Psychology: Research Methods

Physics Alphabet

• Absolute zero: the lowest possible temperature where a gas has zero volume.

• Absorption spectrum: electromagnetic radiation spectrum absorbed by a substance when radiation of all frequencies passes through it.

• Acceleration: the change in velocity divided by the time interval over which it occurs.

• Accuracy: how close a measurement is to the standard value of that quantity.

• Achromatic lens: a lens with the same focal length for all light colors.

• Action-reaction forces: force pairs involved in an interaction, equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

• Activity: the number of decays per second of a radioactive substance.

• Adhesion: the force of attraction between two different materials.

• Air resistance: force of air on objects moving through it.

• Alpha decay: process in which a nucleus emits an alpha particle.

• Alpha particle: positively charged particles with two protons and two neutrons emitted by radioactive materials.

• Ammeter: a device used to measure electrical current.

• Amorphous solid: solids without long-range order or crystal structure.

• Ampere: the unit of electric current, where one ampere equals the flow of one coulomb of charge per second.

• Amplitude: the maximum displacement from equilibrium in any periodic motion.

• Angle of incidence: the angle between the direction of motion of waves and a line perpendicular to the surface the waves strike.

• Angle of reflection: the angle between the direction of motion of waves and a line perpendicular to the surface from which the waves are reflected.

• Angle of refraction: the angle between the direction of motion of waves and a line perpendicular to the surface from which the waves have been refracted.

• Angular momentum: the quantity of rotational motion, calculated as the product of moment of inertia and angular velocity for a rotating object.

• Annihilation: the process where a particle and its antiparticle are converted into energy.

• Antenna: used to receive or transmit electromagnetic waves.

• Antineutrino: a subatomic particle with no charge or mass emitted in beta decay.

• Antinode: the point of maximum displacement of two superimposed waves.

• Archimedes' principle: an object immersed in a fluid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.

• Artificial radioactivity: radioactive isotope not found in nature.

• Atomic mass unit: a unit of mass equal to 1/12 the atomic mass of a carbon-12 nucleus.

• Atomic number: the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.

• Average acceleration: acceleration measured over a finite time interval.

• Average velocity: velocity measured over a finite time interval.

• Back-EMF: potential difference across a conductor caused by change in magnetic flux.

• Band theory: explanation of electrical conduction in solids.

• Baryon: a subatomic particle composed of three quarks that interacts with the strong nuclear force.

• Battery: converts chemical energy into electrical energy, consisting of two dissimilar conductors and an electrolyte.

• Beat: a slow oscillation in the amplitude of a complex wave.

• Bernoulli's principle: for a fixed quantity of fluid flow, pressure decreases as flow velocity increases.

• Beta decay: a radioactive decay process in which an electron or positron and neutrino are emitted from a nucleus.

• Beta particle: a high-speed electron emitted by a radioactive nucleus in beta decay.

• Binding energy: the negative of the energy needed to separate a nucleus into individual nucleons.

• Boiling point: the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid to a vapor state under normal atmospheric pressure.

• Breeder reactor: a nuclear reactor that converts nonfissionable nuclei to fissionable nuclei while producing energy.

• Bubble chamber: instrument containing superheated liquid in which the path of ionizing particles is made visible as trails of tiny bubbles.

• Buoyant force: the upward force on an object immersed in a fluid.

• Calorimeter: isolates objects to measure temperature changes due to heat flow.

• Candela: unit of luminous intensity.

• Capacitance: ratio of charge stored per increase in potential difference.

• Capacitor: electrical device used to store charge and energy in an electrical field.

• Capillary action: rise of liquid in a narrow tube due to surface tension.

• Carnot efficiency: is ideal efficiency of heat engine or refrigerator working between two constant temperatures.

• Centripetal force: the force that causes centripetal acceleration.

• Chain reaction: nuclear reactions in which neutrons are produced to cause further reactions.

• Charged: object having an imbalance of positive and negative electrical charges.

• Charging by conduction: touching a neutral object to a charged object.

