The First Law of Motion and Forces

Vocabulary flashcards covering Newton's First Law of Motion, types of forces, net force calculations, vector quantities, and force diagrams.

Force

A push or pull acting on an object due to interaction, measured in the unit Newton ($\text{N}$).

Net Force

The overall (total) force acting on an object after all the individual forces are combined.

Balanced Forces

Forces acting on an object that cancel each other out, resulting in a net force of zero and no change in motion.

Unbalanced Forces

Forces acting on an object that do not cancel each other out, resulting in a net force that is not zero and causing a change in motion.

Inertia

The natural tendency of an object to resist a change in its state of motion. The more mass an object has, the more inertia it has.

Friction

A force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are in contact.

Velocity

The speed of an object in a specific direction.

Magnitude

A measurement that tells how strong a force is.

Direction

Indicates where a force acts.

Vector Quantity

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction, unlike scalar quantities.

Scalar Quantity

A quantity that has only magnitude.

Newton's First Law of Motion

States that 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 force.

Unbalanced Force Diagram

A visual representation showing forces acting on an object, where vectors (arrows) indicate normal force, weight of the object, applied forces, and direction of motion.