Unit 2: Newton's Laws of Motion

Inertia

An object's tendency to resist changes in its state of motion.

Force

A push or pull on an object that causes it to accelerate or change its state of motion.

Net force

The total force acting on an object, taking into account all the individual forces acting on it.

Mass

A measure of an object's resistance to acceleration, based on its amount of matter.

Acceleration

The rate at which an object's velocity changes over time, either in magnitude, direction, or both.

Velocity

A vector quantity that describes an object's speed and direction of motion.

Circular motion

A type of motion in which an object moves in a circular path around a central point.

Centrifugal force

a fictitious force that appears to act on an object moving in a circular path. It is not a real force, but rather an apparent force that arises from the fact that the object is moving in a curved path.

Centripetal force

A force that is directed toward the center of a circular path and is responsible for keeping an object in circular motion.

Action and reaction

The concept that every force is part of a pair of forces that act on two different objects, and are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

Newton's laws of motion

Three fundamental principles that describe how objects move and interact with each other, developed by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century.

Static Friction

It is the friction that exists between two surfaces that are not moving relative to each other.

Kinetic Friction

It is the friction that exists between two surfaces that are moving relative to each other.

Rolling Friction

It is the friction that exists between a rolling object and the surface it is rolling on.

Uniform circular motion

the motion of an object moving in a circular path at a constant speed.

Newton's First Law of Motion/Law of Inertia

States that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion with a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force

Newton's Second Law of Motion/Law of Acceleration

states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass.

Newton's Third Law of Motion

States that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.