Flight and Space Glossary

Fill in the blank: The rate at which an object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction is called ________.

• acceleration

• velocity

• distance

• mass

Fill in the blank: The density of the air, which varies at different altitudes. The higher the altitude, the less dense the air. This is known as ________.

• density altitude

• relative humidity

• barometric pressure

• dew point

Fill in the blank: Resistance of air against the forward movement of an airplane or rocket is called ________.

• drag

• lift

• thrust

• weight

Fill in the blank: A gas or liquid that tends to take the shape of its container is called a ________.

• fluid

• solid

• crystal

• metal

Fill in the blank: A push or pull on an object is called a ________.

• Force

• Energy

• Friction

• Weight

Fill in the blank: The force that makes it difficult for one object to slide along the surface of another or to move through a liquid or gas is called ________.

• friction

• gravity

• magnetism

• electricity

Fill in the blank: The force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth or toward any other physical body having mass is called ________.

• gravity

• friction

• magnetism

• buoyancy

Fill in the blank: The force that directly opposes the weight of an aircraft and holds the aircraft in the air is called ________.

• lift

• drag

• thrust

• gravity

Fill in the blank: The size or quantity of something is called its ________.

• magnitude

• color

• direction

• texture

Fill in the blank: The amount of matter in an object. Not to be confused with weight, which is the amount of force that gravity exerts on an object. This is called ________.

• mass

• volume

• density

• energy