Gravity and Newton's Second Law of Motion

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions and formulas related to gravity, weight, Newton's 2nd Law of Motion, and projectile mechanics.

Gravity

The force which attracts all objects with mass towards each other, the strength of which depends on the mass of the objects interacting and their distance from one another.

Sir Isaac Newton

The scientist who came up with the theory of gravity in 1687.

Weight (Force of Gravity)

An object's mass times the acceleration of gravity, serving as a measure of how much force is exerted on an object.

Relative Gravity of Mars

The factor of 0.38 relative to Earth, resulting from Mars having 38% less gravity than Earth, causing an object to weigh 62% less on Mars.

Newton's 2nd Law of Motion

A physical law expressed as $F = M \times A$, stating that the amount of force needed to move an object can be calculated by multiplying mass times acceleration.

Mass

An object's inertia, or resistance to motion, which is determined by the amount of matter in something.

Acceleration

A change in velocity over time, such as speeding up (accelerating) or slowing down (decelerating).

Acceleration due to Gravity on Earth

The constant rate of $-9.82 proposal m/s^2$ (or $-9.82 my m/s^2$) at which gravity pulls falling objects down towards the center of the Earth, specifically $-9.82\,m/s^2$.

Projectile

An object that is thrown or launched into motion, which eventually curves downward on Earth because it is pulled towards the Earth by gravity.

Velocity

An object's speed and direction.