Regents Physics Review

Front

What is Newton's First Law of Motion?

Back

An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Front

Define kinetic energy.

Back

Kinetic energy is the energy of an object due to its motion, calculated as KE = 1/2 mv², where m is mass and v is velocity.

Front

What is the formula for calculating gravitational potential energy?

Back

Gravitational potential energy (PE) is calculated using the formula PE = mgh, where m is mass, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is height.

Front

Explain the concept of conservation of energy.

Back

The total energy in a closed system remains constant; energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Front

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Back

Speed is a scalar quantity that refers to how fast an object is moving, while velocity is a vector quantity that includes both speed and direction.

Front

Define acceleration.

Back

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of an object, calculated as a = (final velocity - initial velocity) / time.

Front

What is the principle of superposition in waves?

Back

The principle of superposition states that when two or more waves overlap, the resulting wave displacement is the sum of the individual displacements.

Front

What is Ohm's Law?

Back

Ohm's Law states that the current (I) through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage (V) across the two points, expressed as V = IR, where R is resistance.

Front

Define work in physics.

Back

Work is done when a force causes an object to move, calculated as Work = Force x Distance x cos(θ), where θ is the angle between the force and the direction of motion.

Front

What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions?

Back

In elastic collisions, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved, while in inelastic collisions, momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not.