Amplitude: the maximum height of a sine or cosine wave as measured from the midpoint to either the crest or the trough.

Azimuth angle: Sounds suspiciously similar to the name of a demon in the bible, but…it isn't. Instead, it's the horizontal rotational angle when you go from the x-axis to the y-axis.

Causality: the relationship between the cause and its effect. Politicians—just like everyone else—love to take causality when things go well and push causality on someone else when it all bursts into flames.

Current: A flow of electric charge along the surface of a wire. It's like the ocean current, except along a wire. Unless you put the current in the water. Then it's called "electrocution."

Electric charge: a positive or negative point charge. It's the reason you should be very careful when trying to jump-start your car. It's the fundamental part of electricity. Electrons move across a wire, sending their energy with them.

Electric field: the distribution or collection of electric charges. If midi-chlorians were real, we think they'd probably look like an electric field, except inside a Jedi's body.

Electric flux: the flow of an electric field in the direction perpendicular to the electric sources. It's like Aeon Flux, except without any of the dystopic implications. Also it's an electric field—not a television series.

Elevation: When you jump into the third dimension for objects, that angle going up has an elevation going from the x-axis to the z-axis.

Magnetic field: A distribution or collection of magnetic sources. Talk about the coolest collection you could have.

Magnetic flux: the flow of magnetic field in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic sources. It's like Aeon Flux, except without any of the dystopic implications. Also it's a magnetic field—not a television series.

Magnitude: The scalar length of a vector.

Perturbed: a measured change in an object. You've also probably heard it on Downton Abbey when describing the Dowager Countess's reaction to just about anything.

Point charge: A mathematical concept that gives a point of space a charge and a spatial position. It's really helpful for looking at electric fields and how they move things around.

Radar: A device that uses radio waves to figure out the relative distances of different objects. For more information, read the learning guide right here.

Resistance: The force that slows down the flow of electric charge in a current. It's also the name of a great board game. You should try it in your downtime at the electric lab.

Solenoid: A current-carrying coil of wire that acts like a magnet when it has a current.

Speed: Given how far you traveled and how long it took you, at what rate were you moving while you traveled? That's your speed.

Vector: A line that has a magnitude and direction.

Voltage: A moving electric field that changes in time. The measurement system for voltage is called—wait for it—Volts.