CFISD Physics CBE Fall Study Guide 2018-19 Vocabulary

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers core concepts from the CFISD Physics CBE Fall Study Guide 2018-19, including 1-D motion, projectile motion, Newton's Laws, universal gravitation, and circular motion.

Acceleration

The rate at which an object's velocity changes.

Frictional force

The force that always opposes motion.

Gravitational attraction

A force acting between two masses that acts equally on each mass and attracts them to one another; it can be strong if one of the interacting objects has an extremely large mass.

Projectile

An object in motion where the $x$ and $y$ motions are completely independent of each other but occur simultaneously to produce a resultant motion.

Free body diagram

A visual representation of the forces acting on an object in a given scenario.

Net force

The total force acting on an object, which can be determined using a written scenario, a free body diagram, or motion graphs such as velocity-time or acceleration-time graphs.

Range

The horizontal distance traveled by a projectile; factors affecting it include air time and launch conditions.

Resultant vector

The combination of the horizontal and vertical components of a projectile's velocity and acceleration along its path.

Centripetal acceleration

The acceleration of an object in uniform circular motion, directing the object toward the center and influenced by mass, period, and radius.

Centripetal force

The force directed toward the center that maintains an object's uniform circular motion; its removal changes the object's path.

Inverse square law

A rule associated with universal gravitation used to determine how changing the distance between masses affects the gravitational force.

Relative motion

The velocity of an object calculated in relation to another object's velocity given their respective frames of reference.

Average velocity

A value calculated for an object based on its initial and final positions and a time frame interpreted from a graph.

Free fall

The motion of an object being dropped, characterized by its displacement, velocity, and acceleration.

Period

A factor used along with mass and radius to compare the centripetal forces acting on multiple objects in circular paths.