Talking about Physics: English Vocabulary List

an electrical component designed to limit or control the flow of electric current in a circuit, typically by providing resistance

"A resistor controls electric current."

"The electric circuit uses a resistor to control the amount of current that flows to the sensitive components in the device."

an electric device that is used to accumulate electric charge

"A capacitor stores electric charge."

"The capacitor stores electrical energy temporarily and releases it quickly when the camera flash needs a short burst of power."

the branch of physical science that deals with the relationships between heat, work, and energy, particularly the principles governing the conversion of various forms of energy

"Thermodynamics studies heat and energy."

"The second law of thermodynamics states that the total entropy of an isolated system can only increase over time"

(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."

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 distance between a point on a wave of energy and a similar point on the next wave

"Long wavelength means spread out."

"Different colors of light have distinct wavelengths, which our eyes perceive as varying hues."

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."

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."

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."

a small semiconductor device, used in television and radio sets, able to amplify or rectify an electric current

"This transistor amplifies signals."

"A tiny transistor is crucial for amplifying weak signals in modern electronic devices."

an electronic device with two terminals, typically allowing the flow of current in one direction only

"A diode controls electric current flow."

"A diode allows electric current to flow easily in only one direction."

an electronic component that stores energy in a magnetic field when an electric current flows through it; typically consists of a coil of wire

"An inductor stores energy in a magnetic field."

"The inductor stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current passes through a coil of wire wound around a magnetic core."

the study of the behavior of air as it interacts with solid objects, particularly the flow of air around and through objects, and the effects of this interaction on the objects

"Aerodynamics makes planes fly."

"Understanding aerodynamics is essential for designing efficient and stable aircraft."