Skip to main content
We’re so back. See what’s new for the 2026-2027 school year →
The new Teacher Workspace is here. Your first 3 assignments are free. Try it →

🍏Principles of Physics I
Key Terms

95 essential vocabulary terms and definitions to know for your Principles of Physics I exam

Study Principles of Physics I →

Browse All A-Z

A

Absolute pressure
Accelerated motion
Accelerated vertical motion
Acceleration-time graph
Action at a distance
Analytical vector addition
Analytical vector subtraction

C

Candela
Carnot Engine
Cavendish Experiment
Center of mass frame
Classical mechanics
Compressive Stress

D

Direction of momentum
Displacement vectors
Dissipative forces
Driven oscillation
Dynamic Loads

E

Earth's rotation
Elastic force
Elastic materials
Elastic medium
Electromagnetic force
Electromagnetism
Elliptical path
Energy conversions
Energy dissipation
Energy Loss
Energy propagation
Energy transformation

F

Factor of safety
Force (f)
Force Equilibrium Equations

G

Gradient
Gravitational acceleration
Gun recoil

H

Heat exchangers
Horizontal component
Horizontal motion

I

Ideal fluid
Incompressible flow
Inertial Frame
Inertial Frame of Reference
Inertial navigation
Initial velocity

L

Launch angle
Lever systems
Logarithmic scales

M

Maximum height
Maximum potential energy
Mechanical advantage
Mechanical Energy Conservation
Mechanical gyroscope

N

Navier-Stokes Equation
Net external force
Newton per square meter
Newton's Second Law for Translation
Newton-meter
Non-contact forces
Non-uniform acceleration

O

Otto Cycle

P

Parallel weight component
Pendulum Motion
Perpendicular Axis Theorem
Position Coordinates
Potential Energy Curve
Potential Energy Landscape
Pound-force
Prandtl Number

R

Random Error
Rankine Cycle
Rebound Velocity
Refrigeration cycles
Reynolds Number
Rotational stability