Foundations of Physics
10 terms
Scalar
Foundations of Physics
Various
A physical quantity that is completely specified by its magnitude (value and unit) alone, possessing no direction.
Scalar Product
Foundations of Physics
Various
An algebraic vector operation that multiplies two vectors to yield a scalar equal to the product of their magnitudes and the cosine of the angle between them.
A · B = |A||B| cos θ = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz
Scientific Law
Foundations of Physics
N/A
A concise verbal or mathematical statement that describes a universal, consistently observed relationship in nature under specified conditions.
Scientific Method
Foundations of Physics
N/A
An empirical, iterative process for investigating natural phenomena through observation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, and analysis.
Scientific Notation
Foundations of Physics
Dimensionless
A standardized method of expressing very large or very small numbers in the format a × 10ⁿ, where 1 ≤ |a| < 10 and n is an integer.
a × 10^n
Scientific Theory
Foundations of Physics
N/A
A comprehensive, well-substantiated explanation of a broad aspect of nature supported by extensive empirical evidence and repeated testing.
SI Units
Foundations of Physics
Dimensionless
The International System of Units (SI), the modern metric system used globally as the standard language of science and measurement.
Significant Figures
Foundations of Physics
Dimensionless
The digits in a measured or calculated quantity that carry meaningful contribution to its measurement precision.
Speed of Light
Foundations of Physics
m/s
The maximum speed at which all massless particles, electromagnetic waves, and information travel through a vacuum.
c = 299,792,458 m/s
Systematic Error
Foundations of Physics
Various
A consistent, repeatable error in experimental measurements that skews data in the same direction from the true value.
Offset = Mean Measured - True Value