VocabulariesforPHYS221

(1) Science - The body of knowledge that describes the order within Nature and the
cause of that order.
(2) Observation, Experiment Scientific Data - Scientific information extracted from
Nature
(3) Base Units of SI System
BaseQuantity

Name

Symbol

Definition

Length

meter

Themeteristhelengthofthepathtravelledbylightinvacuumduringatimeintervalof1/299
792458ofasecond.

Mass

kilogram

kg

Thekilogramistheunitofmass;itisequaltothemassoftheinternationalprototypeofthe
kilogram.

Time

second

Thesecondisthedurationof9192631770periodsoftheradiationcorrespondingtothe
transitionbetweenthetwohyperfinelevelsofthegroundstateofthecesium133atom.

ElectricCurrent

ampere

Theampereisthatconstantcurrentwhich,ifmaintainedintwostraightparallelconductors
ofinfinitelength,ofnegligiblecircularcrosssection,andplaced1meterapartinvacuum,
wouldproducebetweentheseconductorsaforceequalto2x107newtonpermeteroflength.

Thermodynamic
Temperature

kelvin

Thekelvin,unitofthermodynamictemperature,isthefraction1/273.16ofthethermodynamic
temperatureofthetriplepointofwater.
1.Themoleistheamountofsubstanceofasystemwhichcontainsasmanyelementary
entitiesasthereareatomsin0.012kilogramofcarbon12;itssymbolis"mol."

Amountofsubstance

mole

mol

Luminousintensity

candela

cd

2.Whenthemoleisused,theelementaryentitiesmustbespecifiedandmaybeatoms,
molecules,ions,electrons,otherparticles,orspecifiedgroupsofsuchparticles.
Thecandelaistheluminousintensity,inagivendirection,ofasourcethatemits
monochromaticradiationoffrequency540x1012hertzandthathasaradiantintensityinthat
directionof1/683wattpersteradian.

(4) Conversion Factor- a ratio between different units of measurement for the same
quantity
(5) Displacement- - Difference or change in position (cf. Distance)
x = x2 - x1 = x(t2) - x(t1)
[SI Unit - m]
(6) Average Velocity- Distance / Time Difference
Vavg = x/ t [SI Unit - m/s]

Same as Average Speed in One Dimension

With Direction in 2/3-D

(7) Instantaneous Velocity- time derivative of position
V(t) = dx/dt
(8) Acceleration time derivative of velocity
a(t)= dv(t)/dt
[SI Unit - m/s2]