Physics Review: Kinematics, Vectors, and Newton's Laws

Vocabulary flashcards covering displacement, velocity, acceleration, free fall, projectile components, and Newton's laws from Chapters 2 through 4.

Displacement

The change in position of an object, denoted mathematically as $\text{delta } x = x - x_0$ or $\text{delta } y = y - y_0$, measured in meters ($m$).

Average Velocity

The total displacement divided by the total time ($V = \frac{\text{delta } x}{\text{delta } t}$), measured in meters per second ($m/s$).

Average Acceleration

The total change in velocity divided by total time ($a = \frac{\text{delta } v}{\text{delta } t}$), measured in meters per second squared ($m/s^2$).

Vector Quantity

A physical quantity—such as displacement, velocity, acceleration, or force—that possesses both magnitude and direction.

Acceleration Direction (Speeding Up)

The condition where acceleration points in the same direction as the motion because the object's velocity magnitude is increasing.

Acceleration Direction (Slowing Down)

The condition where acceleration opposes the direction of motion because the object's velocity magnitude is decreasing.

Free Fall

Motion in one dimension where an object accelerates due to gravity only, independent of the mass of the object.

Acceleration due to Gravity ($g$)

The constant downward acceleration experienced by objects in free fall near Earth's surface, equal to $9.8\text{ m/s}^2$.

Velocity at Maximum Height

The point in an object's vertical trajectory where its vertical velocity component becomes zero ($v_y = 0\text{ m/s}$).

Horizontal Component of Projectile Velocity

The horizontal speed of a projectile ($v_x = v_0 \text{cos}(\theta)$), which remains constant over time because horizontal acceleration is zero ($a_x = 0\text{ m/s}^2$).

Vertical Component of Projectile Acceleration

The downward acceleration experienced by a projectile in the vertical direction, defined as $a_y = -g$ where $g = 9.8\text{ m/s}^2$.

Newton's First Law

The principle stating that an object will move at a constant velocity (constant speed in a straight line) unless acted upon by a net external force.

Newton's Second Law

The physical law stating that net force is proportional to an object's mass and acceleration, expressed as $F_{net} = m a$.

Newton

The SI unit of force, equivalent to one kilogram times a meter per second squared ($\text{kg} \times \text{m/s}^2$).

Normal Force

A contact force acting perpendicular to the supporting surface that an object rests upon.

Friction Force

A force that always acts in the direction opposing the motion of an object.

Free Body Diagram

A visual tool used to represent an object and sum the vector components of all forces acting on it in the horizontal ($F_{net,x}$) and vertical ($F_{net,y}$) directions.