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Forces and motion definitions Flashcards

1
Q

Acceleration

A

The rate of change of velocity

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2
Q

Average speed

A

Distance over time for the entire region of interest

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3
Q

Braking distance

A

The distance travelled between the brakes being applied and the vehicle coming to a stop. It is affected by the vehicle and road conditions

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4
Q

Displacement

A

The direct distance between an object’s starting and ending positions. It is a vector quantity

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5
Q

Displacement-Time Graphs

A

Plots showing how displacement changes over a period of time. The gradient gives the velocity and curved line represent acceleration

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6
Q

Free fall

A

when the only force acting on an object is gravity

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7
Q

Instantaneous speed

A

The exact speed of an object at a specific given point

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8
Q

Projectile motion

A

The motion of an object that is fired from a point and then upon which only gravity acts

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9
Q

Reaction time

A

Time taken to process a stimulus and trigger a response to it. Affected by alcohol, drugs and tiredness

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10
Q

Stopping distance

A

The sum of thinking distance and braking distance for a driven vehicle

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11
Q

Thinking distance

A

The distance travelled in the time is takes for a driver to react

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12
Q

Velocity-Time graph

A

Plots showing how velocity changes over a period of time. The gradient gives acceleration

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13
Q

Velocity

A

The rate of change of displacement. It is a vector quantity

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14
Q

Archimedes’ principle

A

The upward force acting on an object submerged in a fluid is equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces

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15
Q

Centre of gravity

A

The single point through which the object’s weight can be said to act

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16
Q

Centre of mass

A

The point through which all the mass of an object can be said to act

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17
Q

Couple

A

Two equal and opposite parallel forces that act on an object through different lines of action. It has the effect of causing a rotation without translation

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18
Q

Density

A

The mass per unit volume of a material

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19
Q

Drag

A

The frictional force that an object experiences when it moves through a fluid

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20
Q

Equilibrium

A

For an object to be in equilibrium, both the resultant force and resultant moment acting on the object must be equal to zero

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21
Q

Free-Body diagram

A

A diagram showing all the forces acting on an object

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22
Q

Friction

A

The resistive force produced when there is relative movement between two surfaces

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23
Q

Moment of force

A

The product of a force and the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the pivot

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24
Q

Newton

A

The unit of force

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25
Newton's second law
The sum of the forces acting on an object is equal to the rate of change of momentum of the object
26
Normal contact force
The reaction force between an object and surface
27
Pressure
The force that a surface experiences per unit area, measured in Pascals(Pa)
28
Principle of moments
For an object to be in equilibrium, the sum of the clockwise moments acting about a point must be equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments acting about the point
29
Tension
The result of two forces acting on an object in opposite, outwards directions
30
Terminal velocity
The maximum velocity of an object that occurs when the resistive and driving forces acting on the object are equal to each other
31
Triangle of Forces
A method of determining the resultant force of two forces, by joining them tip to tail. The resultant force is given by the force that would complete the triangle
32
Upthrust
The upwards force that a fluid applies on an object
33
Weight
The product of an object's mass and the gravitational field strength at its location
34
Conservation of energy
In a closed system with no external forces the total energy of the system before an event is equal to the total energy of the system after the event
35
Efficiency
The useful output (power/energy)/total input
36
GPE
Gravitational potential energy - the energy gained by an object when it is raised by a height in a gravitational field
37
Kinetic energy
The energy an object has due to its motion
38
Power
The word done or energy transferred by a system divided by the time taken for that to be done
39
Work done
The energy transferred when a force moves an object over a distance
40
Brittle
Shows very little strain before reaching its breaking stress
41
Compression
The result of two coplanar forces forces acting into an object. Compression usually results in a reduction in the length of the object
42
Compressive deformation
The changing of an object's shape due to compressive forces
43
Ductile
It can undergo very large extensions without failure and be stretched into wires
44
Elastic deformation
If a material deforms with elastic behaviour it will return to its original shape when the deforming forces are removed. The object will not be permanently deformed
45
Extension
The increase of an object's length
46
Force-extension graph
A plot showing how an object extends as the force applied increases. For an elastic object, the gradient should be linear up to the limit of proportionality. The gradient gives the spring constant
47
Hooke's law
The extension of an elastic object will be directly proportional to the force applied to it up to the object's limit of proportionality
48
Plastic deformation
If a material deforms with plastic behaviour, it will not return to its original shape when the deforming forces are removed. The object will be permanently deformed
49
Polymeric
A material made from polymers
50
Spring constant
The constant of proportionality for the extension of a spring under a force. The higher the spring constant, the greater the force needed to achieve a given extension
51
Strain
The ratio of an object's extension to its original length. It is a ratio of two lengths and so has no unit
52
Stress
The amount of force acting per unit area. Its unit is Pascal(Pa)
53
Tensile deformation
The changing of an object's shape due to tensile forces
54
Ultimate tensile strength
The maximum stress that an object can withstand before fracture occurs
55
Young Modulus
The ratio of stress to strain for a given material. Its unit is the Pascal (Pa)
56
Conservation of momentum
The total momentum of a system before an event must be equal to the total momentum of the system after the event, assuming no external forces act
57
Elastic collisions
A collision in which the total kinetic energy of the system before the collision is equal to the total kinetic energy after the collision
58
Impulse
The change of momentum of an object when a force acts on it. It is equal to the product of the force acting on the object and length of time over which it acts
59
Inelastic collisions
A collision in which the total kinetic energy of the system before collision is not equal to KE of system after
60
Linear momentum
The product of an object's mass and linear velocity
61
Newton's first law
An object will remain in its current state of motion unless acted on by a resultant force. An object requires a resultant force to be able to accelerate
62
Newton's third law
If an object exerts a force on another object, then the other object must exert a force back that is opposite in direction and equal in magnitude

AS physics (7 decks)

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