Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
College Physics

Glossary

College PhysicsGlossary

Glossary

absolute pressure
the sum of gauge pressure and atmospheric pressure
adhesive forces
the attractive forces between molecules of different types
Archimedes’ principle
the buoyant force on an object equals the weight of the fluid it displaces
buoyant force
the net upward force on any object in any fluid
capillary action
the tendency of a fluid to be raised or lowered in a narrow tube
cohesive forces
the attractive forces between molecules of the same type
contact angle
the angle θθ size 12{θ} {} between the tangent to the liquid surface and the surface
density
the mass per unit volume of a substance or object
diastolic pressure
minimum arterial blood pressure; indicator for the fluid balance
diastolic pressure
the minimum blood pressure in the artery
fluids
liquids and gases; a fluid is a state of matter that yields to shearing forces
gauge pressure
the pressure relative to atmospheric pressure
glaucoma
condition caused by the buildup of fluid pressure in the eye
intraocular pressure
fluid pressure in the eye
micturition reflex
stimulates the feeling of needing to urinate, triggered by bladder pressure
Pascal’s Principle
a change in pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted undiminished to all portions of the fluid and to the walls of its container
pressure
the force per unit area perpendicular to the force, over which the force acts
pressure
the weight of the fluid divided by the area supporting it
specific gravity
the ratio of the density of an object to a fluid (usually water)
surface tension
the cohesive forces between molecules which cause the surface of a liquid to contract to the smallest possible surface area
systolic pressure
maximum arterial blood pressure; indicator for the blood flow
systolic pressure
the maximum blood pressure in the artery
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-physics/pages/1-introduction-to-science-and-the-realm-of-physics-physical-quantities-and-units

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-physics/pages/1-introduction-to-science-and-the-realm-of-physics-physical-quantities-and-units

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Mar 3, 2022 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.