Definitions Flashcards
(23 cards)
Energy
The ability to do work
Energy transfer
The movement of energy from one system to another
Energy transformation
the change of energy from one form to another
Mechanical work
the transfer of energy to or from an object by the action of a force over a distance
Kinetic energy
the energy from the movement of an object
Elastic potential energy
the energy stored in an object as a result of the extension or compression of an object
Gravitational potential energy
the energy stored in an object as the result of its position relative to another to which it is attracted by the force of gravity
Efficiency
the ratio of useful energy output to the total energy input in a physical process or system, expressed as a percentage
Law of Conservation of Energy
the total energy of a system remains constant; energy can only be transferred or transformed, but not created or destroyed
Distance
the total length of the pathway taken between an origin and a destination point
Displacement
the distance between an origin and destination point, irrespective of path
Speed
the rate of change of distance
Velocity
the rate of change of displacement
Acceleration
the rate of change of velocity
Inertia
the tendency of an object to maintain its state of motion
Force
A push or a pull
Mass
a measure of the amount of matter an object contains
Gravitational force
the force that attracts all objects to Earth
Friction
the force that opposes the relative motion of surfaces sliding against each other
Coefficient of friction
the ratio of frictional force to normal force for a particular pair of surfaces in contact
Spring constant
the ratio of spring force to displacement for a particular spring
Impulse
the change in momentum of an object
Momentum
the product of an object’s mass and velocity
