Glossary of classical physics

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This article serves as a glossary of the most common terms in classical physics and how they are used.

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] A

Acceleration - the change in the velocity of an object in unit time
Ampère's law - relates a circulating magnetic field to an electric current passing through a loop
Atom - smallest unit of a chemical element, the limit of classical physics on the small length scales

[edit] B

Boltzmann constant - a physical constant relating temperature to energy

[edit] C

Chaos theory - The study of processes in nonlinear dynamical systems, such as the Butterfly effect
Classical mechanics - A set of laws describing the motion of bodies and their aggregations
Coulomb's Law - the force acting between charged bodies
Crystal - A regular ordering of atoms, molecules, or ions
Choke coil- An inductance used in an A.C circuit to control current

[edit] D

Determinism - classical physics is largely deterministic
Dip(δ)- the angle which the direction of total intensity of earth's magnetic field makes with a horizontal line in the magnetic meridian at that place.

[edit] E

Elastic collision - a collision, during which no kinetic is lost
Electric current - the flow of electric charge through an object
Electrical resistance - a measure of the degree to which an object opposes the passage of electric current
Energy - a measure of being able to do mechanical work
Electromotive force - the amount of energy gained per unit charge that passes through a device in the opposite direction to the electric field existing across that device
Eddy currents - changing magnetic flux linked with metal plate produces induced current which flow in closed paths throughout the bodyof the metal

[edit] F

Force - an external cause for acceleration in a physical system
Free energy - the amount of mechanical work that can be extracted from a system

[edit] G

Gravity - an attractive force between particles with mass
Geomagnetism- The branch of physics which deals with the study of earth's magnetic field

[edit] H

Hamiltonian mechanics - a reformulation of Lagrangian mechanics

[edit] I

Ideal gas - a gas consisting of identical particles of negligible volume, with no intermolecular forces
Inertia - a historical concept used for describing massive, moving objects

[edit] J

Joule's law - equation for the heat generated by a current flowing in a conductor

[edit] K

Kinetic energy - energy due to motion

[edit] L

Lagrangian - a function describing the equations of motion for a system
Lagrangian mechanics - an abstract reformulation of classical mechanics
Light - electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength visible to the human eye

[edit] M

Macroscopic - attribute used for objects and processes observable by the naked eye
Mass - a measure of the amount of matter
Maxwell's equations - four equations that describe electric and magnetic fields, and their interaction with matter
Molecule - a group of atoms koined by chemical bonds
Momentum - the product of mass and velocity
Magnetic field- The space around a magnet or a conductor carrying current within which its magnetic influence can be detected or experienced.

[edit] N

Newton's laws of motion - the three laws by Newton, publish in Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica in 1687
Newtonian mechanics - the first formulation of classical mechanics

[edit] O

Ohm's law - relationship between the current flowing in a conductor and the voltage difference between its end

[edit] P

Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica - a three-volume work published by Isaac Newton in 1687, introducing his famous three laws of motion
Potential energy - energy stored when doing work against a force

[edit] Q

Quantum mechanics - the theory that separates classical and modern physics

[edit] R

Resonance - the tendency of a system to absorb more energy at its resonant frequency in a given process

[edit] S

Semiclassical - refers to a combination of classical mechanics and quantum mechanics
Special theory of relativity - a theory published in 1905 by Albert Einstein that replaced Newton's notions of space and time
Statistical mechanics - the application of methamical statistics to the collective motions of large populations of particles

[edit] T

Temperature - the average kinetic energy of a system
Thermodynamics - the study of thermal processes in physical systems

[edit] U

Ultraviolet catastrophe - a false prediction made by classical mechanics proceeding quantum mechanics

[edit] V

Velocity - the change in the position of an object in time

[edit] W

Wave - a disturbance that propagates in a periodically repeating fashion, often transferring energy
Work - the energy transferred to an object by a force