Physics definitions

Force

An action exerted on an object that may change the object's state of rest or motion.

Contact Force

Forces that result from physical contact between two objects.

Free Body Diagram

These are used to show the relative magnitude and direction of all forces acting upon an object in a given situation

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist being moved, or if the object is moving to resist a change in speed or direction.

Field Force

Forces that do not involve physical contact between two objects.

Normal Force

A force that acts on a surface in a direction perpendicular to the surface.

Physics

The study of the physical world, from motion and energy to light and electricity.

The topic of Mechanics

studying forces, motion, and the behavior of physical bodies, whether at rest or in motion, focusing on how forces cause movement or maintain equilibrium

Delta

a change or difference between two values (final minus initial), like (Delta v)for velocity change or (Delta T) for temperature shift, making equations clearer

Velocity

the rate at which an object changes its position, combining both its speed (how fast) and its direction, making it a vector quantity

Displacement

the change in an object's position, a vector quantity measuring the shortest straight-line distance and direction from its starting point to its ending point

Acceleration

the rate at which an object's velocity changes over time, meaning it speeds up, slows down, or changes direction.

King Henry Died by drinking chocolate milk

Kilo Hecta Deca base deci centi milli

Free Fall

the motion of an object where gravity is the only significant force acting on it, meaning no air resistance or other pushes/pulls, causing it to accelerate downward at a constant rate (about 9.8 m/s² near Earth) regardless of its mass

Projectile Motion

the two-dimensional motion of an object under the sole influence of gravity, where its path is analyzed by considering its independent horizontal and vertical movements.

Net Force

the total, combined effect of all forces acting on an object, found by adding them as vectors (considering both magnitude and direction).

Equilibrium

a state where an object has zero net force and zero net torque, meaning the forces and torques acting on it are balanced.

Newton’s First Law

an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction, unless acted upon by an unbalanced (net) external force.

Newton’s Second Law

the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass, expressed by the famous equation F = ma (Force equals mass times acceleration).

Newton’s Third Law

for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, meaning forces always occur in pairs

Kinetic Energy

the energy an object possesses due to its motion, whether it's moving in a straight line, spinning, or vibrating

Potential Energy

the stored energy an object has due to its position, arrangement, or state

Mechanical Energy

the total energy of an object due to its motion (kinetic energy) and its position or stored state (potential energy, like gravitational or elastic)