Physics Unit Study Guide

Newton's First Law

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. (inertia)

Newton's Second Law

if you apply more force to an object, it accelerates at a higher rate. (Force= mass x acceleration)

Newton's Third Law

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction

Acceleration

The rate at which velocity changes

Velocity

Speed in a given direction

reference point

A place or object used for comparison to determine if an object is in motion

Velocity formula

v=d/t, direction

smash

force/acceleration

force=

mass x acceleration

Acceleration formula

a=vf-vi/t

Motion

An object's change in position relative to a reference point.

balanced forces

Equal forces acting on an object in opposite directions

unbalanced forces

forces acting on an object with a net force that is not 0

contact force

a push or pull on one object by another that is touching it

noncontact force

a force that one object can apply to another object without touching it

Gravity

a noncontact attractive force that exists between all objects that have mass

Force

a push or pull on an object

Inertia

a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force.

force pair

whenever a force is acted upon an object, that object acts back with an equal force in the opposite direction of the action force.

force unit of measurement

N (newtons)

mass unit of measurement

g or kg (grams or kilograms)

acceleration unit of measurement

m/s^2

Distance unit of measurement

meters (m)

Speed (or velocity) unit of measurement

meters per second (m/s)

Time unit of measurement

seconds (s)

Momentum unit of measurement

kg*m/s