• Charging by induction: bringing neutral object near a charged object, then removing part of the resulting separated charge.

• Chromatic aberration: variation in the focal length of a lens with the wavelength of light.

• Circular motion: motion with constant radius of curvature, acceleration is perpendicular to velocity.

• Clock reading: time between an event and a reference time, usually zero.

• Closed, isolated system: a collection of objects where neither matter nor energy can enter or leave.

• Closed-pipe resonator: cylindrical tube with one end closed and a sound source at the other end.

• Coefficient of friction: ratio of the frictional force and the normal force between two forces.

• Coefficient of linear expansion: change in length divided by original length and by temperature change.

• Coefficient of volume expansion: change in volume divided by original volume and by temperature change.

• Coherent waves: waves in which all are in step and in phase.

• Cohesive force: attractive force between similar substances.

• Complementary color: two colors that produce white light when added/ two pigments produce black when mixed.

• Compound machine: machine of two or more simple machines.

• Compton effect: the interaction of photons (usually X-rays) with electrons in matter, resulting in increased wavelength of X-rays and kinetic energy of electrons.

• Concave lens: lens thinner in the center than at the edges, diverging lens.

• Concave mirror: converging mirror with center of curvature on the reflecting side.

• Conduction band: energies of charge carriers in a solid that allow them to move freely.

• Conductor: material through which charged particles move readily or heat flows readily.

• Conserved properties: remains the same before and after an interaction.

• Consonance: two or more sounds that sound pleasant when heard together.

• Constant acceleration: describes acceleration that does not change in time.

• Constant velocity: describes velocity that does not change in time.

• Constructive interference: superposition of waves resulting in a combined wave with larger amplitude.

• Convection: heat transfer by movement of fluid.

• Conventional current: motion of positive electrical current.

• Converging lens: lens that causes light rays to converge, typically a convex lens.

• Convex lens: lens that is thicker in the center than at the edges.

• Convex mirror: diverging mirror with center of curvature on side opposite the reflecting side.

• Cosine: the ratio of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse in a right triangle.

• Coulomb: unit of electrical charge, where one coulomb is the charge caused by the flow of one ampere for one second.

• Crest of wave: high point of wave motion.

• Critical angle: minimum angle of incidence that produces total internal reflection.

• Crystal lattice: structure of solid consisting of regular arrangement of atoms.

• De Broglie wavelength: wavelength, Planck's constant divided by momentum of the particle.

• Decibel: measurement of sound level.

• Dependent variable: variable that responds to changes in the manipulated variable.

• Derived units: combination of fundamental units.

• Destructive interference: superposition of waves resulting in a combined wave with zero amplitude.

• Diffraction: bending of waves around objects in their path.

• Diffraction grating: material containing many closely spaced parallel lines that produces a light spectrum by interference.

• Diffuse reflection: reflection of light into many directions off of a rough object.

• Dimensional analysis: checking a derived equation by verifying the dimensions are the same on both sides.

• Diode: electrical device permitting current flow in only one direction.

• Dispersion of light: variation with wavelength of the speed of light through matter, resulting in separation of light into a spectrum.

• Displacement: change in position, indicates vector quantity.

• Dissonance: two or more sounds that sound unpleasant together.

• Distance: separation between two points, indicates scalar quantity.

• Diverging lens: lens that causes light rays to spread apart, usually a concave lens.

• Dopants: adding small quantities of a material to a semiconductor to increase electrical conduction.

• Doppler shift: change in wavelength due to relative motion of source and detector.

• Dynamics: study of motion with forces.

• Effective current: DC current producing the same heating effects.

• Effective voltage: DC potential difference producing the same heating effects.

• Efficiency: ratio of output work to input work.

• Effort force: force extended on a machine.

• Elastic collision: interaction between two objects where the total energy remains the same before and after the interaction.

• Elasticity: ability of an object to return to its original shape after deforming forces are removed.

• Electrical charge pump: device, often a battery or generator, that increases the potential of electrical charge.

• Electrical circuit: a continuous path through which electrical charges can flow.

