Technical Terms Glossary
Essential technical terms with formulas, explanations, and practical applications across multiple disciplines.
💰 Finance Terms
Compound Interest
Interest calculated on initial principal and accumulated interest.
Where: A = Future value, P = Principal, r = Rate, n = Compounds per period, t = Time
Calculate compound interest →Amortization
Gradual repayment of loan principal over time.
Where: PMT = Payment, P = Principal, r = Rate per period, n = Total payments
Calculate amortization →Return on Investment (ROI)
Performance measure of an investment's profitability.
Where: Gain = Final value, Cost = Initial investment
Calculate ROI →Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
Annual rate charged for borrowing including fees.
Where: n = Loan term in days
Calculate APR →Net Present Value (NPV)
Difference between present cash inflows and outflows.
Where: CF = Cash flow, r = Discount rate, t = Time period
Calculate NPV →Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)
Average rate a company pays to finance its assets.
Where: E = Equity, D = Debt, V = Total value, Re = Cost of equity, Rd = Cost of debt, Tc = Tax rate
Calculate WACC →🔬 Science Terms
Ohm's Law
Relationship between voltage, current, and resistance.
Where: V = Voltage, I = Current, R = Resistance
Calculate Ohm's Law →Mass-Energy Equivalence
Relationship between mass and energy in physics.
Where: E = Energy, m = Mass, c = Speed of light
Calculate energy →Boyle's Law
Relationship between pressure and volume of gas.
Where: P = Pressure, V = Volume
Calculate gas laws →Hooke's Law
Force needed to extend/compress a spring.
Where: F = Force, k = Spring constant, x = Displacement
Calculate spring force →Beer-Lambert Law
Absorption of light by a solution.
Where: A = Absorbance, ε = Molar absorptivity, l = Path length, c = Concentration
Calculate absorbance →Radioactive Half-Life
Time for half of radioactive atoms to decay.
Where: N = Remaining quantity, N0 = Initial quantity, t = Time, t½ = Half-life
Calculate half-life →🧮 Math Terms
Pythagorean Theorem
Relationship in right-angled triangles.
Where: a,b = Legs, c = Hypotenuse
Calculate triangle sides →Quadratic Formula
Solution to quadratic equations.
Where: a,b,c = Coefficients of ax²+bx+c=0
Solve quadratic equations →Law of Cosines
Generalization of Pythagorean theorem.
Where: a,b,c = Triangle sides, C = Angle opposite side c
Calculate triangle →Fibonacci Sequence
Recursive sequence where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.
Where: F(0)=0, F(1)=1
Generate sequence →Combinations
Number of ways to choose items without regard to order.
Where: n = Total items, k = Items to choose
Calculate combinations →Permutations
Number of ordered arrangements of items.
Where: n = Total items, k = Items to arrange
Calculate permutations →⚙️ Engineering Terms
Torque
Rotational equivalent of linear force.
Where: τ = Torque, r = Distance vector, F = Force vector
Calculate torque →Stress
Internal resistance to deformation.
Where: σ = Stress, F = Force, A = Cross-sectional area
Calculate stress →Reynolds Number
Predicts flow patterns in fluid dynamics.
Where: ρ = Density, v = Velocity, L = Characteristic length, μ = Viscosity
Calculate flow →Heat Transfer
Rate of heat flow through a material.
Where: Q = Heat flow, k = Thermal conductivity, A = Area, ΔT = Temp difference, d = Thickness
Calculate heat transfer →Gear Ratio
Ratio of rotational speeds of gears.
Where: N = Number of teeth
Calculate gear ratio →Bernoulli's Principle
Relationship between pressure and velocity in fluid flow.
Where: P = Pressure, ρ = Density, v = Velocity, g = Gravity, h = Height
Calculate fluid dynamics →❤️ Health Terms
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Measure of body fat based on height and weight.
Where: weight in kg, height in meters
Calculate BMI →Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Calories burned at complete rest.
Where: weight in kg, height in cm, age in years
Calculate BMR →Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
Total calories burned including activity.
Where: Activity Factor = 1.2-1.9 based on exercise level
Calculate TDEE →Body Fat Percentage
Estimate of body composition.
Uses neck, waist (and hip for women) circumferences
Calculate body fat →One Repetition Maximum (1RM)
Maximum weight that can be lifted once.
Where: w = Weight lifted, r = Reps performed
Calculate 1RM →VO₂ Max
Maximum oxygen uptake during exercise.
Where: HRmax = Max heart rate, HRrest = Resting heart rate
Calculate VO₂ Max →📊 Statistics Terms
Standard Deviation
Measure of data dispersion.
Where: x = Data point, μ = Mean, N = Number of data points
Calculate SD →Correlation Coefficient
Measure of linear relationship between variables.
Where: x,y = Variables, x̄,ȳ = Means
Calculate correlation →Confidence Interval
Range of plausible values for a parameter.
Where: x̄ = Sample mean, z = z-score, σ = SD, n = Sample size
Calculate CI →P-value
Probability of results under null hypothesis.
Depends on specific statistical test used
Calculate p-value →Linear Regression
Modeling relationship between variables.
Where: y = Dependent, x = Independent, a = Intercept, b = Slope, ε = Error
Calculate regression →Z-score
Standardized measure of distance from mean.
Where: x = Data point, μ = Mean, σ = Standard deviation
Calculate z-score →