Forces and motion key terms

Distance

The total length of the path traveled by an object, regardless of its direction.

Direction

The line along which something moves or points, indicating the path of an object's movement.

displacement

Distance moved in a particular direction from a starting point.

distance

How far an object moves regardless of direction.

Speed

The distance travelled per unit time, typically measured in metres per second (m/s).

Distance

The total length of the path travelled by an object, regardless of direction.

velocity

The speed of an object in a specific direction.

speed

The distance traveled per unit of time, regardless of direction.

distance

The total length of the path traveled by an object, regardless of direction.

speed

The rate at which an object covers distance, calculated as distance traveled per unit time.

speed

The distance travelled per unit time, typically measured in metres per second (m/s).

distance

The total length of the path travelled by an object, regardless of direction.

Distance

The total length of the path traveled by an object, regardless of direction.

Speed

The rate at which an object covers distance, calculated as distance traveled per unit time.

Distance

The total length of the path traveled by an object, regardless of direction.

Speed

The distance traveled per unit of time, indicating how fast an object is moving.

metre

The base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 100 centimeters.

kilometre per hour

A unit of speed expressing the number of kilometers traveled in one hour.

average speed

The total distance traveled divided by the total time taken.

instantaneous speed

The speed of an object at a specific moment in time.

Velocity

The speed of an object in a specific direction.

Direction

The line along which something moves or points, indicating the path of motion.

speed

The distance travelled per unit time, measured in metres per second (m/s).

distance

The total length of the path travelled by an object, regardless of direction, measured in metres (m).

Distance-time graph

A graphical representation showing the distance an object has traveled over time.

Stationary

An object is stationary when it is not moving, represented by a horizontal line on a distance-time graph.

distance-time graph

A graphical representation showing the distance an object travels over time.

constant speed

A speed that does not change over time, represented by a straight sloping line on a distance-time graph.

gradient

The slope of a line on a graph, representing the rate of change of a quantity.

speed

The distance traveled per unit of time, indicating how fast an object is moving.

gradient

The slope of a line on a graph, representing the rate of change of a quantity.

speed

The distance travelled per unit time, typically measured in metres per second (m/s).

tangent

A straight line that touches a curve at a single point without crossing it.

curved distance-time graph

A graph that represents the distance travelled by an object over time, showing changing speed.

curved distance-time graph

A graph that shows how the distance travelled by an object changes over time, indicating that the object's speed is changing.

changing speed

A situation where the speed of an object increases or decreases over time, as represented by the curvature of a distance-time graph.

Distance-time graph

A graph that shows the distance an object has traveled over a period of time, with distance on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis.

Gradient

The slope of a line on a graph, representing the rate of change; in a distance-time graph, it indicates the speed of the object.

Distance-time graph

A graphical representation showing the distance an object travels over time.

Gradient

The slope of a line on a graph, representing the rate of change of one variable with respect to another.

Distance

The total length of the path traveled by an object, regardless of direction.

Time

The duration in which events occur, measured in seconds.

gradient

The slope of a line on a graph, representing the rate of change of one variable with respect to another.

distance-time graph

A graph that shows the distance an object has traveled over a period of time, where the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents distance.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

velocity

The speed of an object in a specific direction.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

change in velocity

The difference between the final velocity and the initial velocity of an object.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

change in velocity

The difference between the final velocity and the initial velocity of an object.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

change in velocity

The difference between the final velocity and the initial velocity of an object.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

Velocity

The speed of an object in a given direction.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

Metres per second squared

The unit of measurement for acceleration, indicating how much velocity changes per second.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

velocity

The speed of an object in a given direction.

deceleration

A decrease in velocity over time, indicating a reduction in speed in a specified direction.

negative acceleration

Acceleration that results in a decrease in the speed of an object, often referred to as deceleration.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

direction change

A modification in the path of an object's movement, which can result in acceleration even if speed remains constant.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

resultant force

The overall force acting on an object, taking into account all individual forces.

constant velocity

A state of motion where an object moves at a steady speed in a straight line without changing its velocity.

velocity-time graph

A graphical representation that shows how the velocity of an object changes over time.

velocity-time graph

A graph that shows how the velocity of an object changes over time.

constant acceleration

A steady increase or decrease in velocity over time, represented by a straight sloping line on a velocity-time graph.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

gradient

The slope of a line on a graph, representing the rate of change of one variable with respect to another.

negative gradient

A slope on a graph that descends from left to right, indicating a decrease in the value of the variable plotted.

deceleration

The reduction in speed or velocity of an object, often represented as a negative acceleration.

Velocity-time graph

A graph that shows the relationship between the velocity of an object and the time elapsed.

Area under the graph

The region enclosed by the curve of a graph and the axes, representing a physical quantity such as distance in a velocity-time graph.

velocity-time graph

A graph that shows how an object's velocity changes over time, with time on the x-axis and velocity on the y-axis.

area under the graph

The region between the graph line and the time axis, which represents the distance travelled during the time interval.

velocity-time graph

A graph that shows the relationship between the velocity of an object and time, where the slope represents acceleration.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

distance-time graph

A graph that shows the distance an object has traveled over a period of time, where the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents distance.

velocity-time graph

A graph that illustrates the velocity of an object over time, where the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents velocity.

Gradient

The slope of a line on a graph, representing the rate of change of one variable with respect to another.

Area under the graph

The space enclosed between the graph line and the axis, which can represent total quantities such as distance or energy.

velocity-time graph

A graph that shows how the velocity of an object changes over time.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

Uniform acceleration

Acceleration that occurs at a constant rate, where the change in velocity is consistent over time.

