Name: A Glossary of Physics Terms [2024]
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Physics is a scientific discipline that encompasses the study of all physical phenomena in the universe. However, its fundamental investigations primarily revolve around matter and its movement and characteristics in the context of space and time. Because of its strong focus on problem-solving, learning Physics may seem tough.

What is Physics?

Physics is the natural science that studies matter, energy, space, and time, and the interactions between them. It seeks to understand how the universe behaves at its most fundamental level.

The branch of science is concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. The subject matter of physics includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms.

Through persistent practice and concentrated study, however, you may achieve mastery of it. The crucial element in acquiring knowledge in any field is the appropriate mindset.

Physics plays a crucial role in explaining natural phenomena, developing technologies, and understanding the universe's underlying principles. It is considered the foundation of all other natural sciences and has led to numerous advancements in various fields.

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🔭 Different Branches of Physics

Field	Purpose
Mechanics	Focuses on the movement of an item either in the absence or presence of force; two distinct branches: quantum mechanics and classical mechanics
Optics	Focuses on the behavior, transmission, and characteristics of light
Thermodynamics	Focuses on the analysis of heat and its connection to work and energy
Electromagnetism	Focuses on the investigation of electromagnetic phenomena, such as electric fields, light, magnetic fields, and so on
Relativity	Pertains to the theorem established by Albert Einstein that asserts that space and time are not absolute, but rather depend on the observer's frame of reference; all forms of motion must be considered in relation to this frame of reference.
Acoustics	Focuses on the investigation of sound, including its propagation, generation, and impact

Types of Physics

Physics Words List - A To Z

To start the art of mastering Physics, you must familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of Physics and, of course, gain a clear understanding of the underlying concepts. Here is a comprehensive A to Z Physics dictionary to get you started.

Acceleration: the rate of increase of speed or the rate of change of velocity

Formula For Acceleration in Physics

The formula for acceleration in physics is A = F/M, where A represents acceleration, F is the force applied, and M is the mass of the object.

Alternating current: a continuous electric current that periodically reverses direction, usually sinusoidally
Ampere: the basic SI unit of electric current; the constant current that, when maintained in two parallel conductors of infinite length and negligible cross section placed 1 meter apart in free space, produces a force of 2 × 10–7 newton per meter between them. 1 ampere is equivalent to 1 coulomb per second
Amplifier: an electronic device used to increase the strength of the signal fed into it
Angstrom: a unit of length equal to 10–10 meters, used principally to express the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiations. It is equivalent to 0.1 nanometre
Anion: a negatively charged ion; an ion that is attracted to the anode during electrolysis
Antimatter: a form of matter composed of antiparticles, such as antihydrogen, consisting of antiprotons and positrons
Atom: this entity is a source of nuclear energy
Baryon: any of a class of elementary particles that have a mass greater than or equal to that of the proton, and participate in strong interactions Baryons are either nucleons or hyperons. The baryon number is the number of baryons in a system minus the number of antibaryons
Becquerel: the derived SI unit of radioactivity equal to one disintegration per second
Boyle's law: the principle that the pressure of a gas varies inversely with its volume at constant temperature
Brownian motion: random movement of microscopic particles suspended in a fluid, caused by bombardment of the particles by molecules of the fluid. First observed in 1827, it provided strong evidence in support of the kinetic theory of molecules
Cation: an ion with positive charge, which means it has more protons (positively-charged particles) than electrons (negatively-charged particles)
Calorie: a unit of heat, equal to 4.1868 joules (International Table calorie): formerly defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C under standard conditions. It has now largely been replaced by the joule for scientific purposes
Capacitance: the property of a system that enables it to store electric charge
Cathode ray: a valve in which a beam of high-energy electrons is focused onto a fluorescent screen to give a visible spot of light. The device, with appropriate deflection equipment, is used in television receivers, visual display units, oscilloscopes, etc

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Center of gravity: the point through which the resultant of the gravitational forces on a body always acts
Centrifugal force: a fictitious force that can be thought of as acting outwards on any body that rotates or moves along a curved path
Centripetal force: a force that acts inwards on any body that rotates or moves along a curved path and is directed towards the center of curvature of the path or the axis of rotation
Charge: the attribute of matter by which it responds to electromagnetic forces responsible for all electrical phenomena, existing in two forms to which the signs negative and positive are arbitrarily assigned
Charles' law: the principle that all gases expand equally for the same rise of temperature if they are held at constant pressure: also that the pressures of all gases increase equally for the same rise of temperature if they are held at constant volume. The law is now known to be only true for ideal gases
Conductor: a substance, body, or system that conducts electricity, heat, etc
Convection: the process by which masses of relatively warm air are raised into the atmosphere, often cooling and forming clouds, with compensatory downward movements of cooler air
Cosmic ray: radiation of high penetrating power that originates in outer space and consists partly of high-energy atomic nuclei
Coulomb: the derived SI unit of electric charge; the quantity of electricity transported in one second by a current of 1 ampere

Coulomb law formula

Coulomb's Law states that the electrostatic force between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.

