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300 Physics Words

 , updated on
Physics is the science of matter, motion and energy. These are pretty much what makes up the universe such that physics is the foundational science that underpins all scientific knowledge. This is a huge undertaking that includes several major branches including mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics, quantum mechanics, relativity and astrophysics. The following vocabulary includes the common words and phrases that are familiar to all physicists.
Aberration
Absorption
Acceleration
Amplifier
Angle
Angular Acceleration
Angular Velocity
Anomaly
Antimatter
Antiparticle
Aperture
Asteroid
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Asymmetric
Atom
Barrier
Battery
Beam
Big Bang
Black Hole
Blueshift
Boson
Capacitance
Capacitor
Causality
Celestial
Center of Mass
Centrifugal Force
Centripetal Force
Chaos
Charge
Circuit
Circular Motion
Coefficient
Collapse
Collider
Collision
Colorimetry
Comet
Concave
Conduction
Conductor
Connection
Conservation of Energy
Constellation
Contrast
Convection
Convex
Core
Cosmic
Cosmic Expansion
Cosmic Rays
Cosmos
Coupling
Critical Point
Current
Curvature
Cycle
Dark Energy
Dark Matter
Decay
Decoherence
Depth of Field
Deterministic
Diffraction
Dimension
Dispersion
Displacement
Distance
Divergence
Dynamics
E=mc²
Echo
Electric
Electric Arc
Electrolysis
Electromagnetism
Electron
Electrostatics
Energy
Energy Density
Entangled State
Entanglement
Enthalpy
Entropy
Equilibrium
Equinox
Event Horizon
Exoplanet
Expansion
Fermion
Field
Field of View
Fluids
Focal Length
Focal Point
Force
Frame of Reference
Free Fall
Frequency
Friction
Frictionless
Fusion
Galactic
Galactic Winds
Galaxy
Gamma
General Relativity
Generator
Gravity
Gravity Well
Ground
Hadron
Harmonics
Heat
Heat Capacity
Heat Transfer
Holography
Horizon
Illumination
Impedance
Impulse
Inductor
Inertia
Infrared
Insulator
Interaction
Interference
Intergalactic
Internal Energy
Interstellar
Interstellar Medium
Kinetic Energy
Laser
Latent Heat
Lever
Light
Light Wave
Light Year
Linear Motion
Locality
Luminance
Magnet
Magnetism
Magnitude
Mass
Measurement
Meteor
Modulation
Momentum
Motion
Motor
Nebula
Neutrino
Neutron
Neutron Star
Newton's Laws
Non-deterministic
Nonlocality
Nuclear
Nuclear Fission
Nuclear Fusion
Nucleus
Observer
Observer Effect
Opaque
Optics
Orbit
Oscillator
Particle
Path
Performance
Period
Perturbation
Phase
Phase Transition
Photon
Photonics
Planet
Polarization
Potential Energy
Power
Prism
Probability
Process
Projectile Motion
Proton
Pulley
Pulsar
Pulse
Quantum Gravity
Quantum Jump
Quantum Mechanics
Quantum Noise
Quantum Squeeze
Quark
Quasar
Radiant Energy
Radiation
Rayleigh Scattering
Reactance
Reality
Receiver
Red Giant
Redshift
Reflection
Refraction
Relativistic
Relativity
Relay
Resistance
Resistor
Resonance
Reverberation
Rotation
Rotation Curve
Rotational Motion
Satellite
Saturation Point
Sensor
Short Circuit
Signal
Signal Strength
Simultaneity
Singularity
Solar System
Solstice
Sound
Space
Space Dust
Space-Time Continuum
Spacetime
Spark
Special Relativity
Specific Heat
Spectroscopy
Spectrum
Speed
Spin
Spintronics
Stability
Star
Star Cluster
State
Steady State
Stellar
Stellar Evolution
Strong Force
Sunlight
Supercluster
Superfluidity
Supergiant
Supernova
Superposition
Symmetric
Symmetry
System
Tachyon
Telescope
Temperature
Tension
Terminal Velocity
Thermal
Thermal Expansion
Thermal Resistance
Thermal Shock
Thermal Stress
Thermodynamics
Tidal Forces
Time
Time Dilation
Torque
Trajectory
Transformer
Transition
Translucent
Transmission
Transmittance
Transmitter
Transparency
Triangulation
Tunneling
Ultraviolet
Uncertainty
Universe
Vacuum
Velocity
Vibration
Void
Voltage
Vortex
Wave
Wavefunction
Wavelength
Weak Force
White Dwarf
Wire
Work
Wormhole

Classical Mechanics

The branch of physics that deals with the motion of objects and the forces that act upon them. This is called classical mechanics because much of it dates to the work of Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century, particularly his three laws of motion. Classical mechanics applies to things the size of everyday objects up to the largest known things. It doesn't apply to very small things such as atoms and subatomic particles that are handled by quantum mechanics.

Thermodynamics

The branch of physics that deals with heat, work, temperature, entropy and energy. This provides a framework for modeling how energy is transferred and transformed by systems.

Electromagnetism

The branch of physics that deals with the electromagnetic force between electrically charged particles. This electromagnetic force is viewed as one of the four fundamental forces of nature and is responsible for electricity, magnetism and electromagnetic waves.

Optics

The physics of light including its properties, behavior and interactions with matter. This includes several approaches such as geometric optics that assumes light travels in a straight line as an approximation and physical optics that looks at the realities and details of light whereby it is both a wave and a particle.

Quantum Mechanics

The branch of science that looks at the behavior of nature at scale of atoms and below where classical physics does not appear to apply. A fundamental feature of quantum mechanics is that it relies on probabilities as it can't predict with certainty what will happen.

Relativity

The branch of physics based on two theories that transformed our understanding of the universe in the 20th century: special relativity and general relativity. These are necessary to model the true nature and behavior of space, time, gravity, matter and energy.

Astrophysics

The study of the universe as a whole including its origin and fate. This is obviously a very large domain that is likely to grow as we become more technologically advanced to the point that we can explore and discover the universe to a greater extent.

Summary

Physics is a foundational science that examines the very nature of the universe including matter, energy, motion and forces. This pursuit generates a great deal of new language over time. These vocabularies of physics also become part of the general language with time as knowledge of basic physics becomes more widespread. For example, basic concepts and terminology in physics are often popularized by science fiction.
More about science:
Analysis
Bias
Causation
Chaos Theory
Cohort
Control Group
Correlation
Dependent Variable
Empirical Evidence
Entropy
Equilibrium
Experiment
Experimental Error
Explanatory Power
Falsifiability
Hard Science
Hypothesis
Inertia
Inference
Logic
Measurement
Melting Point
Metal
Natural Experiment
Negative Control
Null Hypothesis
Peer Review
Physics Vocabulary
Positive Control
Precision
Qualitative
Quantitative
Random Assignment
Random Error
Research
Science
Science Topics
Soft Science
System
Systematic Error
Variable
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