Chpt 11 Science Vocab

meter

SI unit of distance, abbreviated m; equal to approximately 39.37 inches

kilogram

SI unit of mass, abbreviated kg; equal to approximately 2.2 lbs

triple-beam balance

scientific instrument used to measure mass precisely by comparing the mass of a sample to known masses

acceleration

equals the change in velocity divided by the time for the change to take place; occurs when an object speeds up, slows down, or turns

average speed

equals the total distance traveled divided by the total time taken to travel the distance

inertia

tendency of an object to resist a change in its motion

instantaneous speed

the speed of an object at one instant of time

mass

amount of matter in an object

momentum

a measure of how difficult it is to stop a moving object; equals the product of mass and velocity

law of conservation of momentum

states that the total momentum of objects that collided with each other is the same before and after the collision

speed

equals the distance traveled divided by the time it takes to travel to that distance

velocity

speed and direction of a moving object