8th Spring Semester Final Science Review

Chapter 11

Study all the vocabulary from this chapter.

-Mechanics: The study of motion

-Kinematics: The study of how things move

-Frame of Reference: A coordinate system used to describe the motion of an object

-System: A portion of a larger motion that we are interested in studying

-Distance: How far an object moves during a time interval

-Displacement: A vector quantity that describes a change in position

-Scalar: A measurable quantity that only involves magnitude (size)

-Vector: A measurable quantity indicating the rate at which an object’s position changes(velocity) involves both magnitude and direction

-Speed: A scalar quantity indicating the rate at which an object moves

-Momentum: (p) A property of a moving system that is equal to its velocity times its mass

-Acceleration: The rate of change in velocity

-Free Fall: The motion of an object that falls due to gravity alone, with no other forces acting on it

-Circular Motion: Movement along a circular path

-Centripetal Acceleration: Acceleration that causes an object to move along a circular path

-Projectile Motion: The two-dimensional motion of any flying object whose path is determined by the influence of an external force only, such as gravity

-Trajectory: The curved path of a projectile

What factors affect acceleration:

net force, the object’s mass, the direction of the force, friction, the angle of the applied force, and air resistance

Calculate displacement using the Pythagorean theorem:

Calculate the length of the hypotenuse

c^2 = a^2 + b^2

c = the square root of a^2 + b^2

Ex: c = the square root of (8 km)^2 + (6 km)^2

c = the square root of 100 km^2

c = 10 km

The displacement is 10 km (insert direction)

Determining velocity involving different directions (see Moving in Two Dimensions on page 265). Determining velocity when an object moves in different directions requires understanding both the object's speed and direction. Involves displacement.

Free fall – know the acceleration rate near the Earth’s surface

9.81 m/s^2

How to determine distance & displacement

Distance is a SCALAR quantity that represents how far an object travels over a given time interval. For example, you might have to travel 4 km to get from your house to the library. That means the total distance is 4 km.

Displacement is the VECTOR quantity that determines/describes a change in position. The formula for displacement is change in x (displacement) = x(final) - x(initial). For example, let’s assume that a friend invites you to their house and only says that their house is 5 km away from yours. Well, that isn’t enough information to get to their house! To be able to get to their house, you need to know the direction as well. Let’s say that their house is east of yours. To get to their house, you must travel 5 km east. To return to your house, you must travel 5 km TO THE WEST because you are CHANGING DIRECTION. While the two distances are equal in magnitude, they move in opposite directions.

How to determine speed, average velocity, and final velocity

To determine speed, you use the formula s = d/t, where s=speed, d=distance traveled, and t=time

The formula for calculating velocity is v = change in displacement/change in time

Average velocity is a measure over a time interval, while final velocity is the speed of the object at the end of that interval.

Newtonian Mechanics – why do we still use it today?

It provides accurate predictions for the motion of everyday objects and is relatively simple to apply.

Additionally, its principles lay the groundwork for more advanced physics concepts, making it an essential foundation in the study of motion.

Projectiles and trajectory (and what might affect them)

Projectile motion is the two-dimensional motion of any flying object(projectile) whose path is determined by the influence of external forces ONLY, like gravity.

The projectile, or flying object, follows a curved path called its TRAJECTORY.

Trajectory is the combination of constant velocity motion in the horizontal direction and accelerated motion in the vertical direction.

There is most likely going to be air resistance involved, so the path might deviate a bit.

P-T and V-T graphs – know how to read them and how to determine velocity, displacement, and acceleration from the graphs

P-T graph stands for a position versus time graph

(Refer to the P-T graph on page 257) What is the slope of this graph? To find the slope, we take the change in position or displacement divided by the change in time. So the slope of this graph is velocity, the rate at which an object’s position changes.

V-T stands for velocity versus time graph

(Refer to the V-T graph on page 257) This graph shows that the truck is traveling at a constant 8.0 m/s. We can determine its displacement using the displacement formula, or essentially, velocity multiplied by the time interval.

IPC Spring Final 2026 Review Sheet

Chapter 12

Study all vocabulary terms from this chapter

Force-(F) A push or pull on an object

Dynamics- The branch of physics that studies forces and how they can change an object’s motion

Contact force- A force that acts only when one object touches another

Field force- A force that acts between objects that are not touching; also called force at a distance

Free-body diagram- A sketch that shows an object and the forces acting on it; also called a force diagram

Inertia- The tendency of matter to resist changes in its motion

Law of inertia- States that objects at rest remain at rest and objects in motion continue in a straight line at a constant velocity unless acted on by a net external force; Also known as Newton’s first law of motion

Law of acceleration- States that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass (F=ma); also called Newton’s second law of motion

Law of action-reaction- For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; also called Newton’s third law of motion

Tension- A pulling force that is transmitted through a rope, chain, or similar object

Normal force- The force that acts in a direction that is perpendicular to the surface where two objects make contact

Gravity- A field force that acts between the masses of any two objects

Friction- A contact force that works against the motion of objects trying to move past each other

Centripetal force- A force that accelerates an object toward the center of a circular path

Balanced forces

Simultaneous forces whose pushes and pulls cancel each other out

Calculate mass given force and acceleration

Ex: What is the mass of a box if a force of 71.8 Newtons accelerates the box at 4.06 m/s^2?

F=71.8 N

a=4.06 m/s^2

m=?

Formula: F=ma

Solve: 71.8 N=m x 4.06 m/s^2

m=71.8/4.06

m=17.68 kg

Calculate mass given weight and gravitational acceleration on one planet, and then determine weight on Earth (you must know Earth’s gravitational acceleration)

Ex: The Mars rover Curiosity, which landed on the Red Planet in 2012, has a mass of 899 kg. What is Curiosity’s weight on Earth?

W=?

m=899 kg

Earth’s gravity: 9.81 m/s^2

Formula: W=mg

Solve: W = (899 kg) (9.81 m/s^2)

W = 8819.19 N

Calculate net force

Ex. John pushes a lab cart with a force of 135 N. Sally comes along but pushes in the opposite direction with a force of 115 N. What is the net force acting on the lab cart?

(Draw a diagram like the one on page 274)

Fnet = F John+F Sally

Fnet = -135 N + 115 N

Fnet = -20 or 20 Newtons to the left

*The net force indicates the overall force acting on the object and determines its acceleration according to Newton’s second law (F = ma)

Field forces

The three types of field forces are gravitational, magnetic, and electric

Force

F = ma