Physics · C2 English Vocabulary List

a scientific idea that all particles are tiny vibrating strings, not point-like dots, and these vibrations create different particles and forces

"String theory has many dimensions."

"String theory is a theoretical framework in physics proposing that point-like particles are actually one-dimensional vibrating strings at the smallest quantum scales."

the bending, spreading, and interference of waves as they encounter obstacles or pass through narrow openings, often observed in the behavior of light, sound, or other waves

"Diffraction bends light waves around corners."

"Diffraction is the spreading of waves around obstacles"

a fundamental particle with half-integer spin, including electrons and their heavier counterparts, as well as neutrinos

"Electrons are a type of lepton."

"A lepton is a fundamental particle with half-integer spin, including electrons and their heavier counterparts."

a tiny particle made up of even smaller parts called quarks, like protons and neutrons

"Protons and neutrons are hadrons."

"A hadron is a composite particle made of quarks bound by the strong force"

the speed at which something moves in a specific direction

"The car's velocity increased quickly."

"The car was traveling at a dangerous velocity when it crashed into the tree on the roadside."

(physics) the maximum distance a vibrating material, sound wave, etc. such as a pendulum travels from its first position

"The amplitude of the sound wave determines how loud the noise is."

"Amplitude is the maximum extent of a wave's displacement from its equilibrium position"

tiny particles that make up matter and have a property called spin, like the building blocks of atoms

"Electrons are examples of fermions."

"Every fermion in the universe follows a special rule about sharing energy levels."

a tiny particle with whole-number spin, such as photons or the Higgs boson, often associated with carrying fundamental forces or giving mass to other particles

"Photons are examples of bosons."

"A boson is a force-carrying particle that obeys Bose-Einstein statistics"

the force that acts on an object moving in a circular path, directed toward the center of the circle or the axis of rotation, preventing the object from moving in a straight line

"Centripetal force keeps planets in orbit."

"Centripetal force is the inward-directed force required to keep an object moving in a curved path"

the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the source of the wave, producing a shift in pitch or color

"The Doppler effect changes sound pitch."

"The Doppler effect is the change in observed frequency of a wave when the source and observer are moving relative to each other."

the energy possessed by an object due to its motion, defined as one-half the mass of the object multiplied by the square of its velocity, expressed by the equation KE = 0.5 * m * v^2

"Moving objects have kinetic energy."

"Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion"

(physics) an invisible substance that makes up most of the universe's mass, detectable only through its gravitational effects

"Dark matter cannot be seen directly."

"Dark matter cannot be seen directly but scientists know it exists because of its gravitational effects."

(physics) matter consisting of elementary particles that are the antiparticles of those of regular matter

"Antimatter is rare."

"Antimatter annihilates when it contacts normal matter."

the smallest possible amount of a particular quantity that cannot be divided any further

"Quantum physics is a complex subject."

"A quantum computer harnesses the bizarre principles of superposition and entanglement."

the strength of a moving object determined by multiplying how heavy it is by how fast it is going

"A heavy truck has momentum."

"A large truck moving at high speed possesses significant momentum, making it difficult to stop quickly."

a fundamental particle of light that carries electromagnetic energy and exhibits both particle-like and wave-like properties

"A photon is a light particle."

"The photoelectric effect demonstrates that light can behave as discrete packets of energy called photons."

the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion, whether at rest or in uniform motion, and to remain in its current state unless acted upon by an external force

"Inertia resists motion changes."

"Due to inertia, a stationary object will remain at rest unless a force acts upon it."

(physics) the back-and-forth motion of an object between two end points

"The spring's oscillation is fast."

"The simple harmonic oscillation of the spring demonstrated its elasticity."

the action or process where a wave, such as light or sound, bounces back from a surface instead of passing through

"Mirrors cause reflection."

"The smooth surface of the lake provided a perfect reflection of the surrounding mountains and sky."

a measure of a material's stiffness or elasticity in physics

"Young's modulus measures stiffness."

"Young's modulus indicates how much a material stretches under tension."

a theory stating that the exact position and momentum of a particle cannot be measured precisely at the same time

"Heisenberg's uncertainty principle."

"The uncertainty principle states we cannot know both position and momentum precisely."

the unit of energy in the International System of Units

"One joule of energy."

"The joule is the SI unit of energy and work."

a very small, electrically neutral particle that rarely interacts with matter

"The neutrino is tiny."

"Neutrinos are extremely light particles that rarely interact with matter."

the theory that adds the notion of time to that of a three-dimensional space

"Space-time is curved."

"Einstein's theory of relativity describes gravity as the curvature of space-time caused by mass."

the process or action of splitting a nucleus into two or more parts resulting in the release of a significant amount of energy

"Nuclear fission releases enormous energy rapidly"

"Nuclear fission splits heavy atoms to release enormous energy."

referring to the combined interaction of electric and magnetic fields, often associated with waves or radiation

"The waves are electromagnetic."

"The electromagnetic spectrum includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays."

(physics) the reaction in which two nuclei join together and produce energy

"Scientists research nuclear fusion for clean energy"

"Nuclear fusion joins light atoms and powers the sun."

relating to or involving the transformation of heat energy

"The thermic effect is strong."

"The thermic effect of the spicy food made him sweat and his face turn red even though the room was actually quite cool."

the capability of being easily changed or molded into many different things

"Brain plasticity supports learning and memory development"

"The brain's plasticity allows it to form new connections and learn new skills throughout life."

a fundamental particle combining to form protons and neutrons, with fractional electric charge and six flavors

"Quarks are inside protons and neutrons."

"A quark is a fundamental constituent of matter"

(physics) the property of matter that gives it weight in a gravitational field and is a measure of its inertia

"The mass is heavy."

"The object's immense mass resisted any attempt to move it from its position."

(physics) the increase in velocity over time

"The car's acceleration impressed the test driver"

"The race car's acceleration from zero to sixty took less than three seconds."