Physical World Word List Flashcards
A change in velocity over a period of time that is caused by an unbalanced force. Has the units of metres per second squared (m/s2 or m s-2) and the acceleration will be in the direction of the net force.
Acceleration
The parts of a vector resolved into vertical and horizontal vector components. Rectangular components are perpendicular to each other.
Rectangular Component
A vector quantity that measures the change between two positions of an object along the shortest path connecting them.
Displacement
A scalar quantity that measures the change of position of an object between two locations along the actual path connecting them.
Distance
A state of balance resulting from the application of two or more forces that produce a zero net force.
Equilibrium
A region in which a body experiences a force due to the effects of another body. The effect can be the mass within the bodies, their charges or magnetic properties.
Field
An influence that acts to change the motion of a body or to impose an elastic strain on it.
Force
A diagram showing the vectors acting on a body; usually drawn with the vectors originating at the centre of mass of the object.
Free body diagram
A force that always opposes motion.
Friction
Measures the rate of change of the vertical quantity to a horizontal quantity on a line graph. Calculated using rise/run. Usually gradients in Physics have associated units.
Gradient
The force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth’s mass for bodies near its surface
Gravitational force
The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion
Inertia
How much matter an object has; measured in kilograms
Mass
The unit of force (symbol N).
Newton
Is the sum of two or more vectors of the same type.
Resultant vector
