Physics of Forces and Motion

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to forces, motion, and mechanics.

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Describes the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration: $F = m imes a$.

Gravity

The force that attracts a body toward the center of another object, influenced by mass.

Acceleration due to gravity on Earth

Approximately $9.8 \, m/s^2$.

Normal Force

The perpendicular force that a surface exerts on an object resting on it.

Weight

A measure of the force of gravity on an object, calculated as mass times gravity.

Contact Force

A force transmitted by matter directly touching other matter.

Friction

A force that resists the motion of an object, acting opposite to the direction of movement.

Static Friction

The friction force that prevents two surfaces from sliding past each other when at rest.

Sliding Friction

The friction force acting between surfaces in relative motion.

Rolling Friction

The friction force acting on a rolling object, generally less than sliding friction.

Fluid Friction

The resistance faced by an object moving through a fluid, often called drag.

Tension

A pulling force transmitted through a string, rope, or wire.

Compression

The force that occurs when two objects are pushed together.

Extension

The force that occurs when an object is pulled apart.

Spring Force

The force exerted by a compressed or stretched spring.

Buoyant Force

The upward force exerted by a fluid on an object submerged in it.

Archimedes' Principle

States that the buoyant force on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces.

Magnetic Force

The force that acts between charged particles, causing like charges to repel and opposite charges to attract.

Mass

A measure of the amount of matter in an object, contributing to gravitational force.

Direction of Force

The vector direction in which the force acts, determining the motion of the object.

Applied Force

The force that is applied to an object to produce motion.

Opposing Force

Any force that acts in the opposite direction to another force.

Coefficient of Friction

A value that represents the frictional force between two surfaces.

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation

States that all objects attract each other by the force of gravity.

Surface area effect on friction

The amount of contact area influences friction, usually increasing it.

Net Force

The total force acting on an object when all individual forces are combined.

Inertia

The property of matter that causes it to resist changes in its state of motion.

Gravity’s Direction

Gravity acts downward towards the center of the Earth.

Rope Tension

The force transmitted through a rope or string when pulled at either end.

Elastic Limit

The maximum extent to which a solid may be stretched without permanent deformation.

Force Diagram

A visual representation of all forces acting on an object.

Weight vs Mass

Weight is the force due to gravity on an object’s mass.

Friction Types

There are three primary types of friction: static, sliding, and rolling.

Torque

The measure of the force that produces or tends to produce rotation or torsion.

Normal Force Examples

Examples include tables pressuring down on objects resting on them.

Surface Interaction

The relationship between two surfaces determines the frictional force.

Force of Gravity

The attractive force between two masses, proportional to their mass and distance.

Momentum, Definition

The quantity of motion an object has, dependent on its mass and velocity.

Fluid Dynamics

The study of fluids in motion and the forces involved.

Equilibrium

The state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.

Energy Transfer

The process of energy moving from one body or system to another.

Force Characteristics

All forces have a magnitude and a direction affecting object behavior.

Resultant Force

The vector sum of all forces acting on an object.

Force System

A combination of all forces acting on a single object.