Forces
When standing still, what force defines "down"?
Gravity
Is force treated as a scalar or a vector?
In the equation F = m a, what does the F stand for?
Force
What types of particles are contained in an atom's nucleus?
Protons and neutrons
Rank these radiation types from lightest to heaviest:
Alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation
Gamma, beta, alpha
What is the contact force that resists motion between two surfaces?
Friction
Explain the difference between distance and displacement
1) Distance is a scalar, while displacement is a vector
2) Distance cares about the path from start to finish, displacement does not
In the equation F = m a, what does the a stand for?
Acceleration
What is the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission?
Nuclear fusion builds bigger nuclei from smaller parts, while nuclear fission breaks big nuclei down to smaller parts.
What is the electrical charge of beta radiation?
-1 / negative
What name do we give the force that moves a vehicle forward?
Thrust
What is the value of g on Earth?
9.81 m/s2 OR 10 m/s2
In the stopping distance equation s = 1/2 a t2, what does the letter s represent?
Displacement
What physical law states that a reaction should end with as much matter as it starts with?
Law of Conservation of Mass / Matter
What is the electrical charge of alpha radiation?
+2 / positive
Normal force
What is the name for an object's top speed when falling through a fluid?
Terminal velocity
What does the p stand for in the equation
p = m v
Momentum
What is the amount of time it takes for half of the unstable atoms in a sample to decay?
A half-life
What term describes how far radiation can pass through different materials?
Penetration / penetrating power
What is the name for the sum of all forces acting on an object?
Resultant force (or net force)
What is the term for when an object is experiencing zero resultant force?
Equilibrium
What does the Greek letter mu represent in the equations for friction?
The coefficient of friction
Write the equation that represents an atom of lead-210 decaying by alpha radiation
21082Pb -> 42He + 20680Hg + 2 gamma
Alpha, beta, and gamma radiation are all called ionizing radiation. Why?
They can all remove electrons from atoms they interact with.