Gravitation, Forces, and Friction Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the basics of gravitational force, mass vs. weight, balanced/unbalanced forces, and friction based on the lecture notes.

Gravitational force

A force from an object that will always pull another object towards itself.

Weight Force

The gravitational force with which a large object (e.g. Earth) attracts a smaller object.

Weight

The measure of how hard gravity pulls down on an object, which can change based on location and is measured in newtons ($N$).

Mass

The measure of the amount of matter an object contains, which will never change and is measured in $kg$ or $g$.

Acceleration due to gravity on Earth ($g$)

A constant value of $9.8\,m/s^2$ directed down towards the centre of the earth.

Net (resultant) force

The overall or total force that acts on an object, calculated by determining the sum of all individual forces acting upon it.

Free-body diagram

A representation of an object, depicted as a small box or dot, showing all the forces acting on it using vector arrows.

Vector arrows

Arrows used in force diagrams where the length indicates the magnitude (how big the force is) and the head indicates the direction of the force.

Magnitude

The size or strength of a force, represented by the length of an arrow in a force diagram.

Unbalanced Force

A condition where the forces acting on an object are not equal, resulting in a resultant force that causes the object to accelerate or decelerate.

Balanced Force

A condition where the net force acting on an object equals zero, meaning the object will not accelerate and will either remain stationary or move at a constant speed.

Friction

A contact force that always acts in the opposite direction of an object's motion, causing it to slow down and eventually stop.

Contact force

A force, such as friction, that only arises if two surfaces are touching each other.

Smooth Surfaces

Surfaces like ice, glass, or sheets of metal that have less points of contact and apply little friction.

Rough Surfaces

Surfaces like gravel or sandpaper that have more points of contact and apply a larger amount of friction.