Memorize these and recognize 23.8% of all Physics clues.
| # | Answer | Count | Sample Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | gravity | 9 | The standard model of particle physics accounts for 3 of the 4 fundamental forces, skipping this one, important in daily life |
| 2 | light | 7 | Source of the first light mentioned in "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
| 3 | the speed of light | 5 | In a vacuum it's 186,282 miles per second |
| 4 | angular momentum | 5 | Get up in the "A.M." & learn that an orbiting body's this is the product of mass, velocity & distance from an axis |
| 5 | Max Planck | 5 | The fundamental constant of quantum physics is named for this German who originated the quantum theory |
| 6 | torque | 4 | Term for the amount of twist that a force exerts on an object |
| 7 | thermodynamics | 4 | It's the branch of physics that deals with the relationship between heat, work, temperature & energy |
| 8 | plasma | 4 | The sun is a fusion reactor; creating one on Earth would require creating this very hot, ionized state of matter |
| 9 | inertia | 4 | A wheel's resistance to stopping its turning motion is called "rotational" this |
| 10 | entropy | 4 | In 1865 physicist Rudolf Clausius coined this term for the measure of disorder or randomness in a system |
| 11 | relativity | 4 | Einstein published his theory of special relativity in 1905; in 1915, he issued this broader one that accounts for gravity |
| 12 | optics | 4 | It's the transmission of light through fine, flexible glass rods |
| 13 | a photon | 4 | Light can be described as a wave or as a particle called this |
| 14 | radioactivity | 3 | Henri Becquerel shared a 1903 Nobel Prize with the Curies for the discovery of this elemental property |
| 15 | quarks | 3 | The strong force binds these subatomic particles into protons & neutrons |
| 16 | hydrogen | 3 | Deuterium is the "heavy" isotope of this element |
| 17 | friction | 3 | The Greek letter mu represents the coefficient of this force that resists the motion of surfaces in contact |
| 18 | equilibrium | 3 | An object at rest under the influence of balanced forces is in static this, from a word meaning balance |
| 19 | diffraction | 3 | The spreading of waves around obstacles, it occurs with light, sound & very small moving particles |
| 20 | a proton | 3 | Stable subatomic particle whose name is from the Greek for first |
| 21 | a pole | 3 | The point at which lines of magnetic flux seem to converge is called this |
| 22 | x-rays | 3 | Paper can stop alpha particles, a thin piece of aluminum, beta particles, & a sheet of lead, these rays |
| 23 | water | 3 | A moderator of neutrons in nuclear power plants, deuterium oxide is also known by this "weighty" term |
| 24 | Poles | 3 | In a magnet flux lines converge at these points |
| 25 | mechanics | 3 | Type of mechanics illustrated here |
| 26 | fission | 3 | Of the 2 types of nuclear reactions, the one that can develop into a chain reaction |
| 27 | Brownian motion | 3 | Named for a Scottish botanist, it's the random movement of microscopic particles in a fluid |
| 28 | a prism | 3 | Device used by Sir Isaac Newton to split white light into separate colors |
| 29 | a breeder reactor | 3 | Reactor type where more fissionable material is created than consumed |
| 30 | the uranium atom | 3 | With 92 protons, 146 neutrons, & 92 electrons, it's the heaviest atom found in nature |
| 31 | electric current | 3 | An ammeter is used to measure this |
| 32 | work | 2 | Abbreviated W, in physics it's the amount of energy used to move an object over a certain distance |
| 33 | uranium | 2 | Chemical symbol U, this metallic element is used as a fuel in nuclear reactors & weapons |
| 34 | the Nobel Prize | 2 | On Oct. 14, 1992 particle detector inventor Georges Charpak became the last man in physics to achieve this honor alone |
| 35 | spin | 2 | Term for the intrisnic angular momentum of a particle, or more simply, rapid rotation |
| 36 | resistance | 2 | It was Ohm, sweet Ohm for the German physicist who gave his name to the unit of this property in electric circuits |
| 37 | refraction | 2 | ( Jimmy of the Clue Crew is in the lab.) You can see the arrows are pointing in the same way, right? Well, watch what happens when water is added, & t... |
| 38 | neutrons | 2 | Nuclear energy is released when you split up nucleons in the nucleus: groups of protons, and these |
| 39 | mercury | 2 | The torr is equal to 1 mmHg, or the pressure exerted by 1 millimeter of this metal |
| 40 | longitudinal | 2 | ( Jimmy of the Clue Crew shows two waves on the monitor.) In transverse waves, each particle moves perpendicular to the wave's direction; in this 12-l... |
| 41 | horsepower | 2 | In the late 1700s James Watt coined this term that's equivalent to about 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute |
| 42 | Hertz | 2 | A unit of wave frequency defined as 1 cycle per second, or a car rental company |
| 43 | half-life | 2 | It's defined as the time required for 50% of the atoms of a radioactive substance to decay into another substance |
| 44 | gamma rays | 2 | The hazardous ultra-high-energy rays known by this Greek letter are photons emitted by a decaying nucleus |
| 45 | Galileo | 2 | Italian known for his laws of falling bodies, he also invented the thermometer |
| 46 | electron volt | 2 | eV for short, this unit of energy used in nuclear physics is so small, a trillion of them equals the motion of a mosquito |
| 47 | elasticity | 2 | Also heard in economics, it's the property of a solid forced out of shape, then returning to its original form |
| 48 | Einstein | 2 | In 1905 at his house in Switzerland, this German physicist wrote his theory of relativity |
| 49 | Archimedes | 2 | In the 2nd cent. B.C., he found the weight of a floating body equals that of the water it displaces |
| 50 | antimatter | 2 | Antiprotons, antineutrons, & positrons combine to form this negative substance |
These appear 8+ times. Memorize these first.
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