Fundamental Laws of Motion to Know for AP Physics C: Mechanics (AP)

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Newton's First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia)

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39 Terms

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Newton's First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia)

An object remains at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by a net external force.

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Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion, directly proportional to its mass.

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Newton's Second Law of Motion

The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.

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Newton's Second Law Formula

Fnet​=ma, where FnetF is net force, m is mass, and a is acceleration.

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Newton's Third Law of Motion

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

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Conservation of Linear Momentum

The total momentum of a closed system remains constant unless acted upon by an external force.

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Momentum Formula

Momentum (p) is calculated as p=mv, where m is mass and v is velocity.

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Work-Energy Theorem

The work done on an object is equal to the change in its kinetic energy.

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Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only transform from one form to another.

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Conservation of Angular Momentum

The total angular momentum of a system remains constant if no external torque acts on it.

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11

Kepler's First Law

Planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths, with the Sun at one focus.

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Kepler's Second Law

A line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.

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Kepler's Third Law

The square of a planet's orbital period is proportional to the cube of its average distance from the Sun.

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14

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time.

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Net Force

The vector sum of all the forces acting on an object.

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Friction

The force that opposes the relative motion of two surfaces in contact.

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Kinetic Energy

The energy possessed by an object due to its motion, calculated as KE = 1/2 mv².

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Potential Energy

The energy stored in an object due to its position or configuration, often due to gravity, calculated as PE = mgh.

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Torque

A measure of the force that causes an object to rotate about an axis.

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Equilibrium

A state in which all the forces acting on an object are balanced, resulting in no net force and no acceleration.

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Pressure

The force applied per unit area, commonly measured in Pascals (Pa).

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Energy Transformation

The process of changing energy from one form to another, such as potential to kinetic energy.

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23

Law of Universal Gravitation

Every point mass attracts every other point mass with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

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Angular Velocity

The rate of change of angular displacement with respect to time, usually measured in radians per second.

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Centripetal Force

The inward force required to keep an object moving in a circular path, directed towards the center of rotation.

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Mechanical Energy

The sum of potential energy and kinetic energy in a system.

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Free Fall

The motion of an object where gravity is the only force acting upon it.

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Force

An interaction that, when unopposed, will change the motion of an object.

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Mass

The amount of matter in an object, typically measured in kilograms.

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Velocity

The speed of an object in a specific direction.

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Gravitational Potential Energy

The potential energy an object has due to its height above the ground, calculated as PE = mgh.

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Elastic Potential Energy

The potential energy stored in an object when it is compressed or stretched, such as in a spring.

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Circular Motion

The motion of an object traveling along a circular path.

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Work

The process of energy transfer that occurs when a force is applied over a distance.

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35

Instantaneous Speed

The speed of an object at a specific moment in time.

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Average Speed

The total distance traveled divided by the total time taken.

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Newton's Law of Gravitation

The principle that relates the gravitational force between two masses.

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Speed

The distance traveled per unit of time, without regard to direction.

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39

Impulse

The change in momentum resulting from a force applied over a period of time.

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