Download Force and Motion Vocabulary

Force and Motion Vocabulary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
motion – the change in position of an object.
reference point – used to describe an objects location in relation to something else.
position – the exact location of an object.
speed – the distance an object travels per unit of time.
Speed Calculation: Speed = Distance / Time
average speed – the overall rate of speed at which an object moves.
Average Speed Calculation: Divide the Total Distance an Object Travels / Total Time
instantaneous speed – the rate at which an object is moving at a given instant in time
velocity – speed in a given direction
slope – the steepness of a line on a graph and tells the rate of change. It can be calculated as:
slope = Rise
Run
acceleration – increasing speed, decreasing speed, or changing direction
force – a push or pull
newton – the SI unit that the strength of a force is measured
net force – the combination of all forces acting on an object
unbalanced forces – can cause an object to start moving, stop moving or change direction. The
net force is greater than zero.
balanced forces – equal forces acting on one object in opposite directions. The net force is zero.
friction – the force that two surfaces exert on each other when they rub against each other. There
are three types: static, sliding, rolling, fluid
gravity – force that pulls objects toward each other
mass- a measure of the amount of matter in an object
weight – the force of gravity on a person or object at the surface of a planet
air resistance – the fluid friction experience by objects falling through the air
Newton’s 1st Law of Motion – states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object
moving at a constant velocity will continue moving at a constant velocity, unless it is acted upon
by an unbalanced force
inertia – the tendency for an object to resist a change in motion
Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion – states that acceleration depends on the object’s mass and the net
force acting on the object
Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion – states that if one object exerts a force on another object, then the
second object exerts a force of equal strength in the opposite direction on the first object. For
every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction
momentum – a characteristic of a moving object related to the mass and the velocity of the
object. It can be determined by multiplying the objects mass and velocity.
Law of Conservation of Momentum – states that the total momentum of any group of objects
remains the same, or is conserved, unless outside forces act on the objects.
work – you do work when you exert a force on an object that causes the object to move some
distance. It is measured in joules
power – the rate at which work is done. It is measured in watts
machine – a device that allows you to do work in a way that is easier or more effective
input force – the force that you exert on a machine
output force – the force the machine exerts on an object
mechanical advantage – the number of times a machine increases a force exerted on it
32. efficiency – the percentage of the input work that is converted into output work. The higher the
percentage – the more efficient the machine