Mathematically, it can be expressed as F = k * |q1 * q2| / r^2, where F is the electrostatic force, k is Coulomb's constant, q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charges, and r is the separation distance between the charges.

Current: a flow of electric charge through a conductor
Cyclotron: a type of particle accelerator in which the particles spiral inside two D-shaped hollow metal electrodes placed facing each other under the effect of a strong vertical magnetic field, gaining energy by a high-frequency voltage applied between these electrodes
Decibel: a unit for comparing two currents, voltages, or power levels, equal to one-tenth of a bel
Density: a measure of the compactness of a substance, expressed as its mass per unit volume. It is measured in kilograms per cubic meter or pounds per cubic foot
Diffraction: a deviation in the direction of a wave at the edge of an obstacle in its path
Diffusion: the random thermal motion of atoms, molecules, clusters of atoms, etc, in gases, liquids, and some solids
Diode: a semiconductor device containing one p-n junction, used in circuits for converting alternating current to direct current
Direct current: a continuous electric current that flows in one direction only, without substantial variation in magnitude

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Doppler effect: a phenomenon, observed for sound waves and electromagnetic radiation, characterized by a change in the apparent frequency of a wave as a result of relative motion between the observer and the source
Earth: a connection between an electrical circuit or device and the earth, which is at zero potential
Electricity: any phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons, ions, or other charged particles
Electromotive force: a source of energy that can cause a current to flow in an electrical circuit or device
Electron: a stable elementary particle present in all atoms, orbiting the nucleus in numbers equal to the atomic number of the element in the neutral atom; a lepton with a negative charge of 1.602 176 462 × 10–19 coulomb, a rest mass of 9.109 381 88 × 10–31 kilogram, a radius of 2.817 940 285 × 10–15 meter
Energy: a measure of this capacity, expressed as the work that it does in changing to some specified reference state. It is measured in joules (SI units)
Farad: the derived SI unit of electric capacitance; the capacitance of a capacitor between the plates of which a potential of 1 volt is created by a charge of 1 coulomb
Field: a region of space that is a vector field; a region of space under the influence of some scalar quantity, such as temperature
Fission: the splitting of an atomic nucleus into approximately equal parts, either spontaneously or as a result of the impact of a particle usually with an associated release of energy
Fluorescence: the emission of light or other radiation from atoms or molecules that are bombarded by particles, such as electrons, or by radiation from a separate source. The bombarding radiation produces excited atoms, molecules, or ions and these emit photons as they fall back to the ground state
Force: a dynamic influence that changes a body from a state of rest to one of motion or changes its rate of motion. The magnitude of the force is equal to the product of the mass of the body and its acceleration
Frequency: the number of times that a periodic function or vibration repeats itself in a specified time, often 1 second. It is usually measured in hertz
Friction: a resistance encountered when one body moves relative to another body with which it is in contact
Fuse: a lead of combustible black powder in a waterproof covering (safety fuse), or a lead-containing explosive (detonating fuse), used to fire an explosive charge
Fusion: a reaction in which two nuclei combine to form a nucleus with the release of energy
Gamma ray: electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 10-9 centimeters or less: may be produced by the reactions of nuclei or elementary particles or by the interaction of high-energy electrons with matter
Generator: any device for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy by electromagnetic induction, esp a large one as in a power station
Gravitational wave: a wave-like motion in a gravitational field, produced when a mass is accelerated or otherwise disturbed; they travel through space-time at the speed of light and the strongest sources are those with the strongest gravitational fields, although the waves are very weak; predicted by Einstein in 1916 but not first observed directly until 2015
Gravity: the force of attraction that moves or tends to move bodies towards the center of a celestial body, such as the earth or moon
Half-life: the time taken for half of the atoms in a radioactive material to undergo decay
Hertz: the derived SI unit of frequency; the frequency of a periodic phenomenon that has a periodic time of 1 second; 1 cycle per second
Hyperon: any baryon that is not a nucleon
Impetus: the force that sets a body in motion or that tends to resist changes in a body's motion
Inductance: the property of an electric circuit as a result of which an electromotive force is created by a change of current in the same circuit (self-inductance) or a neighboring circuit (mutual inductance). It is usually measured in henries
Inertia: the tendency of a body to preserve its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force

Law of Inertia

Inertia is described as the tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion or rest. This means that an object will stay still or keep moving at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.

This law can be represented by the formula Fnet = 0, meaning the net force on an object is zero.

