Physics Concepts: Forces, Motion, and Friction

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to forces, motion, and the concepts discussed in the lecture.

Magnitude

A measure of the size or strength of a force.

Direction

The line along which something moves, points, or faces; a component of force.

Inertia

The property of a substance to resist changes in motion.

Mass

A measure of the amount of matter in an object, which quantifies inertia.

Weight

The force exerted by gravity on an object, which can change depending on where the object is located.

Net External Force

The overall force acting on an object when all individual forces are considered.

Centripetal Force

A force that keeps an object moving in a circular path, directed toward the center of the circle.

Friction

The resistance force that occurs when two surfaces slide against each other.

Kinetic Friction

The frictional force that opposes the motion of two surfaces sliding past each other.

Static Friction

The frictional force that must be overcome to start moving an object at rest.

Terminal Velocity

The constant speed achieved by an object when the force of gravity is balanced by the drag force.

Gravity

The force that attracts two bodies toward each other, proportional to their masses.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, influenced by net force.

Newton's Third Law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Perpendicular Vectors

Vectors that intersect at right angles, leading to the use of Pythagorean theorem for magnitude calculations.

Normal Force

The force exerted by a surface that supports the weight of an object resting on it, always perpendicular to the surface.