Mechanics Flashcards
Define acceleration.
The rate of change of velocity, a vector quantity.
Define braking distance.
The distancec travelled by a vehicle from the time when the breaks are applied to when the vehicle stops.
Define centre of gravity.
An imaginary point at which the entire weight of an object appears to act.
Define centre of mass.
A point through which any externally applied force produces straight-line
motion but no rotation.
Define closed system.
An isolated system that has no interaction with its surroundings.
Define displacement.
The distance travelled in a particular direction, a vector quentity.
Define drag force.
The resistive force exerted by a fluid on an object moving through it.
Define energy.
The capacity for doing work, a scalar quantity.
Define equilibrium.
A body is in equilibrium when the net force and net moment acting on it are zero.
Define free fall.
The motion of an object accelerating under gravity with no other force acting on it.
Define impulse.
The product of force and the time for which the
force acts.
Define inelastic collision.
A collision in which kinetic energy is lost.
Define instantaneous speed.
The speed at the moment it is measured — speed over an infinitesimal
interval of time.
Define kinetic energy.
The energy associated with an object as a result of its motion.
Define linear momentum.
The product of mass and
velocity of an object- a vector quantity.
Define moment.
The product of force and perpendicular distance from a pivot or stated point.
State Newton’s first law of motion.
A body will remain at rest or continue to move with constant
velocity unless acted upon by a resultant force.
State Newton’s second law of motion.
The rate of change of momentum of an object is directly
proportional to the resultant force and takes place in the direction of the force.
State Newton’s third law of motion.
When two objects interact, each exerts an equal but opposite
force on the other during the interaction.