• Electrical current: flow of charged particles.

• Electrical field: property of space around a charged object that causes forces on other charged objects.

• Electric field lines: lines representing the direction of an electric field.

• Electric field strength: is the force that is exerted by a field per tiny test charge.

• Electric generator: converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

• Electric potential: ratio of electric potential energy to charge.

• Electric potential difference: difference in electric potential between two points.

• Electric potential energy: energy of a charged body in an electrical field.

• Electromagnet: uses electric current to produce a concentrated magnetic field.

• Electromagnetic force: fundamental force due to electric charges, both static and moving.

• Electromagnetic induction: production of electric field or current due to change in magnetic flux.

• Electromagnetic radiation: energy carried by electromagnetic waves throughout space.

• Electromagnetic waves: waves consisting of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that move at the speed of light through space.

• Electromotive force: potential difference produced by electromagnetic induction.

• Electron: a subatomic particle with small mass and negative charge found in every atom.

• Electron cloud: region of high probability of finding an electron around an atom.

• Electron diffraction: effects on electrons due to wave-like interference of electrons with matter.

• Electron gas model: description of current flow through conductors.

• Electroscope: detects electric charges.

• Electrostatics: study of the properties and results of electric charges at rest.

• Electroweak force: the unification of electromagnetic and weak forces.

• Elementary charge: magnitude of the charge of an electron, 1.602 *10^-19.

• Emission spectrum: spectrum produced by radiation from excited atoms.

• Energy: non-material property capable of causing changes in matter.

• Energy levels: amounts of energy an electron can have in an atom.

• Entropy: measure of disorder in a system, the ratio of heat added to temperature.

• Equilibrant force: bring an object into transitional equilibrium.

• Equilibrium: condition occurs when net force is equal to zero, and when net torque is zero.

• Equivalent resistance: single resistance that could replace several resistors.

• Evaporation: change from liquid to vapor state.

• Excited state: an energy level of an atom higher than the ground state.

• External forces: exerted from outside a system.

• Extrinsic semiconductor: conduction is primarily the result of added impurities.

• Factor-label method: dimensional analysis.

• Farad: unit of capacitance, one coulomb per volt.

• Ferromagnetic materials: generate large internal magnetic fields by cooperative action of electrons.

• First harmonic: fundamental frequency.

• First law of thermodynamics: change in internal or thermal energy equals heat added and work done.

• Fluid: material that flows, i.e., liquids, gases, and plasmas.

• Focal length: distance from the focal point to the center of a lens or vertex of a mirror.

• Focal point: location at which rays parallel to the optical axis of an ideal mirror or lens converge to a point.

• Forbidden gap: energy values that electrons in a semiconductor or insulator cannot have.

• Force: agent that accelerates/deforms an object.

• Frame of reference: coordinate system used to define motion.

• Fraunhofer lines: absorption lines in the sun's spectrum due to gases in the solar atmosphere.

• Frequency: number of occurrences per unit time.

• Friction: force opposing relative motion of two objects in contact.

• Fundamental particles: quarks and leptons of which all materials are composed.

• Fundamental tone: lowest frequency sound from a musical tone.

• Fundamental units: units on which a measurement system is based (meter, second, kilogram, ampere, candela).

• Fuse: metal safety device in an electric circuit that melts to stop current flow when current is too large.

• Fusion: combining two nuclei into one with the release of energy.

• Galvanometer: measures very small currents.

• Gamma decay: a nucleus emits a gamma ray.

• Gamma particle: high-energy photon emitted by a radioactive nucleus.

• Gas: matter that expands to fill container.

• Geiger-Mueller tube: detects radiation using its ability to ionize matter.

• General theory of relativity: Einstein's explanation of gravity and accelerated motion.

• Gluon: carrior of strong nuclear force.

• Grand unified theories: theories being developed that unify the stronger and electroweak forces into one force.

• Gravitational field: distortion of space due to mass presence.

• Gravitational force: attraction between two objects due to mass.

• Gravitational mass: ration of gravitational force to object's acceleration.

