Introduction to Physical Science - Forces and Motion

Flashcards covering key concepts from the Introduction to Physical Science lecture that focus on forces, motion, and related principles.

Force

A push or pull that can change the motion of an object.

Friction

A contact force that opposes the motion of an object.

Drag

A force that opposes the motion of an object through a fluid.

Net Force

The overall force acting on an object when all the individual forces acting on it are combined.

Newton's Second Law

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (F=ma).

Newton's Third Law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Centripetal Acceleration

The acceleration directed toward the center of a circular path that an object is moving along.

Centripetal Force

The force required to keep an object moving in a circular path, directed toward the center of the circle.

Law of Universal Gravitation

Every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Momentum

The product of an object's mass and its velocity.

Impulse

The product of force and the time duration over which it acts; it changes an object's momentum.

Orbital Motion

The motion of an object in a curved path around a point in space due to gravity.

Increasing Momentum

Achieved by maximizing the impulse applied to an object.

Decreasing Momentum

Achieved by minimizing the time of contact with a force.