Physics 1010 Midterm study guide
correctly solved 2026/2027
Physics - correct answer ✔the science concerned with describing the interactions of energy, matter,
space, and time; it is especially interested in what fundamental mechanism underlie every phenomenon
Model - correct answer ✔a representation of something that is often too difficult ( or impossible) to
display directly. While a model is justified with experimental proof, it is only accurate under limited
situations
Theory - correct answer ✔an explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific
evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers
Law - correct answer ✔uses concise language to describe a generalized pattern in nature that is
supported by scientific evidence and related experiments
- Can be expressed in the form of a single mathematical equation
What criteria must be met for the laws of classical physics to apply? - correct answer ✔- Matter must
be moving at speeds less than about 1% of the speed of light
- The objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope
- Only weak gravitational fields can be involved (such as the field generated by the Earth)
Quantum mechanics vs Relativity - correct answer ✔- Quantum mechanics- small scales
-Relativity- high speed, high energy
What must a model have to be justified for use? - correct answer ✔EXPERIMENTAL PROOF
Fundamental SI Units - correct answer ✔Mass-kilogram
,Length-meter
Time-second
Temperature-Kelvin
Electric Current- ampere
Derived SI Units - correct answer ✔- Area- square meter
- Volume- cubic meter
- Speed/velocity- meter per second
- Acceleration- meter per second squared
- Force- kilogram meter per second squared
- Mass Density- kilogram per cubic meter
Accuracy - correct answer ✔degree to which a measured value agrees with the correct value for that
measurement
Precision - correct answer ✔the degree to which repeated measurements agree with each other
uncertainty - correct answer ✔a measurement, A, often denoted as delta A (so the measurement A
+/- delta A)
percent uncertainty - correct answer ✔method of expressing uncertainty as a percent of the
measured value
%uncertainty= SA/A x100
Significant Figure Rules - correct answer ✔1. non-zeros are always significant;
2. zeros between two other sig figs are significant;
3. all final zeros after the decimal point are significant;
, 4. zeros used solely for spacing the decimal point are not significant unless a decimal point is present
Kinematics - correct answer ✔study of motion without considering the causes
Reference Frame - correct answer ✔consists of a coordinate system, reference point (origin), and a
scale that uniquely fix and standardize measurements for motion in a problem
Position - correct answer ✔location of an object at any particular time, with respect to the reference
frame (could also be a vector)
Displacement - correct answer ✔the change in position of an object
Distance - correct answer ✔the magnitude of displacement (will be positive)
- Distance traveled is the total length of the path between two positions
Scalar - correct answer ✔a physical quantity that has magnitude but no direction
Vector - correct answer ✔a quantity that has both magnitude and direction
scalar quantities - correct answer ✔length, area, volume, speed, mass, density, pressure,
temperature, energy, entropy, work, power
vector quantities - correct answer ✔displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum
average velocity - correct answer ✔the total displacement divided by the time interval during which
the displacement occurred
correctly solved 2026/2027
Physics - correct answer ✔the science concerned with describing the interactions of energy, matter,
space, and time; it is especially interested in what fundamental mechanism underlie every phenomenon
Model - correct answer ✔a representation of something that is often too difficult ( or impossible) to
display directly. While a model is justified with experimental proof, it is only accurate under limited
situations
Theory - correct answer ✔an explanation for patterns in nature that is supported by scientific
evidence and verified multiple times by various groups of researchers
Law - correct answer ✔uses concise language to describe a generalized pattern in nature that is
supported by scientific evidence and related experiments
- Can be expressed in the form of a single mathematical equation
What criteria must be met for the laws of classical physics to apply? - correct answer ✔- Matter must
be moving at speeds less than about 1% of the speed of light
- The objects dealt with must be large enough to be seen with a microscope
- Only weak gravitational fields can be involved (such as the field generated by the Earth)
Quantum mechanics vs Relativity - correct answer ✔- Quantum mechanics- small scales
-Relativity- high speed, high energy
What must a model have to be justified for use? - correct answer ✔EXPERIMENTAL PROOF
Fundamental SI Units - correct answer ✔Mass-kilogram
,Length-meter
Time-second
Temperature-Kelvin
Electric Current- ampere
Derived SI Units - correct answer ✔- Area- square meter
- Volume- cubic meter
- Speed/velocity- meter per second
- Acceleration- meter per second squared
- Force- kilogram meter per second squared
- Mass Density- kilogram per cubic meter
Accuracy - correct answer ✔degree to which a measured value agrees with the correct value for that
measurement
Precision - correct answer ✔the degree to which repeated measurements agree with each other
uncertainty - correct answer ✔a measurement, A, often denoted as delta A (so the measurement A
+/- delta A)
percent uncertainty - correct answer ✔method of expressing uncertainty as a percent of the
measured value
%uncertainty= SA/A x100
Significant Figure Rules - correct answer ✔1. non-zeros are always significant;
2. zeros between two other sig figs are significant;
3. all final zeros after the decimal point are significant;
, 4. zeros used solely for spacing the decimal point are not significant unless a decimal point is present
Kinematics - correct answer ✔study of motion without considering the causes
Reference Frame - correct answer ✔consists of a coordinate system, reference point (origin), and a
scale that uniquely fix and standardize measurements for motion in a problem
Position - correct answer ✔location of an object at any particular time, with respect to the reference
frame (could also be a vector)
Displacement - correct answer ✔the change in position of an object
Distance - correct answer ✔the magnitude of displacement (will be positive)
- Distance traveled is the total length of the path between two positions
Scalar - correct answer ✔a physical quantity that has magnitude but no direction
Vector - correct answer ✔a quantity that has both magnitude and direction
scalar quantities - correct answer ✔length, area, volume, speed, mass, density, pressure,
temperature, energy, entropy, work, power
vector quantities - correct answer ✔displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum
average velocity - correct answer ✔the total displacement divided by the time interval during which
the displacement occurred
