Appendix B. Glossary of Key Symbols and Notation
Lumen Learning
In this glossary, key symbols and notation are briefly defined.
Symbol | Definition |
---|---|
average (indicated by a bar over a symbol—e.g., is average velocity) | |
°C | Celsius degree |
°F | Fahrenheit degree |
// | parallel |
⊥ | perpendicular |
proportional to | |
± | plus or minus |
0 | zero as a subscript denotes an initial value |
α | alpha rays |
α | angular acceleration |
α | temperature coefficient(s) of resistivity |
β | beta rays |
β | sound level |
β | volume coefficient of expansion |
β− | electron emitted in nuclear beta decay |
β+ | positron decay |
γ | gamma rays |
γ | surface tension |
a constant used in relativity | |
Δ | change in whatever quantity follows |
δ | uncertainty in whatever quantity follows |
ΔE | change in energy between the initial and final orbits of an electron in an atom |
ΔE | uncertainty in energy |
Δm | difference in mass between initial and final products |
ΔN | number of decays that occur |
Δp | change in momentum |
Δp | uncertainty in momentum |
ΔPEg | change in gravitational potential energy |
Δθ | rotation angle |
Δs | distance traveled along a circular path |
Δt | uncertainty in time |
Δt0 | proper time as measured by an observer at rest relative to the process |
ΔV | potential difference |
Δx | uncertainty in position |
ε0 | permittivity of free space |
η | viscosity |
θ | angle between the force vector and the displacement vector |
θ | angle between two lines |
θ | contact angle |
θ | direction of the resultant |
θb | Brewster’s angle |
θc | critical angle |
κ | dielectric constant |
λ | decay constant of a nuclide |
λ | wavelength |
λn | wavelength in a medium |
μ0 | permeability of free space |
μk | coefficient of kinetic friction |
μs | coefficient of static friction |
ve | electron neutrino |
π+ | positive pion |
π− | negative pion |
π0 | neutral pion |
ρ | density |
ρc | critical density, the density needed to just halt universal expansion |
ρfl | fluid density |
average density of an object | |
specific gravity | |
τ | characteristic time constant for a resistance and inductance (RL) or resistance and capacitance (RC) circuit |
τ | characteristic time for a resistor and capacitor (RC) circuit |
τ | torque |
Υ | upsilon meson |
Φ | magnetic flux |
ϕ | phase angle |
Ω | ohm (unit) |
ω | angular velocity |
A | ampere (current unit) |
A | area |
A | cross-sectional area |
A | total number of nucleons |
a | acceleration |
aB | Bohr radius |
ac | centripetal acceleration |
at | tangential acceleration |
AC | alternating current |
AM | amplitude modulation |
atm | atmosphere |
B | baryon number |
B | blue quark color |
antiblue (yellow) antiquark color | |
b | quark flavor bottom or beauty |
B | bulk modulus |
B | magnetic field strength |
Bint | electron’s intrinsic magnetic field |
Borb | orbital magnetic field |
BE | binding energy of a nucleus—it is the energy required to completely disassemble it into separate protons and neutrons |
binding energy per nucleon | |
Bq | becquerel—one decay per second |
C | capacitance (amount of charge stored per volt) |
C | coulomb (a fundamental SI unit of charge) |
Cp | total capacitance in parallel |
Cs | total capacitance in series |
CG | center of gravity |
CM | center of mass |
c | quark flavor charm |
c | specific heat |
c | speed of light |
Cal | kilocalorie |
cal | calorie |
COPhp | heat pump’s coefficient of performance |
COPref | coefficient of performance for refrigerators and air conditioners |
cosθ | cosine |
cotθ | cotangent |
cscθ | cosecant |
D | diffusion constant |
d | displacement |
d | quark flavor down |
dB | decibel |
di | distance of an image from the center of a lens |
do | distance of an object from the center of a lens |
DC | direct current |
E | electric field strength |
ε | emf (voltage) or Hall electromotive force |
emf | electromotive force |
E | energy of a single photon |
E | nuclear reaction energy |
E | relativistic total energy |
E | total energy |
E0 | ground state energy for hydrogen |
E0 | rest energy |
EC | electron capture |
Ecap | energy stored in a capacitor |
Eff | efficiency—the useful work output divided by the energy input |
EffC | Carnot efficiency |
Ein | energy consumed (food digested in humans) |
Eind | energy stored in an inductor |
Eout | energy output |
e | emissivity of an object |
e+ | antielectron or positron |
eV | electron volt |
F | farad (unit of capacitance, a coulomb per volt) |
F | focal point of a lens |
F | force |
F | magnitude of a force |
F | restoring force |
FB | buoyant force |
Fc | centripetal force |
Fi | force input |
Fnet | net force |
Fo | force output |
FM | frequency modulation |
f | focal length |
f | frequency |
f0 | resonant frequency of a resistance, inductance, and capacitance (RLC) series circuit |
f0 | threshold frequency for a particular material (photoelectric effect) |
f1 | fundamental |
f2 | first overtone |
f3 | second overtone |
fB | beat frequency |
fk | magnitude of kinetic friction |
fs | magnitude of static friction |
G | gravitational constant |
G | green quark color |
antigreen (magenta) antiquark color | |
g | acceleration due to gravity |
g | gluons (carrier particles for strong nuclear force) |
h | change in vertical position |
h | height above some reference point |
h | maximum height of a projectile |
h | Planck’s constant |
hf | photon energy |
hi | height of the image |
ho | height of the object |
I | electric current |
I | intensity |
I | intensity of a transmitted wave |
I | moment of inertia (also called rotational inertia) |
I0 | intensity of a polarized wave before passing through a filter |
Iave | average intensity for a continuous sinusoidal electromagnetic wave |
