Honors Physics 2025

vector

a quantity that has magnitude and direction

acceleration

the rate at which an objects velocity changes

velocity-time graph

velocity is plotted on the vertical axis and time is plotted on the horizontal axis.

average acceleration

an objects change in velocity during some measurable time interval divided by that time interval

instantaneous acceleration

the change in an objects velocity at an instant of time

origin

the point at which something begins

free-fall acceleration

acceleration of an object due only to the effect of gravity

free fall

motion of an object when gravity is the only significant force acting on it

absolute value

a number that is equal in value to a given real number but is not negative

average speed

the slopes absolute value

intersection

where two or more things come together or cross

position-time graph

the time data is plotted on a horizontal axis and the position data is plotted on a vertical axis.

instantaneous position

the objects position at a particular instant.

dimension

measurement taken in one direction

displacement

change in position having both magnitude and direction

time interval

difference between two times

position

distance and direction from the origin to the object

distance

entire length of an objects path

coordinate system

a system used to describe motion that gives the location of the zero point of the variable and the direction in which the values of the variables increase

origin

point at which all variables in a coordinate system have the value zero

vectors

quantity that has both magnitude and direction

scalar

quantity that is just a number without any direction (always positive)

magnitude

the size of a quantity

resultant

vector that represents the sum of two other vectors

force

a push or a pull

system

the object/s of interest

free-body diagram

a physical representation that shows the forces acting on a system

net force

the vector sum of all the forces on an object

Newtons second law

states that the acceleration of an object is proportional to the net force and inversely proportional to the mass of the object being accelerated.

Newton’s first law

states “an object that is at rest will remain at rest, and an object that is moving will continue to move in a straight line with constant speed, if and only if the net force acting on that object is zero”.

inertia

(sometimes) newtons first law. ______ is the tendency of an object to resist changes in motion.

equilibrium

if the net force on an object is zero, then the object is in ____________.

viscosity

a measure of the resistance of a liquid to flow, which is affected by the size and shape of particles, and generally increases as the temperature decreases and intermolecular force increase.

weightlessness

a condition that occurs when there are no contact forces acting to support an object and the objects apparent weight is zero

terminal velocity

constant velocity that is reached when the drag force equals the force of gravity

drag force

force exerted by a fluid on an object opposing motion through the fluid

weight

gravitational force experienced by an object

apparent weight

support force exerted by an object

gravitational field

a vector quantity that relates the mass of an object to the gravitational force it experiences at a given location

symmetry

when two or more parts of an object are the same after a transformation, such as a flip, reflection, slide, or rotation

tension

a specific name for the force that a string or rope exerts.

normal force

the perpendicular contact force that a surface exerts on another surface 

angular velocity

angular displacement divided by the time taken to make the angular displacement

impulse

the product of the average net force on an object and the time interval over which it acts

momentum

the product of the objects mass and the objects velocity

impulse-momentum theory

states that the impulse on an object is equal to the change in its momentum

angular momentum

the product of a rotating objects moment of intertia and angular velocity

angular-impulse angular momentum theorem

states that an angular impulse on an object is equal to the change in the objects angular momentum

closed system

a system that does not gain or lose mass

isolated system

when the net external force exerted on a closed system is zero

law of conservation of momentum

states that the momentum for any closed, isolated system does not change.

law of conservation of angular momentum

states that if no net external torque acts on aclosed system, then its angular momentum does not change

work

is done on a system when a force is applied through a displacment

joule

the SI unit of work

energy

the ability of a system to produce a change in itself or the world around it

work-energy theorem

states that when work is done on a system, the result is a change in the systems energy

kinetic energy

the energy associated with motion.

power

the rate at which energy is transformed

watt

power is measured in watts.  one watt is 1J of energy transformed in 1s

system

object or objects of interest that interact with each other and the external world

rotational kinetic energy

energy due to rotational motion

potential

energy stored due to interactions between objects in a system

gravitational potential energy

stored energy due to the gravitational force between objects

reference level

position where GPE is defined to be zero

elastic potential energy

stored energy due to an objects change in shape

thermal energy

the sum of the kinetic energy and potential energy of the particles in a system

law of conservation of energy

states that in a closed, isolated system, energy can neither be created nor destroyed

mechanical energy

the sum of the KE and PE of the objects in a system

elastic collision

a collision in which the Kinetic energy does not change

inelastic collision

a collision in which kinetic energy decreases

GPE=

mgh (m=mass, g= 9.8 m/s², and h= height above the reference level)

Kinetic Energy (KE)=

½ mv²

Change in potential energy (ΔGPE)=

mg(hf - hi)

Work

for varying force, ____ is the area under a force-displacemnt graph.

W=

Fd

Power (P)=

W/t

Work (does/not) depend on _____. Power (does/not).

does not, time, does.

Total Mechanical Energy (no friction) (equation)

KEi+PEi = KEf + PEf

Total Mechanical Energy (including friction) (equation)

KEi + PEi + Wfriction = KEf + PEf

Kinetic energy is conserved only in _______ collisions. In _________ collisions, __ decreases and is transformed into heat, deformation, and sound.

elastic, inelastic, KE

average velocity

the ratio of an object’s change in position to the time interval during which the change occurred.

instantaneous velocity

the speed and the direction of an object at a particular instant

interaction pair

a set of two forces that are in opposite directions, have equal magnitudes, and act on different objects (also called action-reaction pair).

Newton’s third law

states that all forces come in pairs (the two forces act on different objects and are equal in strength and opposite in direction).

Kepler’s first law

states that the paths of the planets are ellipses, with the sun at one focus.

Keplers second law

states that an imaginary line from the sun to a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals.

Kepler’s third law

states that the square of the ratio of the periods of any two planets revolving about the sun is equal to the cube of the ratio of their average distances from the sun.

gravitational force

the force of attraction between two objects must be proportional to the objects’ masses

law of universal gravitation

states that objects attract other objects with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportinoal to the square of the distance between them.

radian (rad)

1/(2pi) of a revolution

angular displacement

as an object rotates, the change in the angle is called the object’s …

angular velocity

the rate at which an object rotates/revolves around an axis.

angular acceleration

the rate at which an object’s angular velocity changes over time.

Work-energy theorem (formula) W=

ΔK

Mechanical energy E<mech=

K+U

slope of a position-time graph represents…

velocity

a horizontal line indicates…

zero velocity

A vertical line _____physically possible, because it would require ______ ________

is not, infinite velocity.

The _________ of two position-time graphs indicates when two objects _____ or ______.

intersection, meet, pass.

average speed V=

d/t