• Gravitational potential energy: change due to gravitational field.

• Graviton: particle that carries gravitational force, is yet to be observed.

• Ground state: lowest energy level of an electron in an atom.

• Grounding: process of connecting a charged object to Earth to remove the object's unbalanced charge.

• Half-life: the time for half a radioactive sample to decay.

• Harmonics: frequencies produced by a musical instrument that are multiples of the fundamental tone.

• Heat: energy transferred from one object to another due to temperature difference.

• Heat engine: converts thermal energy to mechanical energy.

• Heat of fusion: energy needed to change a unit mass of a substance from solid to liquid.

• Heat of vaporization: energy needed to change a unit mass of a substance from liquid to gas.

• Heavy water: deuterium oxide used mainly in CANDU nuclear reactors.

• Heisenberg uncertainty principle: the more accurately one determines the position of a particle, the less accurately the momentum can be known, and vice versa.

• Hertz: unit of frequency, one event or cycle per second.

• Hole: absence of an electron in a semiconductor.

• Hooke's law: force is proportional to object deformation.

• Huygens' wavelets: model of spreading waves in which each point on wavefront is.

• Hydraulic system: machines using fluids to transmit energy.

• Hyperbola: mathematical curve describing inverse relationships.

• Hypotenuse: side opposite the right angle in a triangle.

• Ideal mechanical advantages: ratio of effort distance to resistance distance.

• Illuminance: rate at which electromagnetic wave energy falls on a surface.

• Illuminated object: object upon which light falls.

• Image: reproduction of object formed with lenses or mirrors.

• Impulse: product of force and time interval.

• Impulse-momentum theorem: impulse is equal to change in momentum.

• Incandescent body: emits light due to temperature.

• Incident wave: wave strikes boundary, then reflected or refracted.

• Incoherent light: light consisting of waves not in phase.

• Independent variable: manipulated in an experiment.

• Index of refraction: of the speed of light in vacuum to the medium.

• Inelastic collision: kinetic energy is changed.

• Inertia: Objects tendency not to change motion.

• Inertial mass: ratio of net force exerted, is proportional to object.

• Initial velocity: velocity of object with time = 0.

• Instantaneous acceleration: acceleration at specific time, slope of tangent to graph.

• Instantaneous position: position of an object at a time.

• Instantaneous velocity: slope of tanget to the graph time.

• Insulator: reduced thermal carriers or reduces electrical charge.

• Interference fringes: light bands with dark patterns.

• Interference of waves: displacements of wave, producing smaller or larger.

• Internal forces: forces withing a system of objects.

• Intrinsic semiconductor: is due to host material, not impurities.

• Inverse relationship: equation summarized with xy=k, and k represents constant.

• Ionizing radiation: radiation can remove electrons, or molecules.

• Isolated system: collection of objects that neither leave or enter.

• Isotope: nuclei having the same number, with different numbers of neutrons.

• Joule: equal to one Newton-meter.

• Joule heating: thermal energy.

• Kelvin temperature scale: scale with 0k is an equal absolute zero.

• Kepler's law: attraction of bodies by the gravity of force.

• Kilogram: is the unit of measurement for mass

• Kilowatt hour: energy equal to measurement.

• Kinematics: motion of objects causes the motion.

• Kinetic energy: energy in motion.

• Kinetic-molecular energy: description of extremely small particles.

• Laser: produces light by emission of radiation.

• Laser- induced fusion: heating causes beams to matter together.

• Law of conservation of energy: in a closed, total momentum is constant.

• Law of reflection: the wave is equal of reflection

• Law of universal gravitation: objects depends of mass separated.

• Lens: device created to converge and diverge.

• Lens equation: equation similar to mirror.

• Lenz's law: field opposes of current

• Lepton: gravitation interactions.

• Lever arm: Force displaced by force.

• Light: Electromagnetic radiation

• Linear accelerator: applying excessive Electric field.

• Linear relationship: relationship between different varibles

• Linear restoring force: direction toward equilibrium, depends on position.

• Liquid: depends on shape ofcontainer.

