kb/data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_physics-5.md

title	chunk	source	category	tags	date_saved	instance
Glossary of physics	6/13	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_physics	reference	science, encyclopedia	2026-05-05T07:51:11.278375+00:00	kb-cron

classical mechanics Also Newtonian mechanics. A sub-field of mechanics concerned with the set of physical laws describing the motion of bodies under the collective actions of a system of forces.

coefficient of friction

coherence

cohesion The tendency of similar particles or surfaces to cling to one another. Contrast adhesion.

cold fusion

complex harmonic motion

composite particle

Compton scattering A type of light–matter interaction in which a photon is scattered by a charged particle, usually an electron, which results in part of the energy of the photon being transferred to the recoiling electron; a resulting decrease in the energy of the photon is called the Compton effect. The opposite phenomenon occurs in inverse Compton scattering, when a charged particle transfers part of its energy to a photon.

concave lens

condensation point

condensed matter physics A branch of physics that studies the physical properties of condensed phases of matter.

conservation of momentum

conservation law

constructive interference

continuous spectrum

continuum mechanics

convection The transfer of heat by the actual transfer of matter.

convex lens

coulomb (C) The SI derived unit of electric charge, defined as the charge transported by a constant current of one ampere in one second.

Coulomb's law

converging lens

cosmic background radiation

creep

crest The point on a wave with the maximum value or upward displacement within a cycle.

crest factor

critical angle

critical mass The smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction.

cube of theoretical physics See cGh physics.

Curie temperature

current density

current length

curvilinear motion The motion of a moving particle or object that conforms to a known or fixed curve. Such motion is studied with two coordinate systems: planar motion and cylindrical motion.

cyclotron A type of particle accelerator in which charged particles accelerate outwards from the center along a spiral path.

== D ==

Dalton's law

damped vibration

Damping ratio Any influence upon or within an oscillatory system that has the effect of reducing, restricting, or preventing its oscillations. Damping is a result of processes that dissipate the energy stored in the oscillation.

Darcy–Weisbach equation

dark energy

dark matter

DC motor A mechanically commutated electric motor powered by direct current.

decibel

definite integral

deflection The degree to which a structural element is displaced under a load. It may refer to an angle or a distance.

deformation

1. (mechanics)
2. (engineering)

density Also mass density. A physical property of a substance defined as its mass per unit volume.

derivative For a mathematical function of a real variable, a measurement of the sensitivity to change of the function value (output) with respect to a change in its argument (input); e.g. the derivative of the position of a moving object with respect to time is the object's velocity and measures how quickly the position of the object changes as time changes. Derivatives are a fundamental tool of calculus.

destructive interference

diamagnetism

dielectric An electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field. When a dielectric material is placed in an electric field, electric charges do not flow through the material as they would in a conductor but only shift slightly from their equilibrium positions, with positive charges displaced in the direction of the field's flow and negative charges displaced in the opposite direction; this creates an internal electric field that reduces the larger field within the dielectric material.

diffraction

direct current (DC)

dispersion

displacement

1. (fluid) Occurs when an object or substance is immersed in a fluid, pushing the fluid particles out of the way and taking their place. The volume of the immersed object will be exactly equal to the volume of the displaced fluid, so that the volume of the immersed object can be deduced if the volume of the displaced fluid is measured.
2. (vector) The shortest distance from the initial to the final position of a point. Thus, it is the length of an imaginary straight-line path, typically distinct from the path actually travelled.

distance A numerical description of how far apart objects are.

drift velocity

Doppler effect The change in frequency of a wave (or other periodic event) for an observer moving relative to its source. Compared to the emitted frequency, the received frequency is higher during the approach, identical at the instant of passing by, and lower during the recession.

drag Forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity. Unlike other resistive forces, such as dry friction, which is nearly independent of velocity, drag forces depend on velocity.

ductility A solid material's ability to deform under tensile stress; this is often characterized by the material's ability to be stretched into a wire.

dynamics The branch of classical mechanics that studies forces and torques and their effects on motion, as opposed to kinematics, which studies motion without reference to these forces.

dyne

== E ==

econophysics

elastic collision

elastic energy

elastic instability

elastic modulus

elasticity The tendency of a material to return to its original shape after it is deformed.

electric charge A physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. There are two types of electric charge: positive and negative.

electric circuit An electrical network consisting of a closed loop, giving a return path for the current.

electric current Also simply current. A flow of electric charge through a conductive medium.

electric displacement field

electric field The region of space surrounding electrically charged particles and time-varying magnetic fields. The electric field represents the force exerted on other electrically charged objects by the electrically charged particle the field is surrounding.

electric field gradient

electric field intensity

electric generator

electric motor

electric potential

electric power The rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit.

electrical conductor Also simply conductor. Any material which contains movable electric charges and therefore can conduct an electric current under the influence of an electric field.