Saturday, 11 July 2020, 12:10 AM
Site: Virtual eUniversity
Course: PHY01 - Physics - Introduction to Physics (PHY01)
Glossary: Key Terms from Glossary
A
Question:

#### accuracy

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:25 AM)

the degree to which a measured value agrees with correct value for that measurement

Question:

#### approximation

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:25 AM)

an estimated value based on prior experience and reasoning

C
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#### classical physics

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:26 AM)

physics that was developed from the Renaissance to the end of the 19th century

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#### conversion factor

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:26 AM)

a ratio expressing how many of one unit are equal to another unit

D
Question:

#### derived units

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:27 AM)

units that can be calculated using algebraic combinations of the fundamental units

E
Question:

#### English units

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:27 AM)

system of measurement used in the United States; includes units of measurement such as feet, gallons, and pounds

F
Question:

#### fundamental units

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:28 AM)

units that can only be expressed relative to the procedure used to measure them

K
Question:

#### kilogram

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:28 AM)

the SI unit for mass, abbreviated (kg)

L
Question:

#### law

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:29 AM)

a description, using concise language or a mathematical formula, a generalized pattern in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and repeated experiments

M
Question:

#### meter

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:29 AM)

the SI unit for length, abbreviated (m)

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#### method of adding percents

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:30 AM)

the percent uncertainty in a quantity calculated by multiplication or division is the sum of the percent uncertainties in the items used to make the calculation

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#### metric system

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:30 AM)

a system in which values can be calculated in factors of 10

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#### model

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:31 AM)

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

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#### modern physics

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:31 AM)

the study of relativity, quantum mechanics, or both

O
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#### order of magnitude

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:31 AM)

refers to the size of a quantity as it relates to a power of 10

P
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#### percent uncertainty

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:32 AM)

the ratio of the uncertainty of a measurement to the measured value, expressed as a percentage

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#### physical quantity

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:33 AM)

a characteristic or property of an object that can be measured or calculated from other measurements

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#### physics

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:33 AM)

the science concerned with describing the interactions of energy, matter, space, and time; it is especially interested in what fundamental mechanisms underlie every phenomenon

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#### precision

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:34 AM)

the degree to which repeated measurements agree with each other

Q
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#### quantum mechanics

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:34 AM)

the study of objects smaller than can be seen with a microscope

R
Question:

#### relativity

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:34 AM)

the study of objects moving at speeds greater than about 1% of the speed of light, or of objects being affected by a strong gravitational field

S
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#### scientific method

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:35 AM)

a method that typically begins with an observation and question that the scientist will research; next, the scientist typically performs some research about the topic and then devises a hypothesis; then, the scientist will test the hypothesis by performing an experiment; finally, the scientist analyzes the results of the experiment and draws a conclusion

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#### second

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:35 AM)

the SI unit for time, abbreviated (s)

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#### SI units

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:35 AM)

the international system of units that scientists in most countries have agreed to use; includes units such as meters, liters, and grams

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#### significant figures

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:36 AM)

express the precision of a measuring tool used to measure a value

T
Question:

#### theory

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:36 AM)

an explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers

U
Question:

#### uncertainty

(Last edited: Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 8:36 AM)