Energy and Force vocabulary

Collision

an event where two or more bodies or objects come into forceful contact with each other over a short period of time

Energy

the quantitative property transferred to an object or system, recognized as the capacity to do work or produce heat and light

Law of Conservation of Energy

energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed or transferred from one form to another

Kinetic energy

the energy an object or particle has because of its motion

Potential energy

the energy stored within a system because of the relative position, state, or configuration of its parts

Energy transfer

the movement of energy from one object, location, or system to another, or the conversion of energy from one form to another

Sound energy

a form of mechanical energy produced when a force causes an object or substance to vibrate

Thermal (heat) energy

the total kinetic energy of the random motion of atoms and molecules inside an object or system

Contact force

any push or pull that occurs when two objects physically touch each other

Non contact force

a push or pull that acts on an object from a distance, without any physical contact between the two objects

Deformation

any alteration in the shape, size, or volume of an object, material, or geological body caused by external forces, stress, temperature changes, or other physical factors

Gravity

the natural physical force that attracts two objects with mass toward each other

Newton (N)

the standard International System of Units (SI) unit of force

Balanced forces

when two or more individual forces acting on an object are equal in magnitude (strength) and opposite in direction, resulting in a net force of zero

Unbalanced forces

a push or pull that is not opposed by an equal and opposite force

Net force

the total vector sum of all individual forces acting on an object