TỪ ĐIỂN Tiếng anh cho vật lý

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TS. LÊ ĐÌNH







TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM - ĐẠI HỌC HUẾ
Tháng 07/2011


ENGLISH
FOR PHYSICS
TIẾNG ANH
CHUYÊN NGÀNH VẬT LÝ



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PREFACE
This book has been written for students of Physics Department of Hue
University’s College of Education. This book also need for people who are
studying physics or related subjects in universities, colleges and technical
schools. The aim of this book is to help students to improve their reading
knowledge of physics in English.
For that purpose, the book helps students in three main ways: Firstly, it
provides exercise material on formal aspects of language, such as grammar and
vocabulary. The five Focus sections present and practice language functions
most readily associated with the English used in physics science. Secondly, it
teaches students reading skills such as finding the main idea of a text, a
paragraph, locating in formation, understanding words and word forms And
thirdly, it provides the students with systematic and logical reading text in

physics, mainly general physics. These reading were selected carefully so that
they cover a wide range of topics: from classical mechanics to modern physics.
This book is used as a textbook for teaching and learning the
subject “ English for specific purposes” in physics Department, Hue College of
pedagogy. It should take about 30-45 periods to complete the work, depending,
of course, on the students’ proficiency in English.
The author would like to express his appreciation to the Dean of Physics
Department and leading staff of Hue University’s College of Education for their
helps in publishing the book. The author is also grateful to those who offered
advice and made suggestions that are helpful in perfecting the book.
Hue, July 2011

Tác giả



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TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT 1
Measurement………………… ………….…………………………… 3
Focus 1: Organizing information………………………………… 9
UNIT 2
Mechanics……………………………………………………………….12
Focus 2: Prefixes and suffixes………………………………………… 20
UNIT 3
Heat and temperature……………………………………………… 24
Focus 3: Contextual reference …………………………………………29
UNIT 4
Electricity………………………………………………………… … 31
Focus 4: Cause and Effect……………………………………………….35

UNIT 5
Magnetism……………………………………………………………….38
Focus 5: Classifying…………………………………………….……….44
SYNTAX REVIEW…………………………………………………… 47
GRAMMAR REVIEW … 56




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UNIT 1
MEASUREMENT
When you read the following text, you will probably meet words and
expressions that are new to you. First try to understand their meaning from
context-read the same passage a few times. When you have read the whole
text, check new words in the dictionary. Most of words in bold typeface are
explained in the vocabulary at the end of the text
[1] The building blocks of physics are the physical quantities that we use to 1
express the laws of physics. Among these are length, mass, time, force, velocity, 2
density, resistivity, temperature, luminous intensity, magnetic field strength, and many 3
more. Many of these words, such as length and force, are part of our everyday 4
vocabulary. You might say for example: ―I will go to any length to satisfy you as long 5
as you do not force me to do so.‖ In physics, however, we must define words that we 6
associate with physical quantities, such as force and length, clearly and precisely and 7
we must not confuse them with their everyday meanings. In this example the precise 8
scientific definitions of length and force have no connection at all with the uses of 9
these words in the quoted sentence. 10
[2] We say that we have defined a physical quantity such as mass, for example, 11
when we have laid down a set of procedures, a recipe if you will, for measuring that 12
quantity and assigning a unit, such as the kilogram, to it. That is, we set up a standard. 13

The procedures are quite arbitrary. We can define the kilogram in any way we want. 14
The important thing is to define it in a useful and practical way, and to obtain 15
international acceptance of the definition. 16
[3] There are so many physical quantities that it becomes a problem as to 17
how to organize them. They are not independent of each other. For a simple example, 18
a speed is the ratio of a length to a time. What we do is select from all possible physical 19
quantities a certain small number that we choose to call basic, all others being derived 20
from them. We then assign standards to each of these basic quantities and to no others. 21
If, for example, we select length as a basic quantity, we choose a standard called the 22
meter and we define it in terms of precise laboratory operations. 23


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[4] Several questions arise: (a) how many basic quantities should be selected? 24
(b) Which quantities should they be? (c) Who is going to do the selection? The answers 25
to the first two questions are that we select the smallest number of physical quantities 26
that will lead to a complete description of physics in the simplest terms. Many choices 27
are possible. In one system, for example, force is a basic quantity, in the other it may 28
be a derived quantity. The answer to the third question depends on international 29
agreement. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures located near Paris and 30
established in 1875, is the fountainhead for these matters. It maintains contact with 31
standardizing laboratories throughout the world. Periodically they hold meetings for 32
making decisions or recommendations. Its first meeting was in 1889 and its eleventh 33
conference held in 1960 with the foundation of the International System of Units (SI). 34
[5] Once you have set up a basic standard, for length say, you must also set 35
up procedures that allow you to measure the length of any object by comparing it with 36
the standard. This means that the standard must be accessible. Also you want within 37
acceptable limits to get the same answer every time you compare the standard with a 38
given object. This means that the standard must be invariable. These two requirements 39
are often incompatible. If you choose length as a basic, define its standard as the 40

