Physics Vocabulary: Force, Motion, and Inertia

Vocabulary flashcards covering core physics concepts including Newton's laws, inertia, forces, equilibrium, and motion based on the provided lecture notes.

Isaac Newton

An English mathematician and physicist best known for creating the three laws of motion and the theory of Universal Gravitation, which formed the foundation of modern physics.

Galileo Galilei

The scientist who, in 1632, developed the concept of Inertia and proposed that friction causes moving objects to eventually stop.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist any change in its state of motion.

Mass

The amount of matter an object contains, which directly affects its inertia.

Law of Inertia

Newton's First Law, which states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external net force.

Static Equilibrium

A form of equilibrium that applies to objects that are at rest, where acceleration is $a = 0\,m/s^2$ and the net force is $F = 0$.

Dynamic Equilibrium

A form of equilibrium that applies to objects moving with a constant velocity.

Force

A push or pull exerted on an object.

Motion

The movement of an object.

Newton's Second Law

The law stating that force equals mass times acceleration, represented by the equation $\Sigma F = ma$.

Acceleration

A measurement of how quickly an object is changing speed.

Resultant Force

The overall force (or net force) acting on an object after all individual forces are combined.