Physics Flashcards
Speed
Distance an object travels in a given time.
Velocity
Speed in a certain direction.
Acceleration
Any change in speed or velocity is acceleration.
Momentum
Amount of motion in a moving object.
Force
A push or pull upon an object that happens because of something else.
Newton’s first law
The law of inertia. Something will keep moving or keep staying still unless a force makes it stop.
Newton’s second law
The more mass an object has, the more force you need to make it move. The acceleration depends on how large the object is and how great the force is.
Newton’s third law
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you sit in a chair, you put force down on it, and the chair puts an equal amount of force up to hold you.
Mass
The amount of matter in something.
Weight
The force of gravity. Calculated by gravity and mass added.
Friction
A force that happens when two objects are pushed alongside one another.
Gravity
The force created when matter with more mass attracts matter with less mass.
Energy
Ability to do work or produce heat.
Kinetic energy
Energy in moving things.
Potential energy
Energy stored in an object due to certain circumstances that can be released.
Chemical energy
A kind of potential energy stored in compounds and released during chemical reactions.
Rule of conservation
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or converted.
Work
The transfer of energy from a force moving an object.
Electrical energy
A kind of kinetic energy caused by movement in electrons.
Heat
Energy transferred from a warmer object to an object with a lower temperature.
Joule
Unit that measures energy.