distance between a person’s nose and the fingertips of the outstretched arm, and assign 41
the yard as the unit, you have a standard that is certainly accessible but it is not 42
invariable. The demands of science and technology steer us just the other way. We 43
achieve accessibility by creating more readily available secondary, tertiary, etc., 44
standards and we strongly stress invariability. 45
VOCABULARY
 quantity: lượng, số lượng, (số nhiều) vô số, rất nhiều, quantities of people: rất nhiều
người, (toán học) con số; (vật lý) lượng; electric quantity: điện lượng; quantity of
heat:: nhiệt lượng; ( số nhiều) (kiến trúc) chi tiết thiết kế thi công (một toà nhà )
 arbitrary: tuỳ ý, arbitrary function: hàm tuỳ ý
 connection (n), connect (v): nối, liên quan, quan hệ. To have a connection with…: có
quan hệ với
 definition (n), define (v): định nghĩa, xác định
 fountain-head: nguồn nước, nguồn gốc.
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 compatible (adj), compatibility (n), compatibly (adv): tương hợp, tương thích.
incompatible: không tương thích
 invariability (n), invariable (adj), invariant (adj & n): không đổi, bất biến,
 operation (n): hoạt động; to come into operation: bắt đầu hoạt động; đi vào sản xuất,
in operation: đang hoạt động, đang có tác dụng, (y học) sự mổ xẻ; ca mổ, (quân sự)
cuộc hành quân, (toán học) phép tính, phép toán. To operate (v): operative,
operational (adj). operator (toán): toán tử.
 procedure: thủ tục, legal procedure: thủ tục pháp lý; the procedure of the meeting
 recipe: ['resэpi]: công thức làm món ăn, đơn thuốc, thuốc pha chế theo đơn, thuốc bốc
theo đơn, phương pháp, cách làm (việc gì)
 standard: tiêu chuẩn, chuẩn, mẫu; standard meter: mét mẫu; trình độ, mức; to come
up to the standard: đạt trình độ; standard of living: mức sống.
 access (n): lối vào, cửa vào, đường vào; to have access to somebody: được gần gũi ai,
được lui tới nhà ai; access (v): xâm nhập, (tin học) truy cập; to access a file

 accessibility: tính có thể tới được, tính có thể đến gần được
 associate (adj): kết giao, kết hợp liên hợp; liên đới; associate societies: hội liên hiệp;
(từ Mỹ, nghĩa Mỹ) cùng cộng tác, phụ, phó, trợ; associate editor: phó tổng biên tập.
(n): bạn đồng liêu, người cùng cộng tác; đồng minh. hội viên thông tin, viện sĩ thông
tấn (viện hàn lâm khoa học ), vật phụ thuộc vào vật khác; vật liên kết với vật
khác;(v): kết giao, kết hợp, liên hợp, liên kết; cho gia nhập, cho cộng tác
 quote (n), (vt): số nhiều quotes: (thông tục) lời trích dẫn; đoạn trích dẫn (như) quotation.
 assign (v): phân (việc ), phân công, to be assigned to do something: được giao việc
gì, ấn định, định, to assign the day for a journey: ấn định ngày cho cuộc hành trình. to
assign a limit: định giới hạn. to assign reason to (for) something: cho cái gì là có lý
do; đưa ra lý do để giải thích cái gì. to assign one's property to somebody: nhượng lại
tài sản cho ai
 recommendation (n): sự giới thiệu, sự tiến cử; to speak in recommendation of somebody:
tiến cử ai (vào một chức vụ ); thư giới thiệu, to write/give somebody a recommendation:
viết/gửi thư giới thiệu ai, a letter of recommendation: thư giới thiệu.

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EXERCISES
I. MAIN IDEA
Which statement best expresses the main idea of each paragraph?
Paragraph 1:
1. In physics we must not confuse physical quantities with their everyday meanings.
2. The building blocks of physics are the physical quantities expressing the laws
of physics.
3. Length, mass, time, force, velocity, density, resistivity, temperature, luminous
intensity, magnetic field strength are the basic physical quantities
Paragraph 2:
1. When we define a physical quantity we must measure that quantity and
assigning a unit to it.

