| Terms |
Meaning |
| Absolute Zero |
It means the theoretical lowest possible temperature |
| Acoustics |
The branch of physics that studies sound |
| Adhesion |
The propensity of dissimilar particles or surfaces to adhere or cling to one another |
| Alpha particles |
It consists of two protons and two neutrons bound together into a particle (i.e. identical to a helium nucleus) |
| Amorphous solid |
It is non-crystalline solid, which has no definite shape |
| Amplitude |
It is height of a wave, which is measured from its center position |
| Angstrom (Å) |
It is an unit of linear measurement that measures micro-particles |
| Atomic mass unit |
It is one-twelfth the mass of an atom of the isotope 12⁄6C |
| Beta Particles |
It is high-energy, high-speed electrons or positrons emitted by the particular types of radioactive nuclei |
| Big Bang |
The cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe |
| Binding energy |
The mechanical energy that is required to disassemble a whole into separate parts |
| Black hole |
A region of space-time, which gravity is very powerful and prevents anything, including light, from escaping |
| Boson |
It is one of two classes of elementary particles; second one is fermions |
| Cathode |
An electrode through which electric current flows out of a polarized electrical device |
| Centrifugal force |
Center fleeing |
| Centripetal force |
Center seeking |
| Condensed matter physics |
A branch of physics that studies the physical properties of condensed phases of matter |
| Convection |
The process of transfer of heat by the actual transfer of matter |
| Crest |
The point on a wave with the maximum value |
| Doppler effect |
The change in frequency of a wave for an observer moving relative to its source |
| Ductility |
It is the property of solid material that deform under tensile stress |
| Elasticity |
It is physical property of materials which return to their original shape once they are deformed. |
| Electromagnet |
A typical magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by passing the electric current |
| Entropy |
A quantity that describes the randomness of a substance or a system |
| Escape velocity |
The speed at which the kinetic energy and the gravitational potential energy of an object is zero. Likewise, the escape velocity is the speed required to "break free" from a gravitational field without further propulsion |
| Free fall |
Any motion of a body where its weight is the only force acting upon it |
| Ice point |
A transitional phase of a substance from a liquid to a solid. |
| Inertia |
It is the tendency of an object to resist any change in its motion |
| Kinematics |
Geometry of motion |
| Neutrino |
An electrically neutral subatomic particle |
| Photon |
It is an elementary particle |
| Quark |
It is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter |
| Redshift |
Shifting towards the red end of the spectrum |
| Screw |
It is a mechanism that converts rotational motion to linear motion |
| Siphon |
An inverted U tube that causes a liquid to flow uphill without support of any pump. It is basically powered by the fall of the liquid as it flows down the tube under the force of gravity |
| Sublimation |
It is a process of transformation in which solid directly changed to gas without passing through an intermediate liquid phase |
| Supernova |
A stellar explosion, which is more energetic than a nova |
| Vector |
Vector is a quantity, which has both magnitude and direction |
| White dwarf |
It is a stellar remnant, which is composed largely of electron-degenerate matter. These are very dense |
| Wind shear |
It is the difference between wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere |
