VPM Flashcards
Vector
Physical quantity that has magnitude and direction
Scalar
Physical quantity that has magnitude only
Resultant Vector
The single vector which has the same effect as the original vectors acting together
Distance
The length of the past travelled
Displacement
A change in position
Speed
The rate of change of position
Velocity
The rate of change of displacement
Acceleration
The rate of change of velocity
Free fall
An object is in free fall of the only force acting on it is gravitational force
Gravitational acceleration
The acceleration an object will experience due to gravity
Terminal Velocity
The maximum velocity a falling body reaches when air resistance prevents it from accelerating further
Gravitational potential energy
Energy an object possesses due to its position relative to a reference point
Kinetic energy
Energy an object has as a result of the objects motion
Mechanical energy
Sum of the gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy at a point
Principle of conservation of mechanical energy
In the absence of air resistance or any external forces the mechanical energy of an object is constant