2. The procedures for measuring a physical quantity is quite arbitrary.
3. The important thing is the procedures for measuring a physical quantity must
be accepted by all countries around the world.
Paragraph 3:
1. A problem arises is that there are so many physical quantities and they are not
independent of each other.
2. Physical quantities can be divided to groups: basic quantities and derived quantities.
3. The standard of length as a basic quantity is meter.
Paragraph 4:
1. Choosing a basic quantity is arbitrary.
2. We can select the smallest number of physical quantities that will lead to a
complete description of physics in the simplest terms and that selecting must
have a international agreement.
3. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures had the first meeting in
1889 and the fourteenth meeting in 1971.
Paragraph 5:
1. Yard is the unit that defines the distance between a person’s nose and the
fingertips of the outstretched arm.
2. A basic standard must be accessible and invariable.
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3. Yard is the unit that is certainly accessible but it is not invariable.
II. UNDERSTANDING WORDS
Refer back to the text and find synonyms for the following words.
1. please (lines 4-6)
2. achieve (lines 14-16)
3. accurate (lines 23-25)
4. fulfilled (lines 26-28)
5. situated (lines 29-31)
Now refer back to the text and find antonyms for the following words.

6. distinguish (lines 7-9)
7. theoretical (lines 15-17)
8. complicated (lines 17-19)
9. conflict (lines 30-32)
10. forbid (lines 35-37)
III. FILL IN THE BLANKS
Length: The (1) of the meter has changed several times. In 1889, one meter was
(2) as the distance between two finely engraved marks on a bar of platinum-
iridium that was kept in a vault outside Paris. Even though several copies of this bar were
distributed through out the world, such a standard of length had many shortcomings. For
instance, with progress in optical techniques, the scratches on the bar were seen to be
fuzzy and imprecise. In 1960, the (3) of length was changed to depend upon an
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atomic constant - the wavelength of a particular orange-red light (4) by an isotope
of krypton (
86
Kr) gas. Because our ability (and need) to measure length has led us to
require even greater accuracy, this standard also became insufficiently precise.
Therefore, in 1983, the Seventeenth General Conference on Weights and Measures
established a standard of length (5) on the speed of light in vacuum. A meter (m)
is now defined as the distance light (6) in vacuum during 1/299,792,458 second.
Some orders of magnitude for lengths are given in Table 1-1.

Time: The second was originally (7) as 1/86,400 of the mean solar day,
which is the time interval, averaged over a year, from noon of one day to noon of the
next. This definition is insufficient (8) Earth's rotation is both slightly irregular
and gradually slowing dawn from year to year. Therefore, in 1967, a definition of the
second was adopted that depends on an atomic standard. The second (s) is now defined as
the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of a particular vibration of a cesium atom isotope

(
133
Cs). Clocks (9) on this standard are, in effect, identical because all atoms of
133
Cs are indistinguishable and because frequency can be (10) in the laboratory
to an accuracy of about 4 parts in 10
13
. Some orders of magnitude for time are given in
Table 1-2.

Mass: The kilogram was originally defined as the mass of one litre of water
(11) certain conditions of temperature and pressure. In 1901, the standard
kilogram (kg) was defined as the mass of a particular cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy
kept at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in France. Duplicate copies of
the cylinder made of this particularly stable alloy are (12) in laboratories such as
the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland. Although the standards
of time and length can (13) reproduced to precisions of 1 part in 10
12
, the standard
of mass can be reproduced only to perhaps 1 part in 10
8
or 10
9
. This standard of mass
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leaves much to be desired. We would like to find an atomic or natural standard for mass,
but even though we know that all atoms of the same type have the same mass, nobody
knows (14) to count atoms with the required accuracy. Some orders of magnitude
for mass are (15) in Table 1-3.

IV. TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH
1. Hệ thống đơn vị quốc tế được chấp nhận bởi hội nghị quốc tế lần thứ 11 về cân
và đo, tổ chức tại Paris năm 1960.
2. Trước khi hệ mét được chấp nhận vào những năm 1790 không có một hệ đo
lường chung trên thế giới.
3. Các uỷ ban quốc tế được thành lập vào năm 1875 có nhiệm vụ điều chỉnh sự
chính xác của hệ mét dựa vào các thành tựu khoa học mới nhất.
4. Lít là đơn vị của thể tích được định nghĩa là thể tích của một dm
3
nước ở nhiệt
độ 4
0
C và áp suất 760 mmHg.
5. Một gam ban đầu được định nghĩa là khối lượng của 1 cm
3
nước tinh khiết ở
nhiệt độ nước đá đang tan.