Infrared: the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with a longer wavelength than light but a shorter wavelength than radio waves; radiation with a wavelength between 0.8 micrometers and 1 millimeter
Joule: the derived SI unit of work or energy; the work done when the point of application of a force of 1 newton is displaced through a distance of 1 meter in the direction of the force. 1 joule is equivalent to 1 watt-second, 107 ergs, 0.2390 calories, or 0.738 foot-pound
Kelvin: the basic SI unit of thermodynamic temperature; the fraction 1⁄273.16 of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water (symbol: K)
Kinetic energy: the energy of motion of a body, equal to the work it would do if it were brought to rest. The translational kinetic energy depends on motion through space, and for a rigid body of constant mass is equal to the product of half the mass times the square of the speed. The rotational kinetic energy depends on rotation about an axis, and a body of constant moment of inertia is equal to the product of half the moment of inertia times the square of the angular velocity. In relativistic physics kinetic energy is equal to the product of the increase of mass caused by motion times the square of the speed of light. The SI unit is the joule but the electronvolt is often used in atomic physics
Laser: a source of high-intensity optical, infrared, or ultraviolet radiation produced as a result of stimulated emission maintained within a solid, liquid, or gaseous medium. The photons involved in the emission process all have the same energy and phase so that the laser beam is monochromatic and coherent, allowing it to be brought to a fine focus
Lens: a device that diverges or converges a beam of electromagnetic radiation, sound, or particles
Lepton: any of a group of elementary particles and their antiparticles, such as an electron, muon, or neutrino, that participate in electromagnetic and weak interactions and have a half-integral spin
Luminescence: the emission of light at low temperatures by any process other than incandescence, such as phosphorescence or chemiluminescence
Mass: a physical quantity expressing the amount of matter in a body. It is a measure of a body's resistance to changes in velocity (inertial mass) and also of the force experienced in a gravitational field (gravitational mass): according to the theory of relativity, inertial and gravitational masses are equal

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Matter: a substance that occupies space and has mass, as distinguished from a substance that is mental, spiritual, etc
Meson: any of a group of elementary particles, such as a pion or kaon, that usually has a rest mass between those of an electron and a proton and an integral spin. They are responsible for the force between nucleons in the atomic nucleus
Microwave: electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range 0.3 to 0.001 meters: used in radar, cooking, etc
Moment: the product of a physical quantity, such as force or mass, and its distance from a fixed reference point
Momentum: the product of a body's mass and its velocity
Muon: a positive or negative elementary particle with a mass 207 times that of an electron. It was originally called the mu meson but is now classified as a lepton
Neutrino: a stable leptonic neutral elementary particle with very small or possibly zero rest mass and spin that travels at the speed of light. Three types exist, associated with the electron, the muon, and the tau particle
Neutron: a neutral elementary particle with a rest mass of 1.674 92716 × 10–27 kilogram and spin; classified as a baryon. In the nucleus of an atom, it is stable, but when free it decays
Newton: the derived SI unit of force that imparts an acceleration of 1 meter per second to a mass of 1 kilogram; equivalent to 105 dynes or 7.233 poundals
Nucleon: a proton or neutron, esp one present in an atomic nucleus
Nucleus: the central portion in the head of a comet, consisting of small solid particles of ice and frozen gases, which vaporize on approaching the sun to form the coma and tail
Ohm: the derived SI unit of electrical resistance; the resistance between two points on a conductor when a constant potential difference of 1 volt between them produces a current of 1 ampere
Ohm's law: the principle that the electric current passing through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference across it, provided that the temperature remains constant. The constant of proportionality is the resistance of the conductor
Particle: a body with finite mass that can be treated as having negligible size, and internal structure
Pascal: the derived SI unit of pressure; the pressure exerted on an area of 1 square meter by a force of 1 newton; equivalent to 10 dynes per square centimeter or 1.45 × 10–4 pounds per square inch
Planck constant or Planck's constant: A fundamental constant equal to the energy of any quantum of radiation divided by its frequency. It has a value of 6.62606876 × 10–34 joule seconds
Potential difference: The difference in electric potential between two points in an electric field; the work that has to be done in transferring unit positive charge from one point to the other, measured in volts
Potential energy: the energy of a body or system as a result of its position in an electric, magnetic, or gravitational field. It is measured in joules (SI units), electronvolts, ergs, etc
Proton: a stable, positively charged elementary particle, found in atomic nuclei in numbers equal to the atomic number of the element. It is a baryon with a charge of 1.602176462 × 10–19 coulomb, a rest mass of 1.672 62159 × 10–27 kilogram
Quantum: the smallest quantity of some physical property, such as energy, that a system can possess according to the quantum theory
Radiation: the emission or transfer of radiant energy as particles, electromagnetic waves, sound, etc
Radioactivity: the spontaneous emission of radiation from atomic nuclei. The radiation can consist of alpha, beta, and gamma radiation
Radio wave: an electromagnetic wave of radio frequency
Redshift: a shift in the lines of the spectrum of an astronomical object towards a longer wavelength (the red end of an optical spectrum), relative to the wavelength of these lines in the terrestrial spectrum, usually as a result of the Doppler effect caused by the recession of the object
Reflection: the act of reflecting or the state of being reflected
Refraction: the change in direction of a propagating wave, such as light or sound, in passing from one medium to another in which it has a different velocity
Relativity: either of two theories developed by Albert Einstein, the special theory of relativity, which requires that the laws of physics shall be the same as seen by any two different observers in uniform relative motion, and the general theory of relativity which considers observers with relative acceleration and leads to a theory of gravitation
Resistance: the opposition to a flow of electric current through a circuit component, medium, or substance. It is the magnitude of the real part of the impedance and is measured in ohms
Rutherford: a unit of activity equal to the quantity of a radioactive nuclide required to produce one million disintegrations per second
Semiconductor: a device, such as a transistor or integrated circuit, that depends on the properties of such a substance
Simple harmonic motion: a form of periodic motion of a particle, etc, in which the acceleration is always directed towards some equilibrium point and is proportional to the displacement from this point
Spectrum: the distribution of colors produced when white light is dispersed by a prism or diffraction grating. There is a continuous change in wavelength from red, the longest wavelength, to violet, the shortest. Seven colors are usually distinguished: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red
Static electricity: electric sparks or crackling produced by friction
Subatomic particles: particles found inside an atom (electrons, protons, and neutrons) that are responsible for forming the structure of an atom

