Chapter 5 Thermal energy

Thermal energy: is the sum of the kinetic energy and the potential energy of all of the particles that make
up that object.

Temperature: is the Measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles that make up that object.

Heat: is energy that is transferred between objects due to a temperature difference between those
objects.

Specific Heat: amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of that material by 1°C.

Conduction: is the transfer of thermal energy by collisions between the particles that make up matter.

Convection: Transfer of thermal energy in q fluid by the movements of warmer and cooler fluid.

Radiation: Transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves, such as light and microwaves.

Thermal Insulator: A material through which thermal energy moves slowly.

Solar Collector: is a device that transforms radiant energy from the Sun into thermal energy.

Thermodynamics: the study of the relationships between thermal energy, heat, and work.

First Law of Thermodynamics: States that if the mechanical energy of a system is constant, the increase in
the thermal energy of that system equals the sum of the thermal energy transfers into that system and the
work done on that system.

Second law of thermodynamics: States that energy spontaneously spreads from regions of higher
concentration to regions of lower concentration.

Heat Engine: Device that converts some thermal energy into mechanical energy.

Internal Combustion engine: A Heat engine that burns fuel inside a set of cylinders.
 CHAPTER 6 ELECTRICITY

Static Electricity: is the accumulation of excess electric charge on an object.

Law of conservation of charge: States that charge can be transferred from object to object, but it cannot
be created or destroyed.

Electric Field: surrounds every electric charge and exerts the force that causes other electric charges to be
attracted or repelled.

Conductor: is a material through which electrons move easily.

Insulator: is a material in which electrons are not able to move easily.

Charging by Contact: is the process of transferring charge by touching or rubbing.

Charging by Induction: The rearrangement of electrons on a neutral object caused by a nearby charged
object.

Electroscope: is a device that can detect electric charge.

Electric Current: is the net movement of electric charges in a single direction, measured in amperes. (A)

Voltage Difference: Is related to the force that causes electric charges to flow; measured in volts. (V)

Electric Circuit: A closed path that electric current follows.

Resistance: is the tendency for a material to resist the flow of electrons and to convert electrical energy
into other forms of energy, such as Thermal energy.

Ohm’s Law: the current in a circuit equals the voltage difference divided by the resistance.

Series Circuit: is an electric circuit with only one branch. has only one path to follow.

Parrarel Circuit: Contain two or more branches for current devices on each branch can be turned on or off
separately.

Electrical Power: is the rate at which electrical energy is converted to another form of energy.
 CHAPTER 7 MAGNESTISM

Magnetism: refers to the properties and interactions of magnets.

Magnetic Field: is a region of space that surrounds a magnet and exerts a force on other magnets and
objects made of magnetic materials.

Magnetic Pole: The regions of a magnet that exert the strongest force.

Magnetic Domains: Group of atoms with aligned magnetic poles.

Electromagnetic Force: is the attractive or repulsive force between electric charges and magnets.

Electromagnetism: The interaction between electric charges and magnets.

Solenoid: A single wire wrapped into a cylindrical wire coil.

Electromagnet: is a temporary magnet created when there is a current in a wire coil.

Galvanometer: A device that uses an electromagnet to measure electric current.

Electric Motor: Device that changes electrical energy into mechanical energy.

Electromagnetic Induction: The generation of an electric current by a changing magnetic field.

Generator: uses electromagnetic induction to transform mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Turbine: is a large wheel that rotates when pushed by water, wind, or steam and provides mechanical
energy to a generator.

Direct Current: is electric current that is always in one direction through a wire.

Alternating Current: is electric current that reverses the direction in a regular pattern.

Transformer: is a device that increases or decreases the voltage of an alternating current.

 CHAPTER 8 Energy sources and the environment

Fossil Fuels: Oil, natural gas, and coal; formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that were
buried and altered over millions of years.

Petroleum: is a flammable liquid formed from the decay of ancient organisms, such as microscopic
plankton and algae.

