Chapter 1

Cause and Effect- the relationship between an event that brings about a result and what
happens due to the result.
Controlled Experiment- when one variable is changed and all the others are controlled
or stay the same throughout the experiment.
Controlled Variables-variables in an experiment that is kept the same throughout the
experiment.
Distance- the length of space between two points
English System- a system of measuring that uses, for example, distance units in inches,
yards, and miles.
Experiment- any situation that is set up to observe and measure something happening
Experimental Technique- the exact procedure that is followed each time an experiment
is repeated.
Experimental Variable- a variable in an experiment that is changed by the experimenter;
the experimental variable is plotted as an independent variable on the x-axis of a graph.
Hypothesis- a prediction that can be tested by experimentation
Investigation- one or more experiences that are all connected to answering the same
basic question.
Length- a unit of measurement for distance
Measurement- the act or process of measuring in multiples of a specific unit
Metric System- a system of measuring that uses distance units of millimeters,
centimeters, meters, and kilometers.
Procedure- a collection of all the techniques you use to do an experiment
Research Question- a question that is solved through investigation
Scientific Evidence- any observation that can be repeated with the same results
Scientific Method- a process that is used to gather evidence that leads to understanding
Second- a commonly used unit of time
Time- a useful measurement of changes in motion or events
Trial- each time an experiment is tried
Variables- factors that affect the result of an experiment
Velocity- describes movement from one place to another over time and in a certain
direction
 Chapter 2
Accelerate- to increase speed or change direction
Acceleration- change in speed over time
Average Speed- how fast something moves over a certain distance
Conceptual Model- a written description or diagram based on ideas and observations
that are used to describe how a process or object works
Deceleration- occurs when change in speed, or acceleration, is in the negative direction
Dependent Variable- the variable in an experiment that changes in response to choices
made by the experimenter
Free Fall- the acceleration of a falling object under the influence of the Earth’s
gravitational force
Graphical Model- a model that shows the relationship between two variables on a graph
so that the relationship is easily seen and understood
Gravity- the attractive force that exists between any two objects that have mass
Independent Variable- the variable in an experiment that is manipulated by the
experimenter and that causes changes in the dependent variable in the experiment
Instantaneous Speed- the speed of an object at a specific point in its journey
Physical Models- models that are made of materials and that can be touched and
measured
Scientific Model- a method of representing the relationship between variables
 Chapter 3
Air Friction- the opposing force created by objects moving through air
Equilibrium- 1. In physics, occurs when the forces on an object are balanced, 2. In
chemistry, the state in which the solute in a solution is dissolving and coming out of
solution at the same rate
Force- a push, a pull, or any action that has the ability to change motion
Friction- the force that results from relative motion between objects
Gravity- the attractive force that exists between any two objects that have mass
Inertia- the reluctance of a body to change its state of motion
Law of Conservation of Momentum- states that as long as interacting objects are not
influenced by outside forces (like friction), their momentum before the interaction will
equal their momentum after the interaction
Mass- a measure of the inertia of an object; the amount of matter an object has
Momentum- the mass of an object multiplied by its speed or velocity
Net Force- the amount of force that overcomes an opposing force to cause motion
Newton- a unit of force; Abbreviation is N
Newton’s first law of motion- states any object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on
by an unbalanced force
Newton’s second law of motion- states that the acceleration of an object is directly
proportional to the force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass
Newton’s third law of motion- states that whenever one object exerts a force on another,
the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first
Pounds- the rate at which work is done
Rolling Friction- resistance created when one object rolls over another one
Sliding Friction- resistance created when two surfaces rub against one another
Viscous Friction- resistance created by objects moving in water or other fluids
Weight- a force created by gravity
 Chapter 4
Engineering- the applications of science to solve technical problems
Engineering Cycle- the process used by engineers to develop new technology
Engineer- a person who designs technology to solve problems
Force- a push, a pull, or any action that has the ability to change motion
Fulcrum- a fixed point on a lever
Gear- a wheel with teeth; two or more gears can be connected together to change the
speed and/or direction of rotating motion
Input- includes everything you do to make a machine work
Input Arm- when you place a lever on a fulcrum, the input arm is the side of the lever
where the input force is applied
Input force- the force applied to a machine
Input Gear- the gear you turn, or apply force to
Lever- a stiff structure that rotates around a fixed point called the fulcrum
Machine- a type of mechanical system
Mechanical Advantage- the ratio of output force to input force
Mechanical System- a series of interrelated, moving parts that work together to
accomplish a specific task
Output- what the machine does
Output Arm- of the lever on a fulcrum, the output arm is the side where output force is
applied
Output Force- the force a machine applies to accomplish a task
Output Gear- the gear attached to the output of the machine
Prototype- a working model of a design that can be tested to see if it works
Simple Machine- an unpowered mechanical device, such as a lever, which has an input
and an output force
 Chapter 5
Chemical Energy- a type of energy stored in molecules
Efficiency- the ratio of a machine’s output work to input work
Electrical Energy- another term for electricity
Energy- a fundamental building block of the universe
Energy Transformation- the conversion from one kind of energy to another kind of
energy; for example, an energy transformation occurs when potential energy is converted
to kinetic energy
Heat- a flow of thermal energy from one object to another object due to a temperature
difference
Horsepower- a unit of power
Joule- a unit measuring work
Kinetic Energy- Energy that comes from motion
Law of Conservation of Energy- Energy is never created or destroyed, only transformed
from one form to the next.
