Force & Motion Vocab

Front

What are balanced forces?

Back

Equal forces acting on an object in opposite directions, resulting in no change in motion.

Front

What are unbalanced forces?

Back

Forces that produce a nonzero net force, which changes an object's motion.

Front

What is acceleration?

Back

The rate at which velocity changes over time.

Front

What is sliding friction?

Back

Friction that occurs when one solid surface slides over another.

Front

What is friction?

Back

The force that one surface exerts on another when the two surfaces rub against each other.

Front

What is gravity?

Back

The force that attracts two bodies towards each other, commonly experienced as the force that pulls objects towards the Earth.

Front

What is momentum?

Back

The product of an object's mass and its velocity, representing the quantity of motion an object has.

Front

What is inertia?

Back

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.

Front

What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Back

Speed is the distance traveled per unit of time, while velocity includes both speed and direction.

Front

What is net force?

Back

The overall force acting on an object when all the individual forces are combined.