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Electromagnetism & Electronics

Power Factor

The ratio of real power dissipated by an AC circuit to the apparent power delivered by the supply.

PF = cos φ = P_real / S_apparent = R / Z Dimensionless (0 to 1)
Electromagnetism & Electronics

Poynting Vector

A vector representing the directional energy flux density (power per unit area) transported by an electromagnetic field.

S = (1 / μ₀) (E × B) W/m² (Watts per square meter)
Geophysics & Environmental Physics

Precession of the Equinoxes

The slow continuous conical rotation of Earth's rotational axis in space, taking ~25,800 years to complete one full cycle.

Precession Period T ≈ 25,772 years (Axial Wobble Rate ~ 50.3″/year) Years per Cycle (~25,800 years)
Foundations of Physics

Precision

The degree of agreement or repeatability among independent measurements of the same quantity taken under identical conditions.

Standard Deviation (σ) Various
Optics

Presbyopia

The age-related loss of accommodation power in the human eye caused by reduced elasticity of the crystalline lens.

Near Point > 25 cm (increases with age) Diopters (D)
Foundations of Physics

Pressure

The perpendicular force exerted per unit surface area over which that force is distributed.

P = F / A Pa
Quantum & Atomic Physics

Principal Quantum Number

The primary quantum number designating the main electron shell, overall orbital size, and principal energy level of an electron in an atom.

n = 1, 2, 3, 4... Dimensionless Integer
Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics

Principle of Mixtures

The heat conservation principle stating that in an isolated system, heat lost by hotter components equals heat gained by cooler components…

∑ Q = 0 ⇒ ∑ m_i c_i (T_f - T_i) = 0 J
Waves, Oscillations & Acoustics

Principle of Superposition

The principle stating that when two or more linear waves overlap at a point, total resultant displacement equals vector sum of individual…

y_total(x,t) = y1(x,t) + y2(x,t) + ... + yn(x,t) m
Quantum & Atomic Physics

Probability Density

The probability per unit volume of finding a quantum particle at a specific spatial position at a given time.

P(x) = |ψ(x, t)|² = ψ*(x, t) ψ(x, t) m⁻¹ (1D) or m⁻³ (3D)
Classical Mechanics

Projectile Motion

The 2D motion of an object launched into a gravitational field under the sole influence of gravity (ignoring air resistance).

x(t) = v0 cos θ t, y(t) = v0 sin θ t - ½ g t² m, m/s
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity

Proper Time

The physical time interval measured by a clock moving along a specific worldline through spacetime.

dτ = dt / γ = √(dt² - dx²/c²) Seconds (Proper Time τ)
Biophysics & Medical Physics

Protein Folding

The physical process by which a polypeptide chain folds spontaneously into a characteristic 3D functional native structure.

Energy Funnel Concept: Minimizing Native State Free Energy G kJ/mol (Conformational Stability)
Biophysics & Medical Physics

Proton Therapy

An advanced form of external beam radiation therapy utilizing accelerated proton beams to destroy cancerous tumors.

Bragg Peak Energy Deposition Curve: (-dE/dx) ∝ 1 / v² MeV (Proton Beam Energy ~70–250 MeV)
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity

Protostar

An early evolutionary mass phase of a star formed by the gravitational contraction of an interstellar gas cloud before core hydrogen fusion…

t_collapse ~ t_freefall = √(3π / (32 G ρ)) Solar Masses & Years
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Relativity

Pulsar

A highly magnetized, rapidly rotating neutron star that emits focused beams of electromagnetic radiation from its magnetic poles.

P_spin ~ 1.4 ms to 10 s, P_dot = dP / dt Milliseconds to Seconds (Rotation Period)
Biophysics & Medical Physics

Pulse Oximetry

A non-invasive medical monitoring method measuring arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) using differential optical absorption of red and…

Ratio R = (AC₆₆₀/DC₆₆₀) / (AC₉₄₀/DC₉₄₀) ⇒ % SpO₂ Percentage (% SpO₂)
Nuclear & Particle Physics

Q-Value

The net amount of energy released or absorbed during a nuclear reaction or radioactive decay process.

Q = (m_reactants - m_products) c² MeV (Mega-electronvolts)
Nuclear & Particle Physics

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD)

The relativistic quantum field theory describing the strong nuclear interaction between color-charged quarks and gluons.

L_QCD = q̄ (i γ^μ D_μ - m) q - ¼ G^a_μν G^a,μν Non-Abelian Gauge Theory
Condensed Matter & Materials Physics

Quantum Confinement Effect

The shift and quantization of electronic energy levels when charge carriers are confined within spatial dimensions smaller than their De…

E_confinement ∝ 1 / L² (When dimension L ≤ De Broglie wavelength) eV (Confinement Energy Shift)
Quantum & Atomic Physics

Quantum Decoherence

The loss of quantum coherence where interaction between a quantum system and its macro-environment converts a quantum superposition into a…

ρ_offdiag(t) = ρ_offdiag(0) e^(-t / τ_dec) s (Decoherence Time Constant)
Quantum & Atomic Physics

Quantum Dots

Nanometer-scale semiconductor crystals that trap charge carriers in all three spatial dimensions, exhibiting artificial atom quantized…

E_gap(R) = E_bulk + (ℏ² π²) / (2 m_eff R²) nm (Size), eV (Bandgap)
Quantum & Atomic Physics

Quantum Electrodynamics (QED)

The relativistic quantum field theory describing how light (photons) and charged matter (electrons/positrons) interact.

L_QED = ψ̄ (i γ^μ D_μ - m) ψ - ¼ F_μν F^μν Relativistic Quantum Field
Quantum & Atomic Physics

Quantum Entanglement

A quantum phenomenon in which two or more particles become interconnected such that the quantum state of each particle cannot be described…

|Ψ⟩ = (1 / √2) (|0⟩|1⟩ - |1⟩|0⟩) Dimensionless Quantum State