Nonrenewable Resources: are resources that cannot be replaced by natural processes as quickly as they
are used.

Fusion: occurs when atomic nuclei combine at very high temperatures.

Fission: Process where energy is released when the nucleus of an atom splits apart.

Nuclear Reactor: uses energy from controlled nuclear reactions to generate electricity.

Nuclear Waste: is any Radioactive material that results when radioactive materials are used.

Renewable Resource: is an Energy source that is replaced by natural processes faster than humans can
consume the resource.

Photovoltaic Cell: converts radiant energy directly into electrical energy; also called solar cell.

Hydroelectricity: Electric current produced from the energy of moving water.

Geothermal Energy: The Thermal energy that is contained in and around magma.

Biomass: Renewable organic matter such as wood, soy, corn, sugarcane fibers, rice hulls, and animal
manure.

Population: Includes all the individuals of one species living in a particular area.

Carrying Capacity: is the largest number of individuals of a particular species that the environment can
support, given the natural resources available.

Pollutant: Any substance that contaminates the environment.

Hazardous Waste: Wastes that are poisonous, that cause cancer, or that can catch fire.

Photochemical Smog: is a term used to describe the pollution that results from the reaction between
sunlight and vehicle or factory exhaust.

Acid Precipitation: When acidic moisture falls from the sky as precipitation.
 CHAPTER 9 WAVES

Wave: is a repeating disturbance that transfers energy through matter or space.

Medium: Matter through which a wave travels.

Mechanical Wave: such as sound waves, are waves that can travel only through matter.

Transverse Wave: particles in the medium moves back and forth at right angles to the direction that the
wave travels.

Longitudinal Wave: the matter in the medium moves back and forth along the same direction that the
wave travels.

Crest: are the high points of a transverse wave.

Troughs: are the low points of a transverse wave.

Compression: is the more dense region of a longitudinal wave.

Rarefaction: The less-dense region of a longitudinal wave.

Wavelength: Distance between one point on a wave and the nearest point just like it.

Frequency: The number of wavelengths that pass a fixed point each second.

Period: the amount of time it takes one wavelength to pass a point.

Amplitude: A measure of the size of the disturbance from a wave.

Refraction: The bending of a wave caused by a change in its speed as it travels from one medium to
another.

Diffraction: The bending of a wave around an object.

Interference: The process of two or more waves overlapping and combining to form a new wave.

Standing Wave: Is a special type of wave pattern that forms when waves equal in wavelength and
amplitude but traveling in opposite directions continuously interfere with each other.

Nodes: are locations where the interfering waves always cancel.

Resonance: is the process by which an object is made to vibrate by absorbing energy at its natural
frequencies.
 Chapter 10 Sound

Eardrum: Tough membrane about 0.1 mm thick that transmits sound from the outer ear to the middle ear.

Cochlea: Spiral-shaped structure that is filled with liquid and contains tiny hair cells.

Intensity: The amount of energy that passes through a certain area in a specific amount of time.

Loudness: is the human perception of sound volume and primarily on sound intensity.

Decibel: Unit for sound intensity; abbreviated dB.

Pitch: is how high or low a sound seems to be.

Doppler Effect: is the change in wave frequency due to a wave source moving relative to an observer or an
observer moving relative to a wave source.

Music: is any collection of sounds that are deliberately used in a regular pattern.

Sound Quality: describes the differences between sounds of the same pitch and loudness.

Overtone: Vibration whose frequency is a multiple of the fundamental frequency.

Resonator: is a hollow chamber filled with air that amplifies sound when the air inside of it vibrates.

Acoustics: is the study of sound.

Echolocation: is the process of locating objects by emitting sounds and interpreting the sound waves that
are reflected from those objects.

Sonar: is a system that uses the reflection of underwater sound waves to detect objects.

Ultrasound: is sound with frequency above 20,000 Hz and cannot be heard by humans.