Mechanics
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Created by:
jhenningsgaard on January 29, 2012
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16 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Displacement | The distance in a given direction from a fixed origin. It is a vector. |
| Velocity | The rate of change with time of the displacement vector. It is a vector. It is the gradient of a graph of displacement versus time. |
| Speed | The rate of change with time of distance. It is scalar. |
| Acceleration | The rate of change with time of the velocity vector. It is a vector. Its magnitude is given by the gradient of a graph of velocity versus time. |
| Newton's First Law of Motion | If the net external force on a system is zero, the system remains at rest or moves with constant velocity. |
| Newton's Second Law of Motion | The net force on a body equals the rate of change of the body's momentum. |
| Newton's Third Law of Motion | If body A exerts a force on body B, then body B will exert an equal and opposite force on body A. |
| Translation equilibrium | The state of a system where the net external force is zero. |
| Momentum | If the net external force on a system is zero, the total momentum of the system stays the same. |
| Impulse | The total change in the momentum of a system as a result of a force acting on it. Its magnitude is given by the area under a force versus time graph. It is a vector. |
| Work | The product of the force times the distance moved by its point of application in the direction of the force. It is given by the area under the graph of force versus distance. It is a scalar. |
| Power | The rate at which work is being performed. It is a scalar. |
| Efficiency | The ratio of useful output work (or power) to input work (or power). |
| Centripetal force | The name of any force or resultant of individual forces that points toward the center of a circular path. |
| Gravitational field strength | The gravitational force experienced by a point test particle of unit mass. It is a vector. |
| Gravitational potential | The work done in bringing a point test particle of unit mass from infinity to a point in a gravitational field. It is a scalar. |
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