Physics Fundamentals Quiz

Energy Conservation

• The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed.
• Energy is the ability to do work or cause change.
• There are two main kinds of energy: kinetic energy (energy of motion) and potential energy (energy of position).
• Energy is always converted from one form to another.

Friction

• Friction opposes motion.
• Friction converts mechanical energy to thermal energy (heat), slowing down objects.

Special Relativity

• Einstein's theory of Special Relativity slightly changed the Law of Conservation of Energy to include matter.
• Matter and energy together must always be conserved.

Work

• Work is a quantitative term in physics, defined as the magnitude of energy associated with an object's displacement after subjecting it to an external force.
• Work is the dot product of two vectors, force and displacement.
• Work has units of Joules (J), which is equal to Newtons-meter (Nm).
• Work is a scalar quantity, meaning it doesn't depend on the direction.
• Work can be positive, negative, or zero depending on the direction of the vectors and the angle between them.

Simple Machines

• A simple machine is any device that is not powered and is used to multiply or change the direction of a force.
• There are six simple machines: inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, wheel and axle, and pulley.
• Simple machines help humans do work by increasing the distance that the force is exerted, thereby increasing mechanical advantage.

Mechanical Advantage

• Mechanical advantage is the ratio of output to the input force.
• Simple machines can be defined as ''the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage (also called leverage) to multiply force''.
• The mechanical advantage for a simple machine like a lever is: Load / Effort.

Heat and Temperature

• Heat is an extensive quantity that measures total energy, including potential energy, and increases with the size of a system.
• Temperature is an intensive quantity that measures only mean kinetic energy and is independent of the size of a system.
• Heat transfer occurs from the hotter substance to the colder substance, increasing the temperature of the colder substance and decreasing the temperature of the hotter substance.
• There are three methods for heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation.

Heat Transfer

• Heat is a type of energy measured in joules.
• Heat can flow from one place to another, but only flows spontaneously from hot places to cold places until both places reach equilibrium.
• Heat can flow in a vacuum by radiation, which is the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves.
• Heat flows in solids by conduction, which occurs when two objects in contact with each other transfer heat between them.
• Heat flows in fluids by convection, which is a type of energy transfer where the hot part of a fluid expands and rises as a cooler, denser part sinks.

Waves

• A wave is a regular displacement that propagates through spacetime.
• There are two main categories of waves: mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves.
• Mechanical waves need a medium to propagate through, while electromagnetic waves can propagate through a vacuum.
• Waves have crests, troughs, and wavelengths, which are used to measure the period, frequency, and amplitude of a wave.

Types of Waves

• Transverse waves: particles move perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
• Longitudinal waves: particles move parallel to the direction of the wave.
• Compression waves: one type of mechanical wave, has periods of compression and rarefaction.
• Electromagnetic waves: start from vibrations of electrically charged particles, can propagate through a vacuum.

Resonance

• Resonance is an occurrence in physics where a specific frequency of vibration causes a nearby object to increase the amplitude at which it vibrates.
• Resonant frequency is the frequency at which an object naturally vibrates, also called its natural frequency.
• Resonance occurs when an object is exposed to its resonant frequency, resulting in amplifications of the vibrations of the object.
• Resonance occurs in RLC circuits, musical instruments, and light waves.

Sound Waves

• Sound waves are longitudinal waves that require a medium in which to travel.
• The amplitude of a sound wave is a reflection of how much energy is carried, which contributes to the intensity of the sound.
• Intensity is measured in decibels and is perceived as sound volume.
• The frequency of a sound wave is perceived as pitch.
• Humans can detect pitches within the acoustic range of 20 to 20,000 Hz, but can't detect ultrasound or infrasound.

Timbre

• Timbre is the quality of a sound, which distinguishes one sound from another.
• Timbre is determined by the relative pitch and loudness of the overtones, which are the higher frequency harmonics.
• Overtones are what give a sound its unique quality, or timbre.

