Physics Concepts on Motion and Forces

These flashcards cover key vocabulary regarding motion, forces, and Newton's laws.

Inertia

Inertia is the tendency of an object to keep moving the same way unless something else pushes or pulls on

Net Force

The overall force acting on an object when all the individual forces acting on it are combined.

Balanced Forces

Forces that are equal in size but opposite in direction, resulting in no change in motion.

Unbalanced Forces

Forces that cause a change in the motion of an object because they are not equal and opposite.

Newton's Second Law

States that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.

Momentum

The quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.

Law of Conservation of Momentum

States that in a closed system, the total momentum before an event is equal to the total momentum after the event.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object; can be caused by a change in speed or direction.

Reaction Force

The force that is exerted in response to an action force; equal in size and opposite in direction.

Newton (unit)

The SI unit of force; defined as the force required to accelerate a 1 kilogram mass by 1 meter per second squared.