Download Physical Science Vocabulary 2016

Physical Science Vocabulary
1. Force= any push or pull on an object (direct or indirect)
2. Field= forces on two objects that are not touching (indirect)
3. Gravitational field= a field around any object with mass
4. Gravity= an attractive force between two objects with mass (affected by
mass and distance)
5. Mass= the amount of matter in an object (stays the same on other planets)
6. Weight= the force of gravity on an object (changes on other planets)
7. Magnet= any material that attracts iron and materials that contain iron
 Attract (N and S) and repel (N and N, S and S) other magnets
 One part will always point north when allowed to swing freely
8. Magnetic pole= the ends of a magnet, one North and one South, magnetism
strongest here
9. Magnetic force= the attraction or repulsion between magnetic poles, a push
or pull that causes movement, produced when the poles interact (decreases
with distance)
10.Magnetic field= the area of magnetic force around a magnet
11.Magnetic field lines= invisible lines that map out the magnetic field around a
magnet, spread out from the N pole, curve around the magnet and return to
the S pole forming loops
 Line close together=stronger magnetic field
 Lines far apart=weaker magnetic field
12.Electric charges= basic property of matter, charges can be positive (more
protons in an atom) or negative (more electrons), neutrons are NEUTRAL
 Like charges repel (++ and - -) and opposites attract (+ -).
13. Electric force= the attraction or repulsion between electric charges which
weakens with distance
14.Electric field= a region around a charged object where the object’s electric
force is exerted on other charged objects (WEAKENS with distance)
15.Static Electricity= “not moving”, the build-up of charges on an object
16.Static discharge= the loss of static electricity as charges transfer from one
object to another
17.Electromagnets= temporary magnets that lose their magnetism where the
electric current is turned off, magnetism produced by electricity
 Electricity is related to magnetism!
 Magnetic fields can produce electrical currents! (conductors)
 Electric currents can produce magnetic fields! (electromagnets)
Generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy which
produces electrical energy in power plants.
Electric motors (blenders and washing machines) convert electrical
energy into mechanical energy.
Both generators AND motors have magnets (or electromagnets) and a
coil of wire that creates its own magnetic fields when an electric
current flows through it.
18.Gravitational Potential Energy= energy associated with the position (height)
and mass of an object
 More mass=more GPE
 More height= more GPE
 GPE= m*g*h (m=mass, g=gravity, h=height)
19.Elastic Potential Energy= energy associated with the tension or compression
of spring like objects
20.Chemical Potential Energy= energy associated with the position and
arrangement of the atoms within a substance
 Rearranging those atoms by breaking the chemical bonds forms NEW
substances during a CHEMICAL CHANGE.
 When the chemical change occurs, heat (burning wood), light (glow
stick) and sound (bubbles popping) can be produced.
21. Motion= the change in position of an object
22. Acceleration= occurs when an object has a change in speed OR direction
(increase OR decrease) EX: a car speeding up or turning a corner
23. Deceleration= occurs when an object slows down, a type of acceleration
15.
Net force= the combined force acting on an object of system, all forces
16. Balanced forces= occurs when the net force of an object is equal to zero
which implies that an object is moving at a constant speed or is at rest
17. Unbalanced forces= occurs when the net force of an object is NOT equal to
zero which implies there is a change in motion
18. Force diagram (free body diagram)= a drawing that shows an object or a
system as a simple square and is labeled only with the forces applied to it (arrows
always point AWAY from the box)