Energy Conservation

• The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed.
• Energy is the ability to do work or cause change.
• There are two main kinds of energy: kinetic energy (energy of motion) and potential energy (energy of position).
• Energy is always converted from one form to another.

Friction

• Friction opposes motion.
• Friction converts mechanical energy to thermal energy (heat), slowing down objects.

Special Relativity

• Einstein's theory of Special Relativity slightly changed the Law of Conservation of Energy to include matter.
• Matter and energy together must always be conserved.

Work

• Work is a quantitative term in physics, defined as the magnitude of energy associated with an object's displacement after subjecting it to an external force.
• Work is the dot product of two vectors, force and displacement.
• Work has units of Joules (J), which is equal to Newtons-meter (Nm).
• Work is a scalar quantity, meaning it doesn't depend on the direction.
• Work can be positive, negative, or zero depending on the direction of the vectors and the angle between them.

Simple Machines

• A simple machine is any device that is not powered and is used to multiply or change the direction of a force.
• There are six simple machines: inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, wheel and axle, and pulley.
• Simple machines help humans do work by increasing the distance that the force is exerted, thereby increasing mechanical advantage.

Mechanical Advantage

• Mechanical advantage is the ratio of output to the input force.
• Simple machines can be defined as ''the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage (also called leverage) to multiply force''.
• The mechanical advantage for a simple machine like a lever is: Load / Effort.

Heat and Temperature

• Heat is an extensive quantity that measures total energy, including potential energy, and increases with the size of a system.
• Temperature is an intensive quantity that measures only mean kinetic energy and is independent of the size of a system.
• Heat transfer occurs from the hotter substance to the colder substance, increasing the temperature of the colder substance and decreasing the temperature of the hotter substance.
• There are three methods for heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation.

Heat Transfer

• Heat is a type of energy measured in joules.
• Heat can flow from one place to another, but only flows spontaneously from hot places to cold places until both places reach equilibrium.
• Heat can flow in a vacuum by radiation, which is the transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves.
• Heat flows in solids by conduction, which occurs when two objects in contact with each other transfer heat between them.
• Heat flows in fluids by convection, which is a type of energy transfer where the hot part of a fluid expands and rises as a cooler, denser part sinks.

Waves

• A wave is a regular displacement that propagates through spacetime.
• There are two main categories of waves: mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves.
• Mechanical waves need a medium to propagate through, while electromagnetic waves can propagate through a vacuum.
• Waves have crests, troughs, and wavelengths, which are used to measure the period, frequency, and amplitude of a wave.

Types of Waves

• Transverse waves: particles move perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
• Longitudinal waves: particles move parallel to the direction of the wave.
• Compression waves: one type of mechanical wave, has periods of compression and rarefaction.
• Electromagnetic waves: start from vibrations of electrically charged particles, can propagate through a vacuum.

Resonance

• Resonance is an occurrence in physics where a specific frequency of vibration causes a nearby object to increase the amplitude at which it vibrates.
• Resonant frequency is the frequency at which an object naturally vibrates, also called its natural frequency.
• Resonance occurs when an object is exposed to its resonant frequency, resulting in amplifications of the vibrations of the object.
• Resonance occurs in RLC circuits, musical instruments, and light waves.

Sound Waves

• Sound waves are longitudinal waves that require a medium in which to travel.
• The amplitude of a sound wave is a reflection of how much energy is carried, which contributes to the intensity of the sound.
• Intensity is measured in decibels and is perceived as sound volume.
• The frequency of a sound wave is perceived as pitch.
• Humans can detect pitches within the acoustic range of 20 to 20,000 Hz, but can't detect ultrasound or infrasound.

Timbre

• Timbre is the quality of a sound, which distinguishes one sound from another.
• Timbre is determined by the relative pitch and loudness of the overtones, which are the higher frequency harmonics.
• Overtones are what give a sound its unique quality, or timbre.