AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Physics Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
7298464946VectorA quantity that involves both magnitude and direction.0
7298464947ScalarA quantity that does not involve direction.1
7298464948DisplacementA net distance traveled including direction; An objects change in position.2
7298464949Two-Dimensional VectorsVectors that lie flat in a plane and can be written as the sum of a horizontal vector and a vertical vector.3
7298464950Unit VectorsSpecial vectors that have a magnitude of 1. These include horizontal basis vector, i, and vertical basis vector, j.4
7298464951PositionAn objects location in a certain space.5
7298464952Newton's First LawAn object will continue in its state of motion unless compelled to change by a force impressed upon it. Also called Law of Inertia6
7298464953InertiaAn object's natural resistance to changes in their state of motion.7
7298464954Newton's Second LawPredicts what will happen when an unbalanced force does act on an object: the object's velocity will change / the object will accelerate.8
7298464955Newton's Third LawTo ever action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.9
7298464956WeightThe gravitational force exerted on an object by the Earth (or by whatever planet it happens to be on).10
7298464957Normal ForceThe component of the contact force that is perpendicular to the surface. (When an object is in contact with a surface, the surface exerts a contact force on the object.)11
7298464958Friction ForceThe component of the contact force that is parallel to the surface. (When an object is in contact with a surface, the surface exerts a contact force on the object).12
7298464959Static FrictionA type of friction that occurs when there is no relative motion between the object and the surface (no sliding).13
7298464960Kinetic FrictionA type of friction that occurs when there is relative motion (when the surface is sliding).14
7298464961Coefficient of FricitonRepresents the nature of surfaces.15
7298464962Law of Conservation of EnergyEnergy can not just appear out of nowhere nor can it disappear in a closed system; it must always take on another form.16
7298464963WorkThe application of force over a distance and the resulting change in energy of the system that the force is acted on.17
7298464964Total Mechanical EnergyThe sum of an object's kinetic and potential energies.18
7298464965PowerThe rate at which work gets done, or energy gets transferred.19
7298464966ImpulseThe product of force and the time during which it acts.20
7298464967Impulse-Momentum TheoremAnother way of writing Newton's Second Law. (Written J = change in momentum)21
7298464968MomentumA vector quantity given by p = mv22
7298464969Uniform Circular MotionWhen an objects speed around its path is constant.23
7298464970Centripetal AccelerationWhen the acceleration vector points toward the center of the circle. The thing that turns the velocity vector to keep the object traveling in a circle.24
7298464971Newton's Law of GravitationAny two objects in the universe that exert and attractive force on each other - called the gravitiational force - whoes strength is proportional to the product of the object's masses and25
7298464972KinematicsThe mathematical tools for describing motion in terms of displacement, velocity, and acceleration.26
7298464973Potential EnergyThe energy of an object or system has by virtue of its position of configuration.27
7298464974Total Mechanical EnergyThe sum of an objects kinetic and potential energies.28
7298464975Law of Conservation of Total EnergyK(initial)+U(Initial) = K(final)+U(final)29
7298464976Elastic CollisionA type of collision in which the objects bounce perfectly off each other in opposite directions. Kinetic Energy is conserved. Momentum is conserved.30
7298464977Inelastic CollisionA type of collision in which the objects travel in the same direction after the collision. Kinetic Energy is lost. Momentum is conserved.31
7298464978Perfectly Inelastic CollisionThe objects stick together and travel in the same direction. Greatest kinetic energy is lost. Momentum is conserved.32
7298464979Law of Conservation of MomentumThe momentum before equals the momentum after. total p (initial) = total p (final).33
7298464980Uniform Circular MotionThe objects speed around its path (constant).34
7298464981Centripetal ForceThe force that produces centripetal acceleration. Pulls on object toward the center.35
7298464982Universal Gravitational Constant9.81, signified by the capital letter G.36
7298464983TorqueThe measure of a force's effectiveness at making an object spin or rotate.37
7298464984Translational EquilibriumOccurs when the sum of the forces acting on an object are zero.38
7298464985Rotational EquilibriumIf the sum of the torques acting on an object is zero.39
7298464986Static EquilibriumState of equilibrium when an object is at rest.40
7298464987Rotational InertiaThe tendency of an object in motion to rotate until its acted upon by an outside force.41
7298464988Equilibrium PositionWhen a spring is neither stretched nor compressed it is said to be in it ___________ ____________.42
7298464989Hooke's LawF = -kx43
7298464990Simple Harmonic MotionAny vibrating system for which the restoring force is directly proportional to the negative of the displacement is said to exhibit _________________ _______________ ______________.44
7298464991AmplitudeThe maximum displacement from equilibrium.45
7298464992Period (T)The amount of time it takes to complete a cycle.46
7298464993FrequencyThe number of cycles that can be completed per unit time.47
7298464994Simple PendulumConsists of a weight of mass attached to a string or a mass-less rod that swings, without friction, about the vertical equilibrium position.48
7298464995Mechanical WaveA disturbance transmitted by a medium from one point to another, without the medium its self being transported.49
7298464996CrestsThe points at which the rope has its maximum vertical displacement above the horizontal.50
7298464997TroughsThe points at which the rope has its maximum vertical displacement below the horizontal.51
7298464998Transverse WaveA wave vibrating perpendicular to the direction in which it propagates (travels horizontally).52
7298464999Superposition (Of Waves)When two or more waves meet, the displacement at any point of the medium is equal to the algebraic sum of the displacements due to the individual waves.53
7298465000Constructive InterferenceWhen two waves has displacements of the same sign when they overlap, the combined wave will have a displacement of greater magnitude than either individual wave.54
7298465001Destructive InterferenceWhen two waves have opposite displacements and meet, the combined waveform will have a displacement of smaller magnitude than either individual wave.55
7298465002InphaseWhen two waves meet and the crest meets the crest and trough meets trough perfectly. These waves constructively interfere and the amplitude of the combined wave will be the sum of the individual amplitudes.56
7298465003Out of PhaseWhen two waves meet and the crest of one meets the trough of the other and vice versa. These waves will destructively interfere completely and the amplitude of the combined wave will be the difference between the individual amplitudes.57
7298465004Standing WaveThe wave oscillates vertically and remains fixed. The crests and troughs no longer travel down the length of the string.58
7298465005Longitudinal WaveA wave the travels and oscillates in the same direction. (i.e sound waves)59
7298465006IntensityThe rate at which sound waves transmit energy, per unit area.60
7298465007Decibels (dB)The loudness of sound.61
7298465008BeatWhen two waves interfere constructively, producing an increase in sound level.62
7298465009Beat FrequencyEqual to the difference between the frequencies of the two combining sounds.63
7298465010Doppler EffectThe shift in frequency and wavelength that occurs when the source and detector are in relative motion.64
7298465011Electric ChargeA quality had by protons and electrons that gives them an attractive force.65
7298465012ChargedOccurs when an imbalance between the numbers of protons and electrons exists.66
7298465013Coulomb's Law67
7298465014Electric FieldThe presence of charge creates an ___________ ___________ in the space that surrounds it.68
7298465015Gravitational FieldThe space surrounding the Earth a permeated by a ___________ ____________ that's created by the Earth.69
7298465016Electric DipoleWhen two equal but opposite charges form a pair.70
7298465017ConductorsMaterials that permit the flow of excess charge.71
7298465018InsulatorsA material whose internal electric charges do not flow freely.72
7298465019SuperconductorA material that offers no resistance to the flow of charges.73
7298465020Ohm's Law74
7298465021Direct CurrentWhen a current always travels in the same direction through the pathway.75
7298465022VoltageThe thing that creates current.76
7298465023Kirchhoff's First Law (The Junction Rule) (The Node Rule)Says that the total current that enters a junction must equal the total current that leaves the junction.77
7298465024Kirchhoff's Second Law (The Loop Rule)Says that the sum of the potential differences (positive and negative) That traverse any closed loop in a circuit must be zero.78
7298465025Net ForceThe single force that could replace all the individual acting on an object and produce the same effect. Forces acting in the same direction add to together to make this.79
7298465026Restoring ForceAny force that always pushed an object toward an equilibrium position.80

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!