Nuclear Energy- the form of energy that comes from splitting the nucleus of an atom, or
fusing two nuclei of an atom
Potential Energy- stored energy that comes from position
Power- the rate at which work is done
Radiant Energy- another term for electromagnetic energy
Radiation- 1. The process of emitting radiant energy; 2. A term to describe the particles
and energy that are emitted from radioactive substances.
Radiation- a type of heat transfer that occurs by electromagnetic waves
Solar Power- radiant energy from the sun that is harnessed for use
Watt- the metric, or SI, unit of power
Work- the quantity of force times distance; the result of machines performing task
 Chapter 6
Circuit Diagram- the diagrammatic representation of an electric circuit
Closed Circuit- a circuit in which the switch is turned to the “on” position, causing there
to be no breaks anywhere in the wire
Coulomb- the unit for electrical charge
Electric Charge- one of the fundamentals of matter; comes in positive and negative.
Electric Circuits- the structures that provide paths through which electricity travels
Electrical Symbols- simple symbols used in circuit diagrams
Electrically Charged- an object that has an excess amount of either positive or negative
charges
Electrically Neutral- an object that has equal amounts of positive and negative charges
Electroscope- an instrument that is used to detect charged objects
Natural World- the aspects of the world not created or constructed by people
Negative Charge- one of two types of electric charge
Open Circuit- a circuit in which there is a break in the wire so that current cannot flow
Positive Charge- one of two types of electrical charge
Static Electricity- a buildup of either positive or negative charge; consists of isolated
motionless charges, like those produced by friction
Versorium- the earliest version of today’s electroscope
 Chapter 7
Alternating Current- an electric current that reverses its direction at repeated intervals;
the abbreviation for this is AC
Amperes- the unit for measuring electrical current; the abbreviation is amp
Battery- a device that uses chemical energy to move electrical charges
Current- the quantity that refers to the rate of flow of electric charges; current is
measured in amps
Direct Current- electrical current flowing in one direction only; abbreviation is DC
Electrical Conductivity- the ability of a material to conduct (or carry) electricity
Electrical Conductor- a material that easily carries electrical current
Electrical Insulator- a material that poorly conducts current
Ohm- the unit of measurement for electrical resistance
Resistance- the measure of an object’s ability to conduct circuits
Semiconductor- material between conductor and insulator in its ability to carry current
Volt- the measurement unit for voltage
Voltage- the amount of potential energy that each unit of electrical charge has
 Chapter 8
Horsepower- a unit of power
Kilowatt- a measurement equal to 1000 watts or 1000 joules used for one hour
Kilowatt-hour (kWh)- Kilowatts used in use in one hour.