FOCUS 1: ORGANIZING INFORMATION
A paragraph is a group of related sentences that develop an idea. In nearly every
paragraph, there is one idea that is more important than all the others. This idea is called the
main idea of the paragraph and is usually found at the beginning of the paragraph.
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Sample paragraph 1
All computers, whether large or small, have the same basic capabilities. They have
circuits for performing arithmetic operations. They all have a way of communicating with
person(s) using them. They also have circuits for making decisions.
In this paragraph, the first sentence, ―All computers, whether large or small, have

the same basic capabilities‖ expresses the main idea of the paragraph.
All main idea sentences have a topic and say something about the topic: All computers,
[topic] whether large or small, have the same basic capabilities. [about the topic]
In some of your reading, finding main ideas may serve your needs but in much of
your studying you need to grasp details. It is sometimes more difficult to grasp and
understand details than main ideas. You will find it helpful if you think of details as
growing out of the main idea. In sample paragraph 1, there are three major details
growing out of the main idea. These are major details:
1. They have circuits for performing arithmetic operations.
2. They all have a way of communicating with person(s) using them.
3. They also have circuits for making decisions.
A major detail often has minor details growing out of it. These minor details tell more
about a main idea, just as major details tell more about a main idea. In studying, you often find
a paragraph that has many small details that you must grasp and remember. Breaking up a
paragraph of this kind into its three components: the main idea, major details and minor
details will help you to understand and remember what it is about.
Sample paragraph 2
Conservation laws, in physics, are a group of laws stating that in a closed system
that undergoes a physical process, certain measurable quantities remain constant. Law
of conservation of matter or mass, formulated by Lavoisier, stated that, in a chemical
reaction, the total amount of matter of the reaction compounds remains constant. The
law of conservation of mass may be considered valid for chemical reactions, but it is
not valid for nuclear reactions, where a much larger quantity of matter is converted into
energy. Law of conservation of energy, formulated by the beginning of the 19th
century, states that energy occurs in the different forms of kinetic energy, potential
energy, and thermal energy (heat), and that it can be converted from one form to
another.
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If you want to organize this paragraph into three components, it would be like this:

MAIN
IDEA
MAJOR
DETAILS
MINOR
DETAILS
The law of conservation of
mass may be considered valid for
chemical reactions, but it is not
valid for nuclear reactions
Conservation laws, in physics, are a group of laws stating that in a
closed system that undergoes a physical process, certain measurable
quantities remain constant.
Law of conservation of
matter or mass stated that, in a
chemical reaction, the total amount
of matter of the reaction compounds
remains constant
Law of conservation of
energy states that energy occurs in

the different forms of kinetic
energy, potential energy, and
thermal energy (heat), and that it
can be converted from one form to
another.
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UNIT 2
MECHANICS
[1] Mechanics is a branch of physics concerning the motions of objects and 1
their response to forces. Modern descriptions of such behavior begin with a careful 2
definition of such quantities as displacement (distance moved), time, velocity, 3
acceleration, mass, and force. Until about 400 years ago, however, motion was 4
explained from a very different point of view. For example, following the ideas of 5
Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle, scientists reasoned that a cannon ball falls 6
down because its natural position is in the earth; the sun, the moon, and the stars travel 7
in circles around the earth because it is the nature of heavenly objects to travel in 8
perfect circles. 9
[2] The Italian physicist and astronomer Galileo brought together the ideas 10
of other great thinkers of his time and began to analyze motion in terms of distance 11
travelled from some starting position and the time that it took. He showed that the 12
speed of falling objects increases steadily during the time of their fall. This 13
acceleration is the same for heavy objects as for light ones, provided air friction (air 14
resistance) is discounted. The English mathematician and physicist Sir Isaac Newton 15
improved this analysis by defining force and mass and relating these to acceleration. 16
For objects travelling at speeds close to the speed of light, Newton's laws were 17
superseded by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. For atomic and subatomic 18
particles, Newton's laws were superseded by quantum theory. For everyday 19
phenomena, however, Newton's three laws of motion remain the cornerstone of 20
dynamics, which is the study of what causes motion. 21

