English for Physics
Chap.1. Glassary (Part 1)

General and Math

0 Category

単語

Words

1 General

電磁気学

electricity and magnetism

2 General量子力学

quantum mechanics

3 General

統計力学

statistical mechanics

4 General

卒業論文

senior thesis

5 General

大学院生

graduate student

6 General

学部生

undergraduate student

7 General

理学研究科

Graduate School of Science

8 General

理学部

Faculty of Science

Definitions/descriptions

9 General

前期/後期

first semester/ second semester

10 General

経験則

empirical rule

11 Matter

分子molecule

12 Matter

原子

atom

13 Matter

原子核

nucleus (pl. nuclei)

The most massive part of an atom, consisting of protons and neutrons.

14 Matter

核子

nucleonA collective term for a proton or neutron, i.e. for a constituent of an
atomic nucleus.

15 Matter

陽子

protonA positively charged nucleon.

16 Matter

中性子

neutronAn elementary particle with zero charge and with rest mass nearly
equal to that of a proton. A charge-neutral nucleon.

17 Matter

電子

electronA stable elementary particle whose negative charge -e defines anelementary unit of charge.

18 Matter

光子

photonA quantized particle of electromagnetic radiation (light).

19 Matter

水素hydrogenAn element whose atom consists of one proton and one electron.

20 Matter

元素の周期表periodic table of the elements

21 Math
22 Math

足し算
引き算

additionsubtraction

A table of chemical elements arranged in order of their atomic
numbers.
The mathematical operation represented by a plus symbol (+).
The mathematical operation represented by a minus symbol (-).

23 Math整数

integer

A whole number, i.e. does not contain a fraction.
A number that can be written as 2n , where n is an integer.

A rule derived from experiments or observations rather than theory.
The smallest unit into which any substance is divided into without
losing its chemical nature, usually consisting of a group of atoms.
The smallest part of an element that can exist, consisting of a small
dense nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by orbiting
electrons.

24 Math偶数

even number

25 Math奇数

odd number

A number that can be written as 2n +1, where n is an integer.

26 Math分数

fraction

A number expressed as p over q (p /q ).

27 Math小数decimalA fraction whose denominator is a power of ten and whose numerator
is expressed by figures placed to the right of a decimal point.

28 Math分子

numerator

The number above the line in a fraction.

29 Math分母

denominator

The number below the line in a fraction.
The process of finding an integral, i.e. the function for which thederivative is the given function. The integral can express the area
under the graph of the given function.
Something that is similar but not exactly equal to something else. E.g.
an approximate value for some quantity can be used if the true value is
too difficult to calculate, or an approximate model can be used if thetrue model is too complicated.
A measure of the smallness of random deviation from the mean value.
A measure of the smallness of systematic deviation from the true
An m ⨉n matrix is a rectangular array of numbers (do not have to benumbers) set out in m rows and n columns.

30 Math積分

integration

31 Math近似

approximation

32 Mechanics
33 Mechanics

精度
確度

precisionaccuracy

34 Math行列

matrix (pl. matrices)

35 Math円柱cylinderA geometric shape with parallel sides and circular cross-section.

36 Math球

sphereA solid object that is completely round, with every point on its surface
at an equal distance from the center.

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English for Physics
Chap.1. Glassary (Part 1)

General and Math

0 Category

単語

Words

37 Math立方体

cube

38 Math

長方形

rectangle

39 Math平行四辺形

parallelogram

40 Math

台形

trapezoid

41 Math

正三角形

equilateral triangle

42 Math

二等辺三角形

isosceles triangle

Definitions/descriptions
A three-dimensional object bounded by six equal squares, withneighbouring squares perpendicular to each other.
A four-sided shape with four straight lines joined at right angles.
Unlike a square, the sides do not all have to be of equal length.
A two-dimensional shape with opposite sides parallel and equal inlength. The three-dimensional counterpart of a parallelogram is aparallelepiped.
A two-dimensional shape with 4 straight sides that has a pair of
opposite sides parallel.
A triangle in which all three sides are equal.
A triangle that has two sides of equal length.
The distance from the center of a circle (or sphere) to its
circumference.
A straight line going from one side of a circle to the other side,
passing through the center of the circle.

43 Math

半径

radius (pl. radii)

44 Math

直径

diameter

45 Math表面積

surface area

46 Math

体積

volume47 Math直角

a right angle

The amount of three-dimensional space occupied by a body or
enclosed by a closed boundary.
An angle of 90°

48 Math平行parallel

The relationship between two lines (or planes) that never meet.

