Unit 1 - Chapter 3 Physics and Motion Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards with formulas for Unit 1 Chapter 3, covering motion, forces, Newton's Laws, work, power, mechanical advantage, and efficiency.

Reference point

A starting point or location used to describe the location or position of an object.

Position

An object's distance and direction from a reference point.

Displacement

The difference between the initial position and the final position of an object.

Velocity

The speed and direction of a moving object.

Force

A push or a pull on an object.

Gravity

An attractive force that exists between all objects that have mass.

Mass

The amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms ($\text{kg}$).

Weight

The gravitational force exerted on an object.

Newton’s 1st law of motion

States that if the net force on an object is zero, the motion of the object does not change.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist a change in its motion.

Newton’s 2nd law of motion

States that the acceleration of an object is equal to the net force acting on it divided by its mass ($a = \frac{F}{m}$).

Newton’s 3rd law of motion

States that when one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal force in the opposite direction on the first object.

Work

The amount of energy transferred when a force causes an object to move, measured in joules ($\text{J}$).

Power

The rate at which work is done on an object.

Mechanical Advantage

The ratio of output force (in newtons) to input force (in newtons), calculated as $MA = \frac{F_{\text{out}}}{F_{\text{in}}}$ with no units.

Efficiency

The ratio of output work (in joules) to input work (in joules) expressed as a percentage: $\text{efficiency} = \frac{W_{\text{out}}}{W_{\text{in}}} \times 100\%$.