Science Vocab: Collisions

Energy Transfer

the process of moving energy from one object to another object

Kinetic Energy

the motion of particles in an object

Force

a push or pull on an object

Newton (N)

the measure of force

Contact Force

a push or pull that occurs when two objects collide

Deformation

the change in shape or size in an object

Independant Variable

the variable in which does not depend on the other variable

dependent variable

the variable in which does depend on the other variable

controlled variables

a variable that is kept the same or constant

elastic limit

the highest point an object can withstand force without being deformed or breaking and returning to it’s original shape

breaking point

the limit in which an object can withstand before it’s deformed or broken.

free body diagram

a drawn visual to represents forces going to an object

peak force

the maximum force applied during a collision

friction

a contact force that resists movement

air resistance

a contact force on an object that moves the air flow to the opposite direction of the way the object is going

potential energy

the stored energy in a system that is the result of a change in the position of objects in the system