Forces and Space Flashcards
Physics Topic 1
Air Resistance
The force acting on an object that is moving through air flowing in the opposite direction
Astronomical Unit
The average distance from the Earth to the Sun
Comet
Balls of ice and rock which orbit the Sun
Dwarf Planet
A celestial body that orbits the Sun and has enough mass to assume a nearly round shape
Friction
A force caused by a moving object rubbing against another surface
Geocentric
Any theory of the structure of the solar system where the Earth is at the center.
Gravity
An invisible force that pulls objects together
Heliocentric
A theory that places the sun at the center of the solar system
Light Year
The distance light travels in one year
Lunar Eclipse
When the Earth crosses between the moon and sun which casts a shadow of the earth onto the moon
Mass
The amount of matter that makes up an object
Meteor
A piece of rock or metal that burns very brightly when it hits the earth’s atmosphere
Meteorite
A piece of rock or metal that has travelled through earth’s atmosphere and has hit the ground
Moon
An object that orbits a planet or something else that is not a star
Orbit
The path of an object around a particular point in space