[3] Kinetics is the description of motion without regard to what causes the 22
motion. Velocity is defined as the distance travelled divided by the time interval 23
Acceleration is defined as the time rate of change of velocity: the change of velocity 24
divided by the time interval during the change Regarding the size or weight of the 25
moving object, no mathematical problems are presented if the object is very small 26
compared with the distances involved. If the object is large, it contains one point, 27
called the centre of mass, the motion of which can be described as characteristic of the 28
whole object. If the object is rotating, it is frequently convenient to describe its rotation 29
about an axis that goes through the centre of mass. 30
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[4] Newton's first law of motion states that if the vector sum of the forces 31
acting on an object is zero, then the object will remain at rest or remain moving at 32
constant velocity. If the force exerted on an object is zero, the object does not 33
necessarily have zero velocity. Without any forces acting on it, including friction, an 34
object in motion will continue to travel at constant velocity. 35
[5] Newton's second law relates net force and acceleration. A net force on an 36
object will accelerate it—that is, change its velocity. The acceleration will be 37
proportional to the magnitude of the force and in the same direction as the force. A 38
massive object will require a greater force for a given acceleration than a small, light 39
object. What is remarkable is that mass, which is a measure of the inertia of an object 40
(inertia is its reluctance to change velocity), is also a measure of the gravitational 41
attraction that the object exerts on other objects. It is surprising and profound that the 42
inertial property and the gravitational property are determined by the same thing. The 43
implication of this phenomenon is that it is impossible to distinguish at a point whether 44
the point is in a gravitational field or in an accelerated frame of reference. Einstein 45
made this one of the cornerstones of his general theory of relativity, which is the 46
currently accepted theory of gravitation. 47
[6] Newton's third law of motion states that an object experiences a force 48
because it is interacting with some other object. The force that object 1 exerts on 49

object 2 must be of the same magnitude but in the opposite direction as the force that 50
object 2 exerts on object 1. Newton's third law also requires the conservation of 51
momentum, or the product of mass and velocity. For an isolated system, with no external 52
forces acting on it, the momentum must remain constant. 53


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VOCABULARY
 acceleration: sự thúc giục; (vật lý): gia tốc.
 amplitude: độ rộng, (vật lý) biên độ, amplitude of oscillation: biên độ dao động
 angular (rotational) momentum: mômen động lượng (mômen góc)
 astronomer: nhà thiên văn học, astronomy: môn thiên văn học
 atom (n), atomic (adj): nguyên tử; subatomic (adj): hạ nguyên tử
 behavior: thái độ, cách đối xử; tư cách đạo đức
 calibration: sự định cỡ
 center of mass: khối tâm
 characteristic (adj): riêng biệt, đặc thù, đặc trưng;(n): đặc tính, đặc điểm
 conservation (n), conserve (v): sự giữ gìn, sự bảo toàn, conservation of energy:
sự bảo toàn năng lượng
 describe (v); description (n); descriptive (adj): mô tả, diễn tả.
 dimension: chiều, kích thước, cỡ; of great dimensions: cỡ lớn; (vật lý) thứ
nguyên (của một đại lượng).
 discounted: giảm giá, bớt giá, chiết khấu
 displace (v); displacement (n): sự đổi chỗ, sự dời chỗ, sự thải ra, sự cách chức;
(vật lý): độ dịch chuyển, độ dời.
 distinguish: phân biệt; to distinguish one thing from another: phân biệt vật này
với vật khác
 effect: kết quả; hiệu lực, hiệu quả, tác dụng; of no effect: không có hiệu quả;
with effect from today: có hiệu lực kể từ ngày hôm nay; (số nhiều): của cải, vật
dụng, personal effects: vật dụng riêng; (vật lý) hiệu ứng.

 experience: kinh nghiệm, to learn by experience: rút kinh nghiệm.
 external force: ngoại lực; internal force: nội lực
 friction: (kỹ thuật) sự mài xát, sự ma sát.
 gravitation: (vật lý) sự hút, sự hấp dẫn; the law of gravitation.
 gravity: (vật lý) sự hấp dẫn, trọng lực; centre of gravity: trọng tâm.
 heavenly object: thiên thể


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 implication: sự liên can, sự dính líu; ẩn ý, điều ngụ ý; what are the implications
of this statement?: những ẩn ý của lời tuyên bố này là thế nào?
 inertia:(vật lý) tính ì; quán tính; tính trì trệ, sự không chịu thay đổi; (y học) tính
không có tác dụng.
 interaction: tương tác
 interval: khoảng (thời gian, không gian), khoảng cách, (toán học) khoảng
 intuitive (adj); intuitiveness (n); intuitively (adv): trực giác.
 isolate (v), isolated (adj): cô lập, cách ly, tách ra
 magnitude: độ lớn, lượng; cường độ; độ âm lượng; (thiên văn học) độ sáng biểu
kiến (của thiên thể); tính chất nghiêm trọng, tính chất trọng yếu
 momentum, (pl: momenta): (vật lý) động lượng, xung lượng
 net (n): mạng lưới; (adj): thực; net price: thực giá
 object: đồ vật, vật thể; đối tượng; (triết học) khách thể; mục tiêu, mục đích; no
object: không thành vấn đề (dùng trong quảng cáo ); phản đối, chống đối lại
 phenomenon (pl: phenomena): hiện tượng
 philosopher: nhà triết học; philosophy: triết học
 problem: vấn đề, luận đề; bài toán; (adj): có vấn đề, a problem novel: một tiểu
thuyết có vấn đề.
 proportional to: tỉ lệ với; directly proportional: tỷ lệ thuận; inversely
proportional: tỷ lệ nghịch.
 quantum theory: thuyết lượng tử

