Year 10 - Motion Word List

Acceleration 

A change in velocity over a period of time caused by an unbalanced force in m/s^2, in the direction of the net force.

Displacement

A vector quantity that measures the change between two positions of an object along the shortest path connecting them.

Distance

A scalar quantity that measures the change of position of an object between two locations along the actual path connecting them.

Equilibrium

A state of balance resulting from the application of two or more forces that produce a zero net force.

Field

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.

Force

A push or pull between objects, which may cause one or both objects to change speed, and/or direction of their motion, and/or their shape.

Free Body Diagram

A diagram showing the vectors acting on a body; usually drawn with the vectors originating at the centre of mass of the object.

Friction

A force that always opposes motion.

Gradient

Measures the rate of change of the vertical quantity to a horizontal quantity on a line graph. = rise/run. Usually have associated units.

Gravitational Force

The force of attraction between all masses in the universe; especially the attraction of the earth's mass for bodies near its surface

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion

Mass

How much matter an object has in kg

Matter

A physical substance; anything that has mass and occupies space.

Newton

The unit of force

Physical Qualities

Characteristics that can be seen or measured.

Rectangular Component (Vector)

The parts of a vector resolved into vertical and horizontal vector components. They are perpendicular to each other.

Resultant Vector

Is the sum of two or more vectors of the same type.

Scalar

A quantity that can be fully described by magnitude and units.

SI

The International System of Units is a system of measurement based on agreed standards units, such as metre, second and gram.

Speed

Is a scalar quantity that is the rate at which an object covers distance. Calculated by the distance travelled divided by the time interval in m/s

Vector

A quantity that needs MUD to fully describe it

Velocity

The rate of change of an object's position with respect to time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. SI units are metres per second (m/s) [direction]

Weight

The measure of the force of gravity acting on a body with a given mass. An object can be weightless without its mass being zero.