49 Math垂直perpendicular

50 Math直交orthogonal

51 Math原点

originA fixed point from which coordinates are measured.

The total area of the faces or curved surfaces of a solid object.

The relationship between lines or surfaces that intersect at rightangles.
Orthogonality is an extension of the idea of perpendicularity to higher
dimensions and non-geometric objects.

52 Math対数関数

logarithm

The power to which a fixed number (the base) must be raised in orderto recover a given number.

53 Math

指数関数

exponential

The function e x , which is equal to its own derivative. (e =2.7182818…)

54 Math平均

mean

For the set of numbers a 1, a 2, a 3,… a n , the value given by(a 1+a 2+a 3+... +a n )/n . Also commonly known as the average.

55 Math

桁数

an order of magnitude

56 Math次元

dimension

57 Math複素数

complex number

58 Math実数

real number

A number with no imaginary part. This can be expressed as a + 0i

59 Math虚数

imaginary number

A number with no real part. This can be expressed as 0 + ib

60 Math円筒座標

cylindrical coordinate system

A three dimensional coordinate system in which a position is specified
by radial distance ρ , azimuthal angle φ , and axial distance z .

61 Math

球座標

spherical coordinate system

A three dimensional coordinate system in which a position is specified
by distance r from the origin, polar angle θ , and azimuthal angle φ .

62 Math極角polar angle, θ

63 Math方位角

azimuthal angle, φA power of 10. The value of physical quantities are often given to anorder of magnitude. For example, 2.3 ⨉ 105 and 6.9 ⨉ 105 are of thesame order of magnitude.
(1) Combinations for any physical quantities that can be expressed interms of base units (such as meter, kg and second) of fundamental
physical quantities (such as length, mass and time).
(2) In geometry, the dimension of the space is the minimum numberof coordinates required to specify any point within the space.
A number that can be expressed as a + i b , where i is the imaginary
unit satisfying i 2 = -1 and a and b are real numbers.

In two dimensions, the polar angle is measured counterclockwise fromthe x -axis to a line drawn from the origin to some given point in thex-y plane. In three dimensions, the polar angle is measured from thez- axis to a line drawn from the origin to some given point in the 3dimensional space.
In three dimensions, after projection of the vector between the origin
and some given point of interest onto the x-y plane, the azimuthal
angle is the angle measured counterclockwise from the x -axis to thisprojected line.

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English for Physics
Chap.1. Glossary (Part 2)
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単語

Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism
Words

3/5

Definitions / descriptions

1 Mechanics

並進

translation

2 Mechanics
3 Mechanics
4 Mechanics
5 Mechanics

運動方程式
位置
速度
加速度

an equation of motion
position
velocity
acceleration

6 Mechanics

質量

mass

7 Mechanics

運動量momentum (pl. momenta)

The movement of a body or system in such a way that all points are moved inparallel directions through equal distances.
Equation that describes the motion or evolution of a system as a function of time.
The location of an object relative to the origin of an arbitrary set of coordinates.
The rate of change of position with time.
The rate of change of velocity with time.
A measure of a body’s inertia, i.e. its resistance to acceleration: a = F/m . Can
also be defined in terms of the gravitational attraction between two bodies.
The product of the mass and the velocity of a particle.

8 Mechanics

角速度

angular velocity

The rate at which a body rotates about an axis.

9 Mechanics

慣性モーメント

moment of inertia

10 Mechanics

角運動量

angular momentum

11 Mechanics

位置エネルギー

potential energy

The resistance of an object to changes of its angular velocity.
The product of the angular velocity of a body and its moment of inertia about theaxis of rotation.
The energy associated with the position of objects in a system.

12 Mechanics

運動エネルギー

kinetic energy

The energy associated with the motion of a system.

13 Mechanics

摩擦

friction

14 Mechanics

重力gravity

Force opposing the sliding of one surface over another.
The attractive force between two bodies which is proportional to the product of
their masses.
A regular movement between one position and another or between one amountand another.
An oscillator which has sinusoidal like motion.
A condition in which a vibrating system responds with maximum amplitude to analternating driving force, which occurs when the driving frequency coincides with
the natural frequency of the system.
The peak value of an alternating quantity in either the positive or negative
direction.

