Chapter 1: Position, Motion, Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to position, motion, speed, velocity, and acceleration from Chapter 1.

Reference point

A starting point or location used to describe the position of an object in terms of distance and direction.

Position

An object's distance and direction from a reference point.

Position in two dimensions

A location described by choosing a reference point and two reference directions, then stating the distance along each reference direction.

Motion

The process of changing position.

Distance

The actual length of the path an object moves.

Displacement

The difference between an object's initial position and its final position.

Speed

The distance an object moves per unit of time.

Constant speed

The rate of motion occurring when an object moves the same distance each second.

Instantaneous speed

The speed of an object at a certain moment.

Average speed

The total distance an object travels divided by the total time it takes to travel that distance.

Velocity

The speed and direction of a moving object, which changes when speed, direction, or both speed and direction change.

Acceleration

A change in velocity over time, which occurs whenever an object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction.

Speed-time graph

A graph showing the relationship between speed and time that can be used to determine information about an object's acceleration.

Distance-time graph

A graph illustrating distance traveled over time, used to calculate average speed by dividing distance by total time.