Physics Vocabulary Flashcards

Flashcards covering key physics vocabulary related to forces, pressure, and motion.

atmospheric pressure

The pressure caused by the weight of the air above a surface.

centre of gravity

The point in an object where the force of gravity seems to act.

centre of mass

The point in an object where all the mass of an object seems to act.

compression

Force squashing or pushing together, which changes the shape of an object.

contact force

A force that acts when an object is in contact with a surface, air, or water.

deformation

Changing shape due to a force.

drag force

The force acting on an object moving through air or water that causes it to slow down.

elastic limit

The point beyond which a spring will not return to its original length when the force is removed.

equilibrium

State of an object when opposing forces are balanced.

extension

The difference between the original length of an object and the length when you apply a force.

fluid

A substance with no fixed shape, a gas or a liquid.

friction

Force opposing motion which is caused by the interaction of surfaces moving over one another.

gas pressure

The force exerted by air particles when they collide with a surface.

Hooke’s Law

A law that says that if you double the force on an object, the extension will double.

incompressible

Cannot be compressed (squashed).

law of moments

An object is in equilibrium if the clockwise moments equal the anticlockwise moments.

linear relationship

When two variables are graphed and show a straight line through the origin, they can be called proportional.

liquid pressure

The pressure produced by collisions of particles in a liquid.

lubrication

A substance that reduces friction between surfaces when they rub together.

moment

A measure of the ability of a force to rotate an object about a pivot.

newton

Unit for measuring forces (N).

newton metres

The unit of moment.

newtons per metre squared

A unit of pressure.

pivot

The point about which a lever or see-saw balances or rotates.

pressure

The ratio of force to surface area, in N/m2, and how it causes stresses in solids.

reaction

The support force provided by a solid surface like a floor.

streamlined

Shaped to reduce resistance to motion from air or water.

stress

The effect of a force applied to a solid, found using stress = force/area.

tension

Force extending or pulling apart.

upthrust

The upward force that a liquid or gas exerts on a body floating in it produced by the collisions of the particles in the liquid or gas.

water resistance

The force on an object moving through water that causes it to slow down, also known as drag.