Module 3: FORCES AND NEWTON'S LAWS

Vocabulary flashcards covering forces and Newton's Laws based on lecture notes.

Force

A push directed at right angles (Perpendicular) to a surface; measured in Newtons (N).

Net Force

The total force acting on an object that determines how the object moves. Calculated by adding forces in the same direction and subtracting forces in opposite directions.

Tension

The force exerted by a rope or cord that pulls up on an object.

Weight

The force on an object due to gravity; calculated as mass x gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s² on Earth).

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist a change in motion; depends on the object's mass. A bowling ball has more inertia than a ping pong ball.

Acceleration

Increases if the force on an object increases, decreases if the mass of an object increases (Newton's Second Law).

Balanced Force

When forces acting in opposite directions on an object are equal in magnitude; results in no change in motion (e.g., a book resting on a table, a car moving at a constant speed).

Unbalanced Force

When forces acting in opposite directions on an object are not equal in magnitude; results in a change in motion (e.g., a ball rolling down a hill, a car accelerating from a stop).

Newton's 1st Law of Motion

An object remains in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by a net external force (Law of Inertia). A soccer ball stays still until you kick it or keeps rolling until something stops it.

Newton's 2nd Law of Motion

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on the object, is in the same direction as the net force, and is inversely proportional to the mass of the object (F = ma). Pushing a light sled and a heavy sled with the same force.

Newton's 3rd Law of Motion

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If you push on a tree with 10 N of force, the tree exerts 10 N of force back on you.

Momentum

The product of an object's mass and velocity; a measure of how difficult it is to stop a moving object. p = mv

Impulse

The change in momentum of an object; equal to the force applied to an object multiplied by the time interval for which it is applied. J = F \Delta t

Conservation of Momentum

In a closed system, the total momentum remains constant if no external forces act on the system. The total momentum of a system of objects is the same before and after any interaction.

Elastic Collision

A collision in which total kinetic energy and momentum are conserved. Objects bounce off each other.

Inelastic Collision

A collision in which kinetic energy is not conserved but momentum is conserved. Objects stick together after the collision.

Work

The energy transferred to or from an object by means of a force acting on the object. W = Fd \cos(\theta), where F is the magnitude of the force, d is the magnitude of the displacement,