Final velocity

The velocity of an object at the end of a time interval, after acceleration has been applied.

final velocity

The velocity of an object at the end of a time interval.

initial velocity

The velocity of an object at the beginning of a time interval.

initial velocity

The velocity of an object at the start of a time interval.

final velocity

The velocity of an object at the end of a time interval.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

uniform acceleration

A constant acceleration where the velocity of an object changes at a steady rate over time.

Uniform acceleration

Acceleration that occurs at a constant rate, where the change in velocity is consistent over time.

Distance calculation

The process of determining the distance travelled using the equation v^2 - u^2 = 2as, where v is final velocity, u is initial velocity, a is acceleration, and s is distance.

Uniform acceleration

A constant acceleration that occurs when the rate of change of velocity is the same over time.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

Uniform acceleration

A constant acceleration experienced by an object moving in a straight line.

Square root

A mathematical operation that finds a number which, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number.

consistent units

Units that are uniform and compatible for measurements of velocity, acceleration, and distance.

uniform acceleration

Acceleration that remains constant over time, resulting in a steady increase in velocity.

Uniform acceleration

Acceleration that occurs at a constant rate, where the change in velocity is uniform over time.

Rearranging equations

The process of manipulating an equation to isolate a specific variable, often used in physics calculations.

Newton's first law

An object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by a resultant force.

resultant force

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

Resultant Force

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

Equilibrium

A state where the resultant force on an object is zero, resulting in no change in motion.

resultant force

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

constant velocity

The state of an object moving at a uniform speed in a straight line without changing direction.

resultant force

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

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

Newton's second law

The principle stating that the resultant force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.

resultant force

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

resultant force

The overall force acting on an object, calculated as the vector sum of all individual forces.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

resultant force

The overall force acting on an object, calculated by vector addition of all individual forces.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

resultant force

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

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

inertial mass

A measure of how difficult it is to change an object's velocity.

resultant force

The overall force acting on an object, calculated by vector addition of all individual forces.

Newton's third law

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction between interacting objects.

action-reaction force pairs

Forces that two objects exert on each other that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

Action-Reaction Forces

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction force acting on a different object.

Force Pair

A pair of forces that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, acting on two different objects.

Newton's third‑law pair

A pair of equal and opposite forces that act on two different objects, each force being the reaction to the other.

Balanced forces on one object

Forces acting on a single object that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, resulting in zero net force and no change in motion.

Newton's Second Law

The principle stating that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the resultant force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.

Resultant Force

The overall force acting on an object, calculated by vector addition of all individual forces.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

force

A push or pull acting on an object, measured in newtons (N).

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

trolley

A wheeled vehicle used for transporting goods or materials, often used in experiments to study motion.

control variables

Factors that are kept constant during an experiment to ensure that the results are valid.

acceleration investigation

An experiment designed to study how different forces or masses affect the acceleration of an object.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

resultant force

The overall force acting on an object, calculated by vector addition of all individual forces, which determines the object's acceleration.

light gate

A device used to measure the time taken for an object to pass through a specific point, often used in motion experiments.

ticker timer

An instrument that produces a series of dots on a moving tape to record the position of an object at regular time intervals.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

force

An interaction that causes an object to change its velocity, measured in newtons.

repeated measurements

Conducting the same experiment multiple times to ensure consistent results and improve reliability.

reliability

The degree to which an experiment yields consistent and repeatable results.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

uncertainty

The doubt that exists about the result of any measurement.

Newton's second law

The principle stating that the resultant force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object, measured in metres per second squared (m/s²).

acceleration

The rate of change of velocity of an object.

resultant force

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

stopping distance

The total distance a vehicle travels from the moment a driver perceives a need to stop until the vehicle comes to a complete stop, calculated as the sum of thinking distance and braking distance.

thinking distance

The distance a vehicle travels during the driver's reaction time, from the moment the driver recognizes the need to stop until they apply the brakes.

thinking distance

The distance travelled by a vehicle during the driver's reaction time before applying the brakes.

reaction time

The time taken for a driver to respond to a stimulus, such as seeing a hazard, before taking action.

Braking distance

The distance travelled by a vehicle while the brakes are applied until it comes to a complete stop.

Brakes

Devices used to slow down or stop a vehicle by applying friction to its wheels.

thinking distance

The distance travelled during the driver's reaction time before applying the brakes.

braking distance

The distance travelled while the brakes are applied until the vehicle comes to a stop.

braking distance

The distance travelled by a vehicle while the brakes are applied until it comes to a complete stop.

speed

The distance travelled per unit time, typically measured in metres per second (m/s) or kilometres per hour (km/h).

reaction time

The time taken for a driver to respond to a stimulus, affecting stopping distance.

distraction

Any factor that diverts a driver's attention, potentially increasing reaction time.

braking distance

The distance travelled by a vehicle while the brakes are applied until it comes to a complete stop.

road conditions

The state of the road surface, which can affect vehicle traction and braking performance.

braking distance

The distance travelled by a vehicle while the brakes are applied until it comes to a complete stop.

reaction time

The time taken for a driver to respond to a stimulus, affecting the distance travelled before braking.

stopping distance

The total distance a vehicle travels from the moment a driver perceives a need to stop until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

thinking distance

The distance a vehicle travels during the driver's reaction time before applying the brakes.

stopping distance

The total distance a vehicle travels from the moment a driver perceives a need to stop until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

reaction time

The time taken for a driver to respond to a stimulus, such as the need to stop, which contributes to the overall stopping distance.

braking distance

The distance travelled while the brakes are applied.

work done

The energy transferred when a force is applied over a distance.