Download Motion and Force Study Guide

Science Study Guide - Forces and Motion (ch. 16)
Test will be on Wednesday, September 15, 2010. Please study carefully!
Know the following terms and definitions.
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Acceleration – A change in speed or direction of an object’s motion
o Acceleration is caused by force.
o Acceleration will cause a change in an object’s velocity.
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Force - A push or pull

Gravity – A force of attraction between Earth and other objects
o The force of gravity is measured by weight.

Inertia – The property of matter that keeps a moving object moving in a straight line

Gravitation – A force that acts between all masses and causes them to attract to one another

Friction – A force that resists motion, relative to each other, of objects that are touching

Speed – The change of position during a unit of time
o Speed can be measured by knowing the distance and the time.
o Speed = Distance / Time
o Tools used to measure speed are:
 measuring tape or ruler - to find the distance traveled
 timer or stop watch – to find the amount of time it took to travel the measured
distance

Velocity – The speed and direction of an object

Mass – the amount of matter an object has

Motion – A change in position
Think about our lab activities we have conducted in class. The more height the more acceleration an
object will have when come down a ramp or hill. If the mass of the object increases it will cause even
more acceleration because there is more gravity and force pulling on it as it goes down the ramp or hill.
Therefore if it were to strike an object the heavier mass will cause the object to move farther because it
has more force and acceleration.