Physics - Term 1 Yr 10

• Define distance


  The total length of the pathway taken between the origin and destination point. metre, m; (d).
• Define displacement


  The distance between the starting and ending point of an object's motion, irrespective of path. metre, m; (s)
• Define average speed


  The rate of change of distance calculated by the formula: average speed = distance/time. m/s or m/s^-1; (speed)/(v).
• Define velocity


  The rate of change of displacement of an object. m/s or m/s^-1; (v)
• Define acceleration


  The rate at which an object's velocity changes. m/s^2 or m/s^-2; (a)
• Define inertia


  The natural tendency of an object to maintain its velocity. No units - its a property
• Define force


  A push or pull between objects that may cause one or both objects to change speed and/or the direction of their motion (i.e. accelerate) or change their shape. Newtons, N; (F).
• Define mass


  The amount of matter contained in an object. kilograms, kg; (m).
• Define gravitational force


  Gravitational force is experienced by a mass when it is attracted to another mass. Gravity always pulls two masses towards each other. It never pushes them apart. Newtons, N; (Fg). g = 9.8m/s^2
• Define friction


  A force which opposes the relative motion between two objects. Newtons, N; (Ff)
• Define coefficient of friction


  It's a value that is specific/varies to each pair of surfaces. no unit; (μ)
• Define spring constant


  The spring constant represents how stiff a spring is. N/m; (k)
• Define impulse


  The change in momentum of an object. kgm/s or kgms^-1; (I)
• Define momentum


  The product of an object's mass and its velocity. kgm/s or kgms^-1; (p).
• Recall the difference between scalar and vector quantities and recall examples of each

  Although both have magnitude, scalar quantities don't have a direction but vector quantities do have a direction.

  Scalar e.g: distance

  Vector e.g: displacement, average velocity, acceleration
• Recall Newton's first law of motion


  an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted on by an external force
• Recall Newton's second law of motion

  the direction of the acceleration of an object is in the direction of the net external force acting on it and proportional to the size of the force.
• Recall Newton's third law of motion

  forces always occur in equal and opposite pairs.
• Recall the Law of Conservation of Momentum


  states that for all objects colliding in an isolated system, the total momentum before and after the collision is equal.
• Define elastic potential energy


  The energy stored in an object as a result of the extension or compression of an object. EEP; Joules, J
• Define elastic collision


  A collision in which both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved
• Define gravitational potential energy


  The energy stored in an object as a result of its position relative to another object to which it is attracted by the force of gravity. EP; Joules, J
• Define inelastic collision

  A collision in which momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not conserved
• Recall the law of conservation of energy


  the total energy of a system remains constant; energy can neither be created nor destroyed, rather, it transforms from one form to another