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Newtons Laws &Forces
Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Force | push or a pull on an object |
Net Force | sum (total) of all forces acting on a body (either vertically or horizontally) |
Mass | total matter within an object |
Inertia | resistance of an object's mass to change in its motion |
Action/Reaction Pair | forces between two objects that are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction (Newton's 3rd Law) |
Body | physical object, collection of matter |
Newton's Laws | describe the relationship between the forces acting on a body and its motion |
Free Body Diagram | used to visualize the force vectors and resulting reactions on a body (a.k.a. FBDs or force diagrams) |
Component Force | one of a number of forces acting on a body |
Equilibrium | state where all the forces that act on an object are balanced (Newton's 1st Law) |
Balanced | when opposite forces acting on an object are equal, Fnet = 0, and velocity is constant at rest OR moving |
Unbalanced | when forces on an object are not equal, Fnet ≠ 0, and velocity is changing (2nd Law) |
Weight | force pulling down on an object's mass due to gravity (a.k.a. gravitational force) |
Normal Force | contact force that is perpendicular to the surface and supports an object's weight |
Tension Force | pulling force transmitted by a string, cable, rope, chain, etc. |
Friction Force | resistance force that is parallel to a surface and acts in the opposite direction an object is moving or force is applied |
Static Friction | force between two objects that are not moving relative to each other |
Sliding Friction | force between two objects sliding against each other (a.k.a. kinetic friction) |
Coefficient of Friction | ratio of the friction force resisting the motion of two surfaces that are in contact (symbol: μ) |
Horizontal Plane | flat surface of 0 degrees |
Inclined Plane | surface that is not flat, but tilted at an angle (ex: ramp) |
Applied Force | force that is applied to an object by a person or another object |
Spring Force | pulling or pushing force transmitted by a spring |
Acceleration | change in speed or direction |
Inverse | relationship where either both variables increase or both decrease (ex: mass & acceleration) |
Direct | relationship where one variable increases while the other decreases (ex: force & acceleration) |
Fnet=ma | net force equals mass times acceleration (2nd Law) |
Magnitude | size or quantity (number) |