Motion, Force, and Work Definitions Flashcards
Speed
the rate at which an object moves; speed depends on the distance traveled and the time taken to travel that distance.
Velocity
the speed of an object in a particular direction
Acceleration
the rate at which velocity changes; an objects accelerates if it’s speed changes, it its directions changes, or both of its speed and direction change.
Force
a push or pull; all forces have both size and direction
Newton
the SI unit of Force
Net Force
the force that results from combining all the forces exerted on an object
Friction
a force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are touching
Gravity
a force of attraction between objects that is due to their masses
Weight
a measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object; usually by the Earth
Mass
the amount of matter something is made of
Inertia
the tendency of all objects to resist any change in motion
Momentum
a property of a moving object that depends on the object’s mass and velocity
Negative Acceleration
acceleration in which velocity decreases; also called deceleration
Point of Reference/Reference Point
an object that appears to stay in place in relation to an object observed for motion
Motion
an object’s change in position over time when compared with a reference point.