Irms | average current |
J | joule |
Joules/psi meson | |
K | kelvin |
k | Boltzmann constant |
k | force constant of a spring |
Kα | x rays created when an electron falls into an n = 1 shell vacancy from the n = 3 shell |
Kβ | x rays created when an electron falls into an n = 2 shell vacancy from the n = 3 shell |
kcal | kilocalorie |
KE | translational kinetic energy |
KE + PE | mechanical energy |
KEe | kinetic energy of an ejected electron |
KErel | relativistic kinetic energy |
KErot | rotational kinetic energy |
thermal energy | |
kg | kilogram (a fundamental SI unit of mass) |
L | angular momentum |
L | liter |
L | magnitude of angular momentum |
L | self-inductance |
ℓ | angular momentum quantum number |
Lα | x rays created when an electron falls into an n = 2 shell from the n = 3 shell |
Le | electron total family number |
Lμ | muon family total number |
Lτ | tau family total number |
Lf | heat of fusion |
Lf and Lv | latent heat coefficients |
Lorb | orbital angular momentum |
Ls | heat of sublimation |
Lv | heat of vaporization |
Lz | z-component of the angular momentum |
M | angular magnification |
M | mutual inductance |
m | indicates metastable state |
m | magnification |
m | mass |
m | mass of an object as measured by a person at rest relative to the object |
m | meter (a fundamental SI unit of length) |
m | order of interference |
m | overall magnification (product of the individual magnifications) |
atomic mass of a nuclide | |
MA | mechanical advantage |
me | magnification of the eyepiece |
me | mass of the electron |
mℓ | angular momentum projection quantum number |
mn | mass of a neutron |
mo | magnification of the objective lens |
mol | mole |
mp | mass of a proton |
ms | spin projection quantum number |
N | magnitude of the normal force |
N | newton |
N | normal force |
N | number of neutrons |
n | index of refraction |
n | number of free charges per unit volume |
NA | Avogadro’s number |
Nr | Reynolds number |
N · m | newton-meter (work-energy unit) |
N · m | newtons times meters (SI unit of torque) |
OE | other energy |
P | power |
P | power of a lens |
P | pressure |
p | momentum |
p | momentum magnitude |
p | relativistic momentum |
ptot | total momentum |
ptot | total momentum some time later |
Pabs | absolute pressure |
Patm | atmospheric pressure |
Patm | standard atmospheric pressure |
PE | potential energy |
PEel | elastic potential energy |
PEelec | electric potential energy |
PEs | potential energy of a spring |
Pg | gauge pressure |
Pin | power consumption or input |
Pout | useful power output going into useful work or a desired, form of energy |
Q | latent heat |
Q | net heat transferred into a system |
Q | flow rate—volume per unit time flowing past a point |
+Q | positive charge |
−Q | negative charge |
q | electron charge |
qp | charge of a proton |
q | test charge |
QF | quality factor |
R | activity, the rate of decay |
R | radius of curvature of a spherical mirror |
R | red quark color |
antired (cyan) quark color | |
R | resistance |
R | resultant or total displacement |
R | Rydberg constant |
R | universal gas constant |
r | distance from pivot point to the point where a force is applied |
r | internal resistance |
r⊥ | perpendicular lever arm |
r | radius of a nucleus |
r | radius of curvature |
r | resistivity |
r or rad | radiation dose unit |
rem | roentgen equivalent man |
rad | radian |
RBE | relative biological effectiveness |
RC | resistor and capacitor circuit |
rms | root mean square |
rn | radius of the nth H-atom orbit |
Rp | total resistance of a parallel connection |
Rs | total resistance of a series connection |
Rs | Schwarzschild radius |
S | entropy |
S | intrinsic spin (intrinsic angular momentum) |
S | magnitude of the intrinsic (internal) spin angular momentum |
S | shear modulus |
S | strangeness quantum number |
s | quark flavor strange |
s | second (fundamental SI unit of time) |
s | spin quantum number |
s | total displacement |
secθ | secant |
sinθ | sine |
sz | z-component of spin angular momentum |
T | period—time to complete one oscillation |
T | temperature |
Tc | critical temperature—temperature below which a material becomes a superconductor |
T | tension |
T | tesla (magnetic field strength B) |
t | quark flavor top or truth |
t | time |
t1/2 | half-life—the time in which half of the original nuclei decay |
tanθ | tangent |
U | internal energy |
u | quark flavor up |
u | unified atomic mass unit |
u | velocity of an object relative to an observer |
u′ | velocity relative to another observer |
V | electric potential |
V | terminal voltage |
V | volt (unit) |
V | volume |
v | relative velocity between two observers |
v | speed of light in a material |
v | velocity |
average fluid velocity | |
VB − VA | change in potential |
vd | drift velocity |
Vp | transformer input voltage |
Vrms | rms voltage |
Vs | transformer output voltage |
vtot | total velocity |
vw | propagation speed of sound or other wave |
vw | wave velocity |
W | work |
W | net work done by a system |
W | watt |
w | weight |
wfl | weight of the fluid displaced by an object |
Wc | total work done by all conservative forces |
Wnc | total work done by all nonconservative forces |
Wout | useful work output |
X | amplitude |
X | symbol for an element |
notation for a particular nuclide | |
x | deformation or displacement from equilibrium |
x | displacement of a spring from its undeformed position |
x | horizontal axis |
XC | capacitive reactance |
XL | inductive reactance |
xrms | root mean square diffusion distance |
y | vertical axis |
Y | elastic modulus or Young’s modulus |
Z | atomic number (number of protons in a nucleus) |
Z | impedance |