Can you think all the way back to Physics 101 and get these questions right? Not everyone can score as high as Sheldon, but you might surprise yourself. Think about each question carefully before you respond, and see how well you do!
1: Which one of these things is defined as having the capacity to work?
In physics, energy is defined as a system or body that has the capacity to do work. For example, human beings need energy to survive. We get that energy from both natural and manufactured sources like solar panels and fossil fuels.
2: What's the name of the famous physicist who is credits and apple for discovering gravity?
In 1687, Sir Isaac Newton published his theory of gravity after being inspired by a falling apple. Although some say gravity was discovered by an Indian scientist 1,000 years earlier, Newton is also credited with creating the three Laws of Motion.
3: When sound waves bump into objects and repeat themselves, what it it called?
When you yell into a canyon and hear your words coming back, you are experiencing physics in action. Echos happen when sound waves are forced backwards when they run into a solid object.
4: If it takes up space and has mass, what it is?
You can't look around you without seeing matter everywhere. In fact, it makes up all things solid, liquid, plasma and gaseous. At least, those are the four basic categories for it.
5: Any idea what the amount of matter in an object is called?
In the simplest terms, mass is defined as the amount of matter that makes up an object. Mass is also used to measure any resistance to the act of acceleration.
6: If you measured the space between the peaks of two waves, what would you be measuring?
The distance between the maximum output of two waves is called the wavelength. In music, the wavelength between treble waves are shorter than the wavelength between two bass waves.
7: Do you know which type of motion goes back and forth between two locations?
There are three basic types of motion: oscillatory, transactional, and rotational. If you think of the way a pendulum swings from one spot to another, you are thinking of oscillatory motion.
8: Which one of these things is NOT an example of potential energy?
Potential energy is the kind of energy an object holds when it's stressed by itself or in position with other objects. In this question, the car parked on a flat space is not an example of potential energy. It doesn't sit at or below zero height, and mostly likely wouldn't move if prompted.
9: Which term is used when talking about physical happenings in a zero gravity environment?
Einstein's theory of general relativity examines the ways that the laws of gravitation relate to other forces. Special relativity is the opposite. It refers to phenomenon in environments that are completely void of gravity.
10: Conservation of energy falls into which of the laws of thermodynamics?
Of the three laws of thermodynamics, the first law is the one that deals with the conservation of energy. Only closed systems like our universe are classified by the first law. In order to qualify, there can be no incoming or outgoing energies.
11: In the equation e = mc2, what does the "c" represent?
When Einstein's theory of relativity equation is put into words, it's energy = mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. It expresses the relationship between mass and energy. The speed of light is squared because it is kinetic, making its energy proportional to its mass.
12: Can you figure out which one part of an atom carries a negative charge?
Including the electron, the proton, and the neutron, there are three parts to each atom. Neutrons have no electrical effect. Protons carry a positive charge, and that leaves us with the electron. The electron is the part of the atom that has a negative charge.
13: When light bends from running into a different medium, what's it called?
In physics, refraction is the term used to describe what happens to light when it crosses mediums. When the light bends, the wave is interrupted and its speed changes.
14: If you were going to measure electrical current, what unit would you use?
Ohm is the unit used to measure electrical current resistance. In fact, an ohm reflects the resistance of conductors when other power is applied.
15: Can you recall what the Earth's primary source of energy might be?
In our closed universe, the Earth grabs its energy directly from the sun. As the sun heats the Earth's surface, the air also heats up, resulting in air currents. Solar power is the Earth's original energy source.
16: True or False? Conductors have an extremely high resistance.
Ohms are used to measure the resistance of a conductor, and an ohm would tell you that conductors have low resistance. Gold is considered on of the universe's most naturally conductive elements.
17: When water is frozen into ice cubes, what state of matter is it in?
Water is only one substance that well represents the three states of matter. When water is flowing, it's in the liquid state. When it's frozen, it's in the solid state, and when it evaporates, it's in the gaseous state. It's the perfect example!
18: What's created when two objects are rubbed together?
When you rub your hands together, the friction you create warms them up. Friction is caused when any two objects are pitted against one another. It's apparent in the push pull nature of force.
19: What kind of collapsed star has the biggest magnetic pull?
Neutron stars happen when a supernova explosion caused a gravitational collapse. Packed full of neutrons, a neutron star has the highest magnetic pull of anything in the universe. Conversely, the Earth doesn't have much magnetic pull at all.
20: Would you say that inertia is considered a force.
Types of force include magnetic, gravitational and push pull, but inertia isn't considered a force at all. Inertia describes the natural resistance that happens when the force to move or rest is present.
