Physics: Motion, Forces, and the Solar System

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to motion, forces, and the solar system, as derived from lecture notes.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity per unit of time.

Newtons First Law

A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by a resultant force.

Resultant Force

The overall force acting on an object after all the individual forces are combined.

Terminal Velocity

The constant speed reached by an object when the resistance forces (like air resistance) are equal to the weight of the object.

Friction

The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another.

Kinetic Energy

The energy that an object possesses due to its motion.

Momentum

The quantity of motion an object has; calculated as mass multiplied by velocity.

Law of Conservation of Momentum

The total momentum of a closed system remains constant before and after a collision.

Thinking Distance

The distance a vehicle travels during the driver's reaction time.

Braking Distance

The distance a vehicle travels from the point at which the brakes are applied to when it comes to a complete stop.

Inertia

The property of an object to remain at rest or to continue moving at a constant velocity unless acted upon by a force.

Electromagnetic Waves (EM Waves)

Waves of energy that are propagated by simultaneous periodic variations of electric and magnetic field intensity.

Reflection

The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a barrier.

Drag Force

The resistance experienced by an object in a fluid due to the fluid's viscosity.

Gravitational Force

The attractive force between two masses, which depends on the mass of the objects and the distance between them.

Objects in a Vacuum

Objects in a vacuum will fall at the same rate due to the absence of air resistance.