 | Term | Definition |
| |
Motion |
the state in which one object's distance from another is changing |
| |
Reference Point |
a place or object used for comparison to determine if an object is in motion |
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Speed |
the distance an object travels per unit of time |
| |
Average Speed |
the overall rate of speed at which an object moves; calculated by dividing the total distance an object travels by the total time |
| |
Instantaneous Speed |
the speed of an object at one instant of time |
| |
Velocity |
speed in a given direction |
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Slope |
the steepness of a line on a graph, equal to its vertical change divided by its horizontal change |
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acceleration |
the rate at which velocity changes |
| |
free fall |
the motion of a falling object when the only force acting on it is gravity. |
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net force |
the overall force on an object when all the individual forces acting on it are added together |
| |
friction |
the force that one surface exerts on another when the two surfaces rub against each other. |
| |
law of conservation of momentum |
the rule that in the absence of outside forces the total momentum of objects that interact does not change. |
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projectile |
an object that is thrown |
| |
air resistance |
the fluid friction experienced by objects through the air |
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force |
a push or pull exerted on an object |
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Newton |
the SI unit used for the magnitude, or strength of a force |
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unbalanced forces |
forces that cause an object's velocity changes |
| |
rolling friction |
friction that occurs when an object rolls over a surface |
| |
fluid friction |
friction that occurs as an object moves through a fluid |
| |
gravity |
the force that pulls objects towards each other |
| |
mass |
a measure of how much matter is in an object |
| |
compression |
an elastic force that squeezes or pushes the molecules in matter together |
| |
tension |
an elastic force that stretches or pulls on the molecules in matter |
| |
weight |
a measure of the force of gravity on an object |
| |
centripetal force |
a force that causes an object to move in a circle |
| |
momentum |
the product of an object's mass and velocity |
| |
inertia |
the tendency of an object to resist any change in its motion |
| |
satellite |
any object that orbits around another object in space |
| |
balanced forces |
equal forces acting on an object in opposite directions |
| |
sliding friction |
friction that occurs when one solid surface slides on another |
| |
static friction |
friction that acts on objects that are not moving |
