Mechanical Equilibrium Vocabulary

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and definitions from the lecture notes on mechanical equilibrium, forces, vectors, support force, and friction.

Force

A push or a pull required to change the state of motion of an object.

Net force

The combination of all forces acting on an object.

Newton

The scientific unit of force, abbreviated as N.

Tension

A stretching force that occurs in a stretched spring, string, or rope under load.

Vector

An arrow that represents the magnitude and direction of a quantity.

Vector quantity

A quantity that needs both magnitude and direction for a complete description, such as force.

Scalar quantity

A quantity that can be described by magnitude only and has no direction, such as time, area, and volume.

Mechanical equilibrium

A state wherein no physical changes occur; a state of steadiness where the net force on an object is zero.

Equilibrium rule

The rule stating that whenever the net force on an object is zero, the object is in mechanical equilibrium, expressed mathematically as $\Sigma F = 0$.

Support force

The upward force that balances the weight of an object on a surface, also known as the normal force.

Normal force

Another name for a support force.

Static equilibrium

The state of mechanical equilibrium for objects at rest.

Dynamic equilibrium

The state of mechanical equilibrium for objects moving at constant speed in a straight-line path.

Friction

A contact force between objects that slide or tend to slide against each other.

Resultant

The sum of two or more vectors.

Parallelogram rule

A method to find the resultant of two nonparallel vectors by constructing a parallelogram wherein the two vectors are adjacent sides, with the diagonal showing the resultant.