• Lodestone: magnisium rock.

• Longitudinal Machine: travelling in direction.

• Loudness: of sound waves as wel amplitude

• Lumen: luminous flux

• Luminance intensity: candelas divded by 4 pie.

• Luminous flux: measured lumens.

• Luminous object: reflects light and light emmiting.

• Lux: meter square of lux.

• Machine: forces to do work.

• Magnetic Field: Force excerts throughouut the magnet

• Magnification: optical immage

• Manipulated Variable: the experminter can

• Mass defect: equivalent of defects,

• Mass number: numbers protons nucleso of atom

• Matter wave: wave like particles

• mechanicall advanatage: force applied to mechine\

• mechinical energy: kinetic and potentional

• mEchincal resonance: oscilllation maxium.

• Mechinal wave: e.g sound water

• melting pomit: tempreture changes liquids states

• mESON: qarks made to anti qaurk.

• meter lengh

• mMirrriir: object from the lense point

• moDErratotor: neutron reactors decresspeed

• mometn: masss or velocity

• monotic light : single wave ledgnh

• Mutual inductance: measured as flux

• moYopoa: front of rerina eye

• N type semiconducter: carried out electrons

• net force: vectors foorces from object

• neutral: no electrical chage.

• neutrino charge less sub atomic particle.

• Neutron su batomic, particale slightyly greater then proton.

• neutron: S1 Ynit of FOrce.

• Newton 'slaw: relating to accelereatiion

• Nodes where Waves Cause.

• Normail PeRpendeicular to plane interest

• Nuclear represeniing recactions.

• NucLeaur fissiin: reacting sphts large mass.

• Nucl ear fusio :reactionin 2 arecombime.

• Nuclear Reaclio: number of Pro to changgs

• Nuclear Reatior: used to generator elcirlty.

• Nuclear tramsmutation: nuclear as reaction

• Nucleon eilhep protin newitron

• Nutide nucleus of isotope.

• Objekt: ligh either itumated.

• Ochave: inervai between frequens ratio

• Okm S1 anit resistance voL per amperes

• Olum: conslant vollage object

• Opague not trsnsrmrtigh

• open pipe resonator. -p Semi conuctor moton ofholeus.

• Pair prodac tion: garrmma rays pantices's

• Parabolic mirrot: of revevation

• Paralel circit:more of current flow

• parailel concecion: more of current flow

• Paralell conceion:more of current flow

• Pascal: SI unit of pressuire

• Pascat'a: pressisure applied fluid is diminsshed

• period: time needed to repeat cycle of motion

• peroidic mution: repeat

• photoeletctric effiect: eletrons

• photon: of electromagnetic particles

• photovoltaic cell: device to coverts electromagne

• physics: matter and energy

• Piezoelectry: elelctrical prentional by deforming

• Pigment: absorbs materials the are colored and transmittted

• pinch: frequency sound

• plahcks: frequency constant ratio ofengery.

• planer mirri: surface reflects light

• plsama: eletron postisve.

• point object. object idealsed small postison Polarized light light elearic fields same light

• potion speration.

• Postiion time graphs: graphs

• possition antiparticle eletric

• potenta diffentiation different energy.

• potentail enegy: energy die to pottion

• potentail enengy: derice with resistancce

• power: rate of diong work. percoion degrees exact.

• pressure; force unitter

• primaryoil transfotrs to voriations

• primarylight: red grenn

• primary pigmen: Yellow gran, magen

• principa axims: live connection of ciruuture

• principai: vector force superposition

• projectites: the oroces under

• protraciton: the subatome

• quantited : divider smaller inchements.

• Quatum mechanice: matter prticle

• cuatum modes atom probability eiectring isknown!

• Quahturn number: enargy to auotum

• quark: basic prton neutron

• Quark modes: interact Strong.

• radiation: electromaagetiic ways that carny energy

Test your knowledge of research methods in psychology. This quiz covers key aspects of the scientific method, operational definitions, sampling techniques, statistical significance, and the limitations of anecdotal evidence.