 relating: liên hệ, quan hệ
 relativity: tương đối
 reluctance: sự miễn cưỡng; sự bất đắc dĩ; (điện học) từ trở
 resistance: sự chống cự, sự kháng cự; a war of resistance: cuộc kháng chiến;
(vật lý) điện trở; tính chống, sức bền, độ chịu; frictional resistance: độ chịu ma
sát; resistance to corrosion: tính chống ăn mòn.
 stretch: kéo ra, căng ra, to stretch a wire across the road: căng dây qua đường
 supersede: bỏ, không dùng; thế chỗ, thay thế
 velocity: vận tốc


-16-


EXERCISES
I. MAIN IDEA
What is the main idea of each paragraph in the text?
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2:
Paragraph 3:
Paragraph 4:
Paragraph 5:
Paragraph 6:
II. WORD FORMS
First choose the appropriate form of the words to complete the sentences. Then
check the differences of meaning in your dictionary.
1. describe (v), description (n), descriptive (adj), descriptively (adv)
a. Kinetics the motion of objects without considering the
cause of their motion.
b. For the laws of physics, the mathematical language is

applied.
c. The relativity shows the property of space and time.
2. differ (v), difference (n), different (adj) , differently (adv), differential (n),
differentiate (v)
a. There is a very big between classical mechanics and
quantum mechanics.
b. There are many computer manufacturers today, and a
buyer must be able to between the advantages of each.
c. About the cause of motion, the ideas of ancient scientists
are from the Newton’s idea.
3. define (v), definition (n), definite (adj), definable (adj)
a. Velocity is as the distance travelled divided by the time interval.


-17-
b. There are some different formulation of the Newton’s first law.
c. There are sometime several physical quantities which are not clearly
4. relate (v), relation (n), relativity (n), relative (adj), relatives (n)
a. General , formulated by Einstein, was very difficult to understand.
b. There is a close between physics and philosophy.
c. Physics is a subject that is closely ………….to mathematics
5. accept (v), acceptance (n), acceptor (n), acceptable (adj)
a. Theory of gravitation is ………. by general theory of relativity
b. The results deriving from theory of relativity are not……. in classical physics.
c. In semiconductor, the atom which receive electrons from the other
ones, is called ……………
III. CONTEXTUAL REFERENCE
Look back at the text and find out what the words in bold typeface refer to.
1. great thinkers of his time… (line 11)
2. which is the study of what causes motion (line 21)

3. the motion of which can be described as… (line 28)
4. change its velocity… (line 37)
5. which is the currently accepted… (line 50)
6. it is interacting with some other object… (line 46-47)
7. with no external forces acting on it… (line 52)
IV. CONTENT REVIEW
Compete the following statements with the appropriate words. (Some can be
used more than once). Make sure you use the correct form.


Newton’s first law of motion (1)……… that if all the forces on an object cancel
each other out, then the object continues in the same state of (2)…… This is
essentially a more refined version of Galileo’s principle of inertia, which did not refer to
a numerical scale of force.
allows equal exerts motion pairs
reference states techniques type unchanged


-18-
Newton’s second law of motion (3)………. the prediction of an object’s
acceleration given its mass and the total force on it, a
cm
= F
total
/m. This is only the one-
dimensional version of the law.
Without the vector (4)……………., we can still say that the situation remains
(5)………… by including an additional set of vectors that cancel among themselves,
even if they are not in the direction of motion. Newton’s laws of motion are only true in
frames of (6)…………… that are not accelerating, known as inertial frames.

Newton’s third law states that forces occur in equal and opposite (7)…… If
object A (8)…… a force on object B, then object B must simultaneously be exerting an
(9)……… and opposite force on object A. Each instance of Newton’s third law involves
exactly two objects, and exactly two forces, which are of the same (10)……….
V. TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH
1. Gia tốc có thể làm thay đổi hướng, thay đổi độ lớn hoặc thay đổi cả hướng
và độ lớn của vectơ vận tốc.
2. Gia tốc a của một vật khối lượng m sinh ra bởi một lực F có thể tính bằng
cách dùng phương trình F=ma.
3. Nếu một lực đã cho tác dụng lên hai vật có khối lượng khác nhau thì vật có
khối lượng lớn hơn sẽ có gia tốc nhỏ hơn.
4. Khái niệm trường lần đầu tiên được sử dụng bởi Newton để giải thích lực
hấp dẫn, sau đó được sử dụng bởi Faraday để giải thích lực điện từ.
5. Lực ma sát giữa một vật và một bề mặt bằng một hằng số nhân cho lực mà
vật tác dụng trực tiếp lên bề mặt.
VI. SUPPLEMENTARY READING
Two Models from Aristotle
Over 2300 years ago, two related models
were used as the basis for explaining why objects
fall and move as they do. Aristotle (384–328
B.C.E.) used one model to account for the
movement of objects on Earth, and a second model
(see the diagram opposite) for the movement of
stars and planets in the sky. We do not accept these
models today as the best interpretation of movement
of objects on Earth and in space. However, at the time they were very intelligent
ways to explain these phenomena as Aristotle observed them.


