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Forces and their interactions key terms
Study Forces and their interactions with curriculum-aligned Key Terms resources, practice links, and exam-focused support.
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key terms
Resource type
Topic
Forces and their interactions
Key terms
Force Diagram
A graphical representation showing all the forces acting on an object, including their magnitudes and directions.
Contact Force
A force that occurs when two objects are in physical contact with each other, such as friction or tension.
Force Arrow
A graphical representation of a force, indicating its magnitude and direction.
Direction of Force
The orientation in which a force is applied, crucial for understanding the effect of the force on an object.
Exerting Force
The force applied by one object onto another, causing an interaction.
Experiencing Force
The force felt by an object as a result of an interaction with another object.
Weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, measured in newtons.
Gravity
The attractive force between two masses, which causes weight.
Weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, measured in newtons.
Vector Quantity
A quantity that has both magnitude and direction.
mass
A scalar quantity that represents the amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms.
kilogram
The SI unit of mass, defined as the mass of the International Prototype of the Kilogram.
Mass
A scalar quantity representing the amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms.
Weight
A vector quantity representing the force acting on an object due to gravity, measured in newtons.
Weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, measured in newtons.
Centre of Mass
The point in an object where its mass is evenly distributed and where weight acts.
gravitational field strength
The force experienced by a mass of one kilogram in a gravitational field, measured in newtons per kilogram (N/kg).
newton
The SI unit of force, defined as the force required to accelerate a one-kilogram mass by one meter per second squared (1 N = 1 kg·m/s²).
Weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, measured in newtons.
Gravitational Field Strength
The force per unit mass experienced by an object in a gravitational field, measured in newtons per kilogram.
Weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, measured in newtons.
Gravitational Field Strength
The force per unit mass experienced by an object in a gravitational field, measured in newtons per kilogram.
weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, measured in newtons.
mass
The amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms.
Weight
The force acting on an object due to gravity, measured in newtons.
Mass
The amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms.
gravitational field strength
The force acting on a unit mass due to gravity, measured in newtons per kilogram (N/kg).
kilogram
The base unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to 1000 grams.
Resultant Force
The single force that has the same effect as all the forces acting on an object.
Balanced Forces
Forces that are equal in size and opposite in direction, resulting in a zero resultant force.
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