Forces I Flashcards
force
Push or pull that acts on objects
non-contact forces
Force that acts without being in contact with something
contact force
Force that acts when an object is in contact with a surface, air, or water
electrostatic force
The force between two charged objects.
magnetic forces
Force between the poles of two magnets, or between a magnet and magnetic material
attract
Pull together.
repel
To push away
weight
Force of a planet on an object due to its mass
friction
Force that resists motion because of contact between surfaces
air resistance
Force on an object that is moving through air, slowing it down (aka. drag).
water resistance
Force on an object that is moving through water, slowing it down (aka. drag).
thrust
The force from an engine or rocket.
upthrust
Force on an object in a liquid or gas that pushes it up
floating
When the upthrust from the water is equal to the force of the object’s weight
tension
A stretching force
reaction
The force from a solid object that pushes at 90° to the surface
normal
An imaginary line at right angles to a surface where a light ray strikes it.
newton
The unit of force including weight, symbol N.
newtonmetre
Unit of moment, symbol Nm.
mass
Amount of matter in an object
matter
Materials and objects which can be solid, liquid, or gas
kilograms
1000 grams.
gravitational field
A region in which there is a force on a mass due to its attraction to another mass.
gravitational field strength
The force on a mass of 1kg (measured in N/kg).
streamlining
Designing the shape of an object to reduce resistance to motion from air or liquid
vacuum
A space that has no particles, and so no matter.
tangent
A straight line that touches a curve or a circle.
orbit
Path taken by one body in space around another
satellite
Any body that orbits another (such as moons or weather satellites)
newtonmeter/forcemeter/spring balance
A meter that is used to measure the magnitude of a force; also called a forcemeter or spring balance
gram
Unit of mass, symbol g.