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Aristotle and Motion
The model for explaining movement on Earth was based on a view advanced
by the Greeks, following Aristotle’s thinking. Aristotle accepted the view of
Empedocles (492–435 B.C.E.) that everything is made of only four elements or
essences - earth, water, air, and fire. All objects were assumed to obey the same
basic rules depending on the essences of which they were composed. Each essence
had a natural place in the cosmic order. Earth’s position is at the bottom, above that
is water, then air and fire. According to this model, every object in the cosmos is
composed of various amounts of these four elements. A stone is obviously earth.
When it is dropped, a stone falls in an attempt to return to its rightful place in the
order of things. Fire is the uppermost of the essences.
When a log burns, the fire it trapped from the sun while it was growing is
released and rises back to its proper place. Everything floats, falls, or rises in order
to return to its proper place in the world, according to Aristotle. These actions were
classified as natural motions. When an object experiences a force, it can move in
directions other than the natural motions that return them to their natural position. A
stone can be made to move horizontally or upward by exerting a force in the desired
direction. When the force stops so does the motion.
The model for explaining movement in the sky was somewhat different.
Greek astronomers knew that there were two types of ―stars,‖ the fixed stars and the
planets (or wanderers), as well as the Sun and the Moon. These objects seemed not
to be bound by the same rules as objects formed of the other essences. They moved
horizontally across the sky without forces acting on them. The Greeks placed them
in a fifth essence of their own. All objects in this fifth essence were considered to be
perfect. The Moon, for example, was assumed to be a
perfect sphere. Aristotle’s model assumes that perfect
crystal, invisible spheres existed, supporting the celestial
bodies.
Later, when Ptolemy (87–150 C.E.) developed
his Earthcentred universe model, he used this idea as a

base and expanded upon it to include wheels within
wheels in order to explain why planets often underwent
retrograde (backward) motion. A single spherical motion
could explain only the motions of the Sun and the Moon. To European cultures,
Aristotle’s two models were so successful that for almost 2000 years people
accepted them without question.


-20-
They remained acceptable until challenged by the revolutionary model of
Copernicus (1473–1543) and the discoveries of Galileo Galilei (1564–1642).
Galileo and Scientific Inquiry In 1609, using a primitive telescope, Galileo
observed that the Moon’s surface was dotted with mountains, craters, and valleys;
that Jupiter had four moons of its own; that Saturn had rings; that our galaxy (the
Milky Way) comprised many more stars than anyone had previously imagined; and
that Venus, like the Moon, had phases. Based on his observations, Galileo felt he
was able to validate a revolutionary hypothesis - one advanced previously by Polish
astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus – which held that Earth, along with the other
planets in the Solar System, actually orbited the Sun. What the Greeks had failed to
do was test the explanations based on their models. When Galileo observed falling
bodies he noted that they didn’t seem to fall at significantly different rates.
Galileo built an apparatus to measure the rate at which objects fell, did the
experiments, and analyzed the results. What he found was that all objects fell
essentially at the same rate. Why had the Greeks not found this? Quite simply, the
concept of testing their models by experimentation was not an idea they found
valuable, or perhaps it did not occur to them. Since Galileo’s time, scientists the
world over have studied problems in an organized way, through observation,
systematic experimentation, and careful analysis of results. From these analyses,
scientists draw conclusions, which they then subject to additional scrutiny in order
to ensure their validity.

FOCUS 2: PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES
When you are reading, you will come across unfamiliar words. It is often
possible to guess the meanings of these words if you understand the way words in
English are generally formed.
An English word can be divided into three parts: a prefix, a stem and a suffix.
Pre- means ―before‖; a prefix, therefore, is what comes before the stem.
Consider as an example, the prefix de- (meaning: reduce or reverse) in a word like
demagnetize (meaning ―to deprive of magnetism‖). A suffix is what attached to the
end of the stem. Consider an example the suffix -er (meaning ‖someone who‖) in
programmer (―the person who programs‖).
Prefixes usually change the meaning of the word; for example, un- changes a
word to the negative. Suffixes, on the other hand, change the word from one part of
speech to another. For example, -ly added to the adjective quick gives the adverb