Superconductivity: the property of certain substances that have no electrical resistance. In metals, it occurs at very low temperatures, but higher-temperature superconductivity occurs in some ceramic materials
Superfluidity: the state of being or property of becoming a superfluid
Surface tension: a property of liquids caused by intermolecular forces near the surface leading to the apparent presence of a surface film and capillarity, etc.
Tau particle: an unstable, negatively charged lepton with a mass of c. 1,777 MeV/c2 (or c. 3,490 times that of an electron) and a mean lifetime of 2.2 ×10-13 second

Tau Particle

The tau particle was discovered in 1975 by a team of physicists at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California.

Tension: a force that tends to produce an elongation of a body or structure
Terminal velocity: the constant maximum velocity reached by a body falling under gravity through a fluid, esp the atmosphere
Thermostat: a device that maintains a system at a constant temperature. It often consists of a bimetallic strip that bends as it expands and contracts with temperature, thus breaking and making contact with an electrical power supply
Transformer: a device that transfers an alternating current from one circuit to one or more other circuits, usually with an increase (step-up transformer) or decrease (step-down transformer) of voltage. The input current is fed to a primary winding, the output being taken from a secondary winding or windings inductively linked to the primary

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Transistor: a semiconductor device, having three or more terminals attached to electrode regions, in which the current flowing between two electrodes is controlled by a voltage or current applied to one or more specified electrodes. The device is capable of amplification, etc, and has replaced the valve in most circuits since it is much smaller, more robust, and works at a much lower voltage
Ultraviolet: the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths shorter than light but longer than X-rays; in the range 0.4 × 10–6 and 1 × 10–8 meters
Vacuum: a region containing no matter; free space
Velocity: a measure of the rate of motion of a body expressed as the rate of change of its position in a particular direction with time. It is measured in meters per second, miles per hour, etc
Viscosity: a measure of this resistance, equal to the tangential stress on a liquid undergoing streamlined flow divided by its velocity gradient. It is measured in newton seconds per meter squared
Volt: the derived SI unit of electric potential; the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere, when the power dissipated between these points is 1 watt
Watt: the derived SI unit of power, equal to 1 joule per second; the power dissipated by a current of 1 ampere flowing across a potential difference of 1 volt. 1 watt is equivalent to 1.341 × 10–3 horsepower
Wave: one of a sequence of ridges or undulations that moves across the surface of a body of a liquid, esp the sea: created by the wind or a moving object and gravity
Wavelength: the distance, measured in the direction of propagation, between two points of the same phase in consecutive cycles of a wave
X-ray: electromagnetic radiation emitted when matter is bombarded with fast electrons. X-rays have wavelengths shorter than that of ultraviolet radiation, which is less than about 1 × 10–8 meters. They extend to indefinitely short wavelengths, but below about 1 × 10–11 meters they are often called gamma radiation

So, what are the other Physics words you want to learn about? Drop your suggestions in the comments below!

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A Comprehensive Physics Words List From A to Z

🔭 Different Branches of Physics

Physics Words List - A To Z

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