Ohm’s Law- describes the mathematical relationship present in most circuits
Potentiometer- a variable resistor
Power- the rate at which work is done
Resistors- components that are used to control current in many circuits
Watt- the metric, or SI, unit of power
 Chapter 9
Kirchhoff’s Current Law- states the current into a branch in a circuit equals the amount
of current out of the branch
Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law- states that over an entire circuit, the energy taken out must
equal the energy supplied by the battery
Parallel Circuit- a circuit in which the current can take more than one path
Series Circuit- a circuit in which the current only has one path
Short Circuit- a branch in a circuit with zero or very low resistance
 Chapter 10
Electromagnet- a strong, short lasting magnet that can be made by inserting iron into a
wire coil that is conducting an electric current
Electromagnetic Induction- the creation of electric current when a magnet is moved
inside a loop of wire; generators are devices that work using electromagnetic induction
Generator- a combination of mechanical and electrical systems that converts kinetic
energy into electrical energy
Magnetic Field- an area of magnetic force that surrounds magnetic objects
Magnetic Field Intensity-
Magnetic Force- a force exerted on a particle or object traveling in a magnetic field
Magnetic North Pole- the end of a magnetic object that points toward the geographic
north pole of the Earth
Magnetic South Pole- the end of a magnetic object that points away from the geographic
north pole of the Earth
Permanent Magnet- a magnetic object that retains its magnetic properties without
external influence
 Chapter 11
Amplitude- the maximum distance from the average in harmonic motion; amplitude is
often a distance or an angle
Cycle- a unit of motion that repeats over and over
Frequency- 1. In harmonics, the number of cycles an oscillator makes per second; 2. In
waves, the number of wavelengths that pass a given point in one second
Harmonic Motion- motion that repeats itself
Hertz- a unit of one cycle per second used to measure frequency; the abbreviation is Hz
Oscillator- a system that shows harmonic motion
Period- the time for one cycle
Periodic Motion- cycles of motion that repeat over and over again; the same as harmonic
motion
Phase- refers to where an oscillator is in its cycle
System- a collection of matter and processes that occur in a certain space and can be
studied; systems can be open or closed
 Chapter 12
Circular Waves- waves that move in concentric circles
Constructive Interference- occurs when waves add up to make a larger amplitude
Continuous- connected to itself
Crest- the high point on a wave
Destructive Interference- occurs when waves add up to make a smaller amplitude
Diffraction- the process by which waves can bend around corners or pass through
openings
Fundamental- the name of the first harmonic
Harmonics- multiples of natural frequency
Hertz- a unit of one cycle per second used to measure frequency; the abbreviation is Hz
Longitudinal Wave- a wave whose oscillations are in the same direction as the wave
moves
Natural Frequency- describes how an object vibrates; for example, a guitar string
strummed repeatedly has its own natural force
Plane Waves- waves that move in straight lines
Reflection- the bounce of a wave off a surface
Refraction- occurs when light passes from one transparent material into another and
bends
Resonance- an occurrence whereby the natural frequency of a system is exactly in tune
with a force applied to the system
Response-
Standing wave- a wave trapped in one spot
Transverse Wave- a wave whose oscillation is perpendicular to the direction the wave
travels
Trough- the low point on a wave
Wave fronts- another term used to describe the crests of a wave
 Chapter 13
Acoustics- the science and technology of sound
Beat- a rapid alteration between loudness and silence
Cochlea- a tiny, fluid-filled bone structure in the inner ear with three tubes and a spiral
Consonance- a combination of sounds that is harmonious or agreeable
Decibel- the measurement of loudness in sound
Dissonance- a combination of discordant or unsettling sounds
Harmonics- frequencies that are multiples of fundamental notes
Harmony- an oscillation in loudness that occurs when two frequencies of sound are close
but not equal
Musical Scale- Frequencies of sound that fit into a special pattern
Pitch- Property of a sound determined by the frequency of the waves producing it
Pressure- a measure of the force felt by the walls of a container
Reverberation- multiple echoes of sound
Rhythm- a time pattern in sound
Sonogram- special kind of graph that shows how loud sound is at different frequencies
Sound- a pressure wave we can feel with our ears.
Supersonic- motion that is faster than sound
White Noise- an equal mixture of all frequencies, like white is a mixture of all colors
 Chapter 14
Chemical Reaction- the breaking of bonds to form new substances
Cone Cells- photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye that respond to color
Cyan- a greenish, light-blue that is created when red is absorbed and blue and green are
reflected
Electromagnet Spectrum- the whole range of light
Fluorescent- a type of electrical light bulb
Incandescence- the process of making light with heat
Magenta- a pink-purple color that is created when green is absorbed and red and blue are
reflected
Nanometer- a unit of measurement that is equal to one billionth of a meter
Photoluminescence- occurs when light energy makes something else give off light
Pixel- a dot on your computer screen whose color can change depending on the three
numbers your computer assigns to it
Polarizer- a partially transparent material that lets through only one polarization of light
Rod Cells- photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye that respond to differences in
brightness
Subtractive Primary Colors- magenta, yellow, and cyan
Terahertz- a unit of measurement that is equal to 1,000,000,000 cycles per second
Visible Light- the light you can see in the range between 400 and 700 nanometers
Yellow- a color that is created when blue is absorbed and red and green are reflected