Newton's Laws of Motion and Forces Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture slides covering Newton's laws, net force, normal force, center of gravity, and internal/external forces.

Inertia

An object's resistance to a change in its motion, even if it is not moving at all.

Acceleration

A measurement of how quickly an object is changing speed.

Net Force

The overall or total forces acting on an object at one time.

Balanced Forces

Equal forces acting in opposite directions, resulting in no change in an object's motion and a net force of zero.

Unbalanced Forces

Forces applied that are not equal, resulting in a change to an object's motion and a net force greater than zero.

Normal Force

The support force one object exerts upon another object, such as a surface pushing upward to support an object's weight.

Center of Gravity

An imaginary point in an object where the mass of the object is balanced around a single point.

Internal Force

A force that one part of a structure exerts on other parts within the same structure.

External Force

A force applied to an object by something else, affecting the object from the outside.

Complementary Forces

Different types of forces that act on a structure at the same time.