-21-
quickly. Let us now consider some prefixes, their usual meaning, and how they
change the meanings of English words.
Negative and positive prefixes

Prefix
Meaning
Example
Negative
un-
in-
im-
il-
ir-
non-

mis-
dis-

anti-
de-
under-


not,
not good enough

not connected with
bad, wrong
opposite feeling
opposite action
against
reduce, reverse
too little
unhealthy, unreal
incomplete, incorrect
impossible, impatient, impolite
illegal, illogical, illiteracy
irregular, irresolvable
non-conducting, non-professional
miscalculate, misinform
disagree, dishonest, disadvantage,
disconnect, antiseptic, anti-particle
decode, dehydrate, deactivate
underweight, undergraduate
Positive

re-
over-
do again
too much
reproduce, rewrite, review
overheat, overload, overdose

Prefix
Meaning
Example
Prefixes of size
semi-
equi-
marco-
mini-
micro-
half, partly
equal
large
little
small
semiconductor, semitropical
equidistant, equipotential
macroscopic
minicomputer
microbiology, microscopic


-22-
Prefixes of location

inter-
super-
trans-
extra-
sub-
infra-
peri-
between, among
over
across
beyond
under
below
around
interaction, interface
superconductivity, supersonic
transelement, transferable
extraordinary, extraterrestrial life
subatomic, subdivide
infrared, infrastructure
peripheral, periphrases
Suffixes
Meaning
Example
- ance
- ence
- ness
- ment
- ation, -tion
- ity

- er, or
- ist, -yst
state
quality of
condition of
state, action
the act of
state, action
a person who, a thing
which
a person who
performance
independence, equivalence
happiness, cleanliness
measurement, requirement
action, interaction, degeneration
electricity, ability
programmer, operator, accumulator
physicist, analyst
- ian
- ism
- dom
- ship
state, quality
pertaining to
condition, state
domain, condition
condition, state
physician, mathematician
magnetism, socialism

freedom, boredom
relationship, friendship











-23-
Verb-forming suffixes
Suffix
Meaning
Examples
- ise (ize)
- ate
- fy
- en


to make
magnetise, computerize
automate, activate
simplify, purify, beautify
harden, widen
Adjective-forming suffixes

Suffix
Meaning
Examples
- al
- ar
- ic
- ical
- able
- ible
- ous
- ious
- ful
- less
- ish
- ive


have the quality of


capable of

characterized by

like, full of
without
like
quality of
physical, logical
circular,

electronic
classical
capable, dependable
responsible, flexible
dangerous,
religious
helpful
careless
yellowish
interactive



-24-
UNIT 3
HEAT AND TEMPERATURE
[1] Heat, in physics, transfer of energy from one part of a substance to
1

another, or from one body to another by virtue of a difference in temperature. Heat
2

is energy in transit; it always flows from a substance at a higher temperature to the
3

substance at a lower temperature, raising the temperature of the latter and lowering
4

that of the former substance, provided the volume of the bodies remains constant.
5

Heat does not flow from a lower to a higher temperature unless another form of
6

energy transfer, work, is also presented.
7

[2] Until the beginning of the 19th century, the effect of heat on the
8

temperature of a body was explained by postulating the existence of an invisible
9

substance or form of matter termed caloric. According to the caloric theory of heat,
10

a body at a high temperature contains more caloric than one at a low temperature;
11

the former body loses some caloric to the latter body on contact, increasing that
12

body's temperature while lowering its own. Although the caloric theory successfully
13

explained some phenomena of heat transfer, experimental evidence was presented
14

by the American-born British physicist Benjamin Thompson (later known as Count
15

von Rumford) in 1798 and by the British chemist Sir Humphry Davy in 1799
16

suggesting that heat, like work, is a form of energy in transit. Between 1840 and
17

1849 the British physicist James Prescott Joule, in a series of highly accurate
18

experiments, provided conclusive evidence that heat is a form of energy in transit
19

and that it can cause the same changes in a body as work.
20

[3] The sensation of warmth or coldness of a substance on contact is
21

determined by the property known as temperature. Although it is easy to compare
22

the relative temperatures of two substances by the sense of touch, it is impossible to
23

evaluate the absolute magnitude of the temperatures by subjective reactions. Adding
24

heat to a substance, however, not only raises its temperature, causing it to impart a
25

more acute sensation of warmth, but also produces alterations in several physical
26

properties, which may be measured with precision. As the temperature varies, a
27

substance expands or contracts, its electrical resistivity changes, and in the
28

gaseous form, it exerts varying pressure. The variation in a standard property
29

usually serves as a basis for an accurate numerical temperature scale.
30