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Motion vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
speed | the rate of motion of an object. It's calculated by dividing the distance traveled by the time |
average speed | the total distance traveled in the total amount of time it took to travel that distance; total distance/total time |
constant speed | when the speed of an object does not change throughout its time in motion. |
velocity | the speed and direction of an object. |
acceleration | rate of change in velocity; when an object changes its speed, direction, or both. |
force | a push or pull. |
friction | a force that acts in the opposite direction of motion. |
unbalanced force | a force that is unequal in size and is in the same direction as the motion of the object. When forces are unbalanced, there is a change in motion. |
balanced forces | When the total forces acting on an object are equal and opposite in direction. When forces are balances, no change in motion occurs. |
motion | a change in position compared to a reference point |
instantaneous speed | speed at any given point. |
gravity | the force of attraction between objects. The larger the object the greater its gravitational pull. |
frame of reference (reference point) | an object in motion has to be compared to a non-moving object |