8.PS2.4 and 2.5 Motion, Force, Direction, And Position

Vocabulary flashcards defining key physical science terms related to motion, forces, direction, and position.

motion

change in position over time

position

where something is located

reference point

object or place used to describe position

distance

how far something moves

displacement

change from starting point to ending point

speed

how fast something moves

velocity

speed in a specific direction

acceleration

change in speed or direction

force

push or pull

balanced forces

forces that cancel out

unbalanced forces

forces that do not cancel out

net force

total force after combining all forces

direction

where something moves or where force acts

friction

force that opposes motion

inertia

tendency of an object to keep doing what it is doing

mass

amount of matter in an object

graph

visual way to show data

slope

steepness of a line on a graph

constant speed

speed that stays the same

change in motion

speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction