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Physics Intro
Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Force | Any interaction which tends to change the motion of an object - a push or pull. |
Applied Force | a force that is applied to an object by a person or another object |
Friction Force | the force exerted by a surface as an object moves across it or makes an effort to move across it |
Newton | Forces are measured in this SI unit and represented by the symbol N |
Vector | a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. |
Magnitude | the absolute "size" of a quantity, ignoring other details like direction. |
Displacement | shortest distance between the initial point and final point of an object - often confused with simple distance. |
Velocity | the rate at which an object changes its position (speed and direction) |
Acceleration | the rate at which an object changes its velocity - in either a positive or negative change |
Equilibrium | When all the forces that act upon an object are balanced (does not mean they are equal to each other). |