15 Mechanics

振動oscillation

16 Mechanics

調和振動子

a harmonic oscillator

17 Mechanics

共鳴

resonance

18 Mechanics

振幅

amplitude

19 Mechanics

位相

phase

20 E&M電荷charge21 E&M
22 E&M
23 E&M

引力
斥力
クーロン力

attractive force
repulsive force
Coulomb force

24 E&M周波数

frequency

25 E&M

周期

periodA property of an elementary particle that determines the force it experiences in thepresence of an electric or magnetic field. Usually measured in units of themagnitude of the negative charge of the electron, e.
e.g. The force between positive and negative charges is attractive.
e.g. The force between two positive or two negative charges is repulsive.
The force between two charged particles.
The rate of repetition of a regular event, e.g. the number of cycles of an oscillation
per second.
The time it takes to complete one cycle of an oscillation.

26 E&M電流

current

A flow of electric charge through a substance.

27 E&M

電圧

voltage

The difference in the electric potential between two points in a circuit that gives
rise to a force on charged particles, thus inducing a current. The induced current
is related to the resistance of the circuit through Ohm’s law: I = V/R.

28 E&M

オシロスコープ

oscilloscope

29 E&M抵抗

resistance

30 E&M並列

in parallel

31 E&M直列

in series

32 E&M

エックス線回折

X-ray diffraction

33 E&M反射

reflection

34 E&M

屈折率

index of refraction

35 E&M

干渉

interference

The state of development of a periodic quantity, specifically the fraction of thewhole period that has elapsed.

An instrument used to provide a visual image of electrical signals, i.e. theiramplitude and time evolution.
A measure of a substances’ opposition to the flow charge when a voltage(potential difference) is applied. It is related to the voltage and current via Ohm’s
law as R = V/I .
Two capacitors connected in this way give a total capacitance that is the sum of
the two.
Two resistors connected in series give a total resistance that is the sum of the two.
The diffraction of X-rays by a crystal whose atomic separations are comparable insize to the wavelength of X-rays. (Diffraction is the spreading or bending ofwaves as they pass through an aperture (or series of apertures as in the case of thecrystal) or round the edge of a barrier.)
The return of all or part of a beam of particles or waves when it encounters aboundary between two media.
The parameter that characterizes the change in direction of a wave when it entersanother medium.
The interaction between two or more wave motions affecting the same part of a
medium such that the total disturbance is the vector sum of the disturbances
resulting from each of the individual waves.

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Chap.1. Glossary (Part 3)

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Quantum Mechanics and Statistical Mechanics-1
0 Category

単語

Words

1 QM

不確定性原理the uncertainty principle

2 QM

パウリの排他律the Pauli exclusion principle

The rule stating that no two identical fermions can be in thesame quantum state.
The procedure involved in transforming from a classical to aquantum understanding of physical phenomena whereby
variables that are continuous in the classical theory become
quantized, i.e. can only take on certain discrete values.

Definitions/descriptions
The fundamental principle often expressed by the relation
Δx•Δp ≳ h .

3 QM

量子化

quantization

4 QM

スピン

spin

5 QM

対称性

symmetry

6 QM

束縛状態

bound state

7 QM

基底状態

the ground state

The lowest stable energy state of a system.

8 QM

励起状態

excited state

An unstable state of a system whose energy is greater than thatof the ground state.

9 QM

励起エネルギー

activation energy

10 QM

縮退

degeneracy

11 QM

摂動

perturbation

A small deviation from a known or solved reference system.

The intrinsic angular momentum of an elementary particle.
The property of a system that leaves the system unchanged after
a certain transformation.
A state in which a particle is subject to a potential such that theparticle has a tendency to remain localised in one or moreregions of space.

The height of the energy barrier separating two minima of
potential energy.
A situation in which two or more distinct states have the sameenergy.

12 QM

消滅（生成）演算子

annihilation (creation) operator

In the context of quantum mechanics, where the energy levels ofa system are discretised, an annihilation (creation) operator canbe considered as an operator that decreases (increases) the
number of particles in a given energy state by one.

13 Stat. Mech.

エントロピー

entropy

An extensive variable in thermodynamics which gives ameasure of the microscopic disorder of a system.

14 Stat. Mech.

断熱膨張

adiabatic expansion

A thermodynamic expansion process in which no heat enters orleaves a system.

15 Stat. Mech.

分配関数

partition function

A summation which describes how the probabilities are divided
among the different microstates, based on their individualenergies: it counts the (weighted) number of states a system canoccupy.

