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Science Vocab 3
Physics words
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| motion | when an object's distance from another set object changes |
| reference point | a place or object used for comparison to determine if an object is in motion |
| average speed | the overall rate at what the object moves |
| instantaneous speed | the speed an object travels at a given time |
| speed | the distance an object travels per unit of time |
| velocity | speed in a given direction |
| slope | the steepness of a line on a graph that is equal to its vertical change divided by its horizontal change |
| acceleration | the rate at which velocity changes |
| force | a push or pull exerted by an object |
| unbalanced force | forces that change an object's motion |
| balanced force | equal forces acting on an object in opposite directions |
| newton | a unit of measurement that equals the force to move 1 kilogram of mass at a meter per second |
| net force | the overall force on an object when all the forces on it are added |
| friction | the force one object exerts on another when they rub against each other |
| static friction | force that acts upon nonmoving objects |
| gravity | the force that pulls objects together |
| sliding friction | when an object slides on a solid and creates friction |
| rolling friction | when an object rolls on a solid and creates friction |
| fluid friction | friction that occurs when an object moves through a fluid |
| air resistance | the fluid friction in the air |
| free fall | the motion of an object where the only force acting on it is gravity |
| terminal velocity | the greatest velocity falling object can achieve |
| inertia | when an object resists change in its momentum |
| momentum | the product of the mass and velocity |
| Law of Conservation of Momentum | when all outside forces are absent, the total momentum of objects that interact does not change. |