Glossary

Pilot TEA AP^® Physics 1: Algebra-Based

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Glossary

Resource ID: yIieUcsG@3.7

Grade Range: HS - 12

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Glossary

Glossary

absolute zero: the lowest possible temperature; the temperature at which all molecular motion ceases

Avogadro’s number: $N_{A}$ , the number of molecules or atoms in one mole of a substance; $N_{A} = 6 . 02 \times 10^{23}$ particles/mole

Boltzmann constant: $k$ , a physical constant that relates energy to temperature; $k = 1.38 \times 10^{–23} J/K$

Celsius scale: temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is $0 º C$ and the boiling point of water is $100 º C$

coefficient of linear expansion: $α$ , the change in length, per unit length, per $1 º C$ change in temperature; a constant used in the calculation of linear expansion; the coefficient of linear expansion depends on the material and to some degree on the temperature of the material

coefficient of volume expansion: $β$ , the change in volume, per unit volume, per $1 º C$ change in temperature

critical point: the temperature above which a liquid cannot exist

critical pressure: the minimum pressure needed for a liquid to exist at the critical temperature

critical temperature: the temperature above which a liquid cannot exist

Dalton’s law of partial pressures: the physical law that states that the total pressure of a gas is the sum of partial pressures of the component gases

degree Celsius: unit on the Celsius temperature scale

degree Fahrenheit: unit on the Fahrenheit temperature scale

dew point: the temperature at which relative humidity is 100 percent; the temperature at which water starts to condense out of the air

Fahrenheit scale: temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is $32 º F$ and the boiling point of water is $212 º F$

ideal gas law: the physical law that relates the pressure and volume of a gas to the number of gas molecules or number of moles of gas and the temperature of the gas

Kelvin scale: temperature scale in which zero K is the lowest possible temperature, representing absolute zero

mole: the quantity of a substance whose mass—in grams—is equal to its molecular mass

partial pressure: the pressure a gas would create if it occupied the total volume of space available

percent relative humidity: the ratio of vapor density to saturation vapor density

phase diagram: a graph of pressure vs. temperature of a particular substance, showing at which pressures and temperatures the three phases of the substance occur

PV diagram: a graph of pressure vs. volume

relative humidity: the amount of water in the air relative to the maximum amount the air can hold

saturation: the condition of 100 percent relative humidity

sublimation: the phase change from solid to gas

temperature: the quantity measured by a thermometer

thermal energy: $\bar{KE}$ , the average translational kinetic energy of a molecule

thermal equilibrium: the condition in which heat no longer flows between two objects that are in contact; the two objects have the same temperature

thermal expansion: the change in size or volume of an object with change in temperature

thermal stress: stress caused by thermal expansion or contraction

triple point: the pressure and temperature at which a substance exists in equilibrium as a solid, liquid, and gas

vapor: a gas at a temperature below the boiling temperature

vapor pressure: the pressure at which a gas coexists with its solid or liquid phase

zeroth law of thermodynamics: law that states that if two objects are in thermal equilibrium, and a third object is in thermal equilibrium with one of those objects, it is also in thermal equilibrium with the other object