaw10thPhysics
Order by
33 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 What is physics? | branch of science that involves the study of the physical world: energy, matter, and how they are related; study of matter and energy and their relationships |
| Why are concepts in physics described with formulas? | they are used as important tools for modeling observations and for making predictions; it relies on theories and experiments with numerical results to support conclusions |
| What is a measurement? | a comparison between an unknown quanity and a standard |
| What is precision? | the degree of exactness of a measurement |
| What is accuracy? | how well the results of a measurement agree with the "real" value |
| How are precision and accuracy related; how do they compare? | Precision depends upon the instrument and technique used to make the measurement while accuracy has to do with how the measurement is measured by competent experimenters |
| What is a parallax? | the apparent shift in the position of an object when it is viewed from different angles. |
| What can be used to demonstrate accuracy and precision? | a Global Positioning System - offers an illustration of accuracy and precision |
| What is a variable? | any factor that might affect the behavior of an experimental setup |
| What is the independent variable? | the factor that is changed or manipulated during the experiment |
| What is a dependent variable? | the factor that depends upon the independent variable |
| What is a line of best fit? | a line on a graph drawn as close to all data points as possible; it is a better model for predictions than any one point that helps determine the line |
| Where is the independent variable plotted on a line graph? | the horizontal axis or the x-axis |
| Where is the dependent variable plotted on a line graph? | on the vertical axis or the y-axis |
| What are important components to a line graph? | x-axis, y-axis, title, |
| What are linear relationships? | when it can be written in the form of an equation because the dependent variable varies linearly with the independent variable |
| What is the formula for slope? | m = rise/run = ^y/^x |
| What is the slope? | the ratio of vertical change to the horizontal change |
| If y gets smaller as x gets larger what is the rise/run? | negative and the line slopes downward |
| What is a quadratic relationship? | one of the two types of nonlinear relationships - the other nonlinear is an inverse relationship |
| When does a quadratic relationship exist? | when one variable depends on the square of another |
| What is an inverse relationship? | when one variable depends on the inverse of the other |
| What is an example of an inverse relationship? | a hyperbola |
| What is the formula for an inverse relationship? | y = a/x |
| What do scientists use relations on a graph for? | to make predictions |
| When is dimensional analysis used? | it is used to check that an answer will be in the correct units |
| What are significant digits? | means measurements can never be more precise than the least-precise measurement involved in the operation |
| What is the systematic method of observing, experimenting, and analyzing to answer questions about the natural world? | scientific method |
| What are all measurements subject to? | some uncertainty |
| What is the equation for slope? | y = mx + b |
| What does m = rise/run represent? | the slope of a straight-line graph - the vertical change is the rise and is divided by the horizontal change (run) |
| What is the equation for a quadratic relationship? | y = ax + bx + c |
| What is the equation for an inverse relationship? | y = a/x |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.