16 Stat. Mech.

熱平衡

thermal equilibrium

The condition of a system in which the net rate of exchange ofheat between its components is zero.

17 Stat. Mech.

平均自由行程mean free path

The average distance travelled between collisions by themolecules in a gas, photons in a plasma etc

18 Stat. Mech.

揺らぎ

fluctuation

An irregular increase or decrease in a quantity derived frommany identical random processes.

19 Stat. Mech.

飽和

saturation

A situation in which the response or output of a system becomes
substantially constant and independent of the increasing external
field or input.

20 Stat. Mech.

ヒステリシス

hysteresis (pl. hystereses)

The dependence of a system not only on its current environment
but also on its past environment, e.g. in a ferromagnetic
material.

21 Stat. Mech.

アニーリング（焼きなまし）annealing

The process of heating a substance at a certain temperature
below its melting temperture, maintaining it for a cetain time,and cooling it slowly so that the substance reaches a state closer
to its thermal equilibrium at ambient tempearatue.

1

Glossary
Chap.1. Glossary (Part 4)
0 Category
Condensed
1
MatterCondensed
2
MatterCondensed
3
MatterCondensed
4
MatterCondensed
5Matter5/5
Condensed Matter, Particles and Cosmology

単語

Words

金属

metal

絶縁体

insulator

超伝導

superconductivity

相転移phase transition

走査型
トンネル顕微鏡

STM(scanningtunneling
microscope)

Definitions/descriptions
A material with high electrical conductivity (low resistance).
A material with very low electrical conductivity (high resistance) because of
the energy gap between the valence band and conduction band.
A phenomenon in which the electrical resistance of a metal disappears
completely below a certain temperature.
The transformation of a thermodynamic system from one state of matter toanother.
A type of an electron microscope based on the tunnel effect for imaging
surfaces at the atomic level.
(When a fine conducting tip is held close to the surface of a sample with anelectric potential, electrons tunnel between the sample and the tip,
producing a small current. The tip is slowly moved across the surface andraised and lowered so as to keep the electrical current constant. In this way,
the profile of the surface based on its local density of electron states can be

6

Condensed
Matter

核磁気共鳴

NMR(nuclear magnetic
resonance)

A resonant absorption of radio-frequency radiation when its frequency
coincides with the difference in energy between two states of a nucleus witha spin in a magnetic field.

7

Condensed
Matter

レーザー

Laser

A beam of coherent, monochromatic light, or a device that emits such abeam. The light is produced by stimulated emission of electromagnetic
radiation.

8

Condensed
Matter

発光ダイオード

A semiconductor pn-junction diode which emits light by recombination ofLEDelectrons with holes. The color of the light (corresponding to the energy of(light-emitting diode)the photon) is determined by the energy band gap of the semiconductor.

9Particles andCosmology

微細構造定数

fine-structure constant

A dimensionless quantity, denoted by α , which serves as a convenientmeasure of the strength of the electromagnetic interaction.

10

Particles andCosmology

核融合

nuclear fusion

A reaction between light nuclei in which a heavier nucleus is formed withthe release of energy.

核分裂

nuclear fission

The splitting of a heavy nucleus of an atom into two or more fragments ofcomparable size.

宇宙universe

All the matter, energy and space that exists.

銀河

galaxyA large gravitationally bound cluster of stars, gas, and dust.

太陽系

the solar system

The system made up of the sun, its orbiting planets and their naturalsatellites (moons).

Particles andCosmology
Particles and12
Cosmology
Particles and13
Cosmology
Particles and14
Cosmology
11

15Particles andCosmology

宇宙線

cosmic ray

High-energy charged particles which enter the earth’s atmosphere fromouter space.

16

Particles andCosmology

重力波gravitational wave

Disturbance in the curvature of spacetime, generated by accelerated masses,that propagates as a wave outward from their source at the speed of light.

17

Particles andCosmology

特殊相対論

the special theoryof relativity

The theory developed by Einstein in 1905 which leads to the equivalence of2energy and mass: E = mc .

一般相対論

general relativity(The general theoryof relativity)

The theory developed by Einstein which provides a unified description ofgravity as a geometric property of space and time, or spacetime. (Inparticular, the curvature of spacetime is directly related to the energy andmomentum of whatever matter and radiation are present.)

Particles and18
Cosmology2