Physics and Chemistry: English Vocabulary List

a space that is utterly empty of all matter

"The vacuum is empty."

"In the vacuum of space there is no air to transmit sound waves between objects."

(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."

any water-soluble compound that can turn litmus blue and reacts with an acid to form a salt and water

"Baking soda is a mild alkali."

"An alkali is a soluble base that releases hydroxide ions in water"

a sharp-smelling gas made of nitrogen and hydrogen

"Ammonia smells strong."

"The strong smell of ammonia from the cleaning solution burned his nose and made his eyes water."

having an electric charge

"The battery is charged."

"The static electricity made the balloon charged, causing it to stick to the wall with a noticeable pull."

a particle with a net electric charge due to loss or gain of one or more electrons

"An ion has charge."

"An atom becomes an ion when it gains or loses an electron"

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."

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."

(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."

a light silver-gray metal used primarily for making cooking equipment and aircraft parts

"Aluminum pots are good."

"Aluminum is lightweight and resistant to corrosion making it ideal for aerospace and packaging applications."

a combination of two or more metals, creating a metal that is usually stronger or more resistant

"Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc."

"Brass is an alloy made by combining copper and zinc in specific proportions."

the gradual destruction of materials by chemical reaction, usually of metals

"Rust is a form of corrosion."

"Corrosion of metal pipes can cause leaks and water damage if not properly treated over time."

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."

a soft, black, and highly conductive material made up of carbon atoms that is commonly used in pencils and as a lubricant

"Graphite pencil lead."

"Graphite is used to make pencil leads that write smoothly on paper every day."

the 1st and smallest planet in the solar system which is the closest to the sun

"Mercury is a planet."

"Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun."

a heavy radioactive metallic element used in producing nuclear energy

"Uranium fuel used."

"Uranium is used as fuel in nuclear power plants to generate electricity safely."

containing or relating to a dangerous form of energy produced by nuclear reactions

"The waste is radioactive."

"The radioactive waste from the nuclear power plant must be stored in special containers for thousands of years until it becomes safe."

produced artificially, typically based on its natural version

"The fabric is synthetic."

"The synthetic fabric is made from petroleum based materials and it is less expensive than natural fibers like cotton or wool."

(chemistry) to merge or be merged by a chemical bond

"Atoms bond together."

"The two elements readily bond to form a stable, crystalline compound."

the different elements that form something or the arrangement of these elements

"Analyze the composition."

"The chemical composition of the unknown substance was analyzed in a laboratory using sophisticated equipment."

to heat a liquid and turn it into gas then cool it and make it liquid again in order to purify it

"They distill water to purify."

"The old whiskey distillery uses traditional copper pots to distill its spirits for the best flavor."

to press two things together or be pressed together to become smaller

"Compress the sponge."

"You need to compress the air in the balloon to make it smaller."

(chemistry) a substance that causes a chemical reaction to happen at a faster rate without undergoing any chemical change itself

"Catalyst speeds up reaction."

"A catalyst is a substance that lowers the activation energy of a chemical reaction"

to increase the velocity of something

"The car will accelerate."

"The driver decided to accelerate quickly to pass the slower vehicle."

a liquid that is capable of dissolving another substance

"Water is a common solvent."

"A non-polar solvent is effective at dissolving oils and other non-polar substances."

a hard black substance consisting of an amorphous form of carbon which is made by slowly burning wood and is used as fuel or for drawing

"Use charcoal fire."

"We use charcoal to make fire for barbecue during summer weekends with friends and family."

a substance that permits electricity to pass through or along it

"Metal is a conductor."

"Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity, making it ideal for wiring."

a solid substance formed when a chemical compound solidifies, with atoms arranged in a highly regular, repeating pattern

"The chandelier was made of sparkling crystal that caught the light beautifully."

"A crystal is a solid material whose atoms are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure"

to become gas or vapor from liquid

"Water will evaporate."

"The puddle will evaporate quickly under the hot summer sun."

a metallic chemical element that has a red-brown color, primarily used as a conductor in wiring

"Copper pipes carry the water."

"Copper is a soft reddish metal widely used in electrical wiring because it conducts electricity very well."

(physics) possessing the attribute of attracting metal objects such as iron or steel

"The field is magnetic."

"The magnetic field around the earth protects us from harmful solar radiation and makes compasses point toward the north pole."

the resistance or opposing force encountered when one object moves in contact with another

"Friction makes it hot."

"The immense friction generated by the meteor entering the atmosphere caused it to burn up."

(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 degree to which a substance is compacted, measured by dividing its mass by its volume

"Ice has lower density than water."

"The density of a substance determines whether it will float or sink in water."

a heavy soft metal, used in making bullets, in plumbing and roofing, especially in the past

"The pipe was made of lead."

"Historically, lead was widely used in plumbing systems due to its malleability and durability."

a dense, silvery, toxic metal that is liquid at room temperature and can form different chemical compounds

"Mercury is a liquid."

"Historically, mercury was used in thermometers due to its unique liquid state at room temperature."

a hard, silvery, malleable, and corrosion-resistant metallic element used in alloys and plating

"Nickel is a metal."

"The corrosion-resistant properties of nickel make it ideal for plating in harsh environments."

a gas with nearly no electrical charge that exists in the sun and other stars

"Plasma is a gas."

"Scientists have long studied the behavior of plasma within stars and its role in cosmic phenomena."

related to heat or temperature, including how heat moves, how materials expand with temperature changes, and the energy stored in heat

"He wears thermal underwear."

"The thermal camera detected heat signatures from the survivors trapped under the rubble and the rescue team quickly dug them out."

remaining still, with no change in position

"The image is static."

"The static display of the ancient artifacts allowed visitors to examine them closely without any movement."