Science Study Guide

• Mass


  The amount of matter in an object
• Balanced force


  Has a net force that is equal to zero
• Friction


  A force between two touching objects that will cause objects to slow down or stop
• Inertia


  All objects possess inertia, meaning they tend to resist changes in motion
• Acceleration

  The rate of change in an object's velocity. It’s the rate of change in speed, direction, or both
• Direction


  The path that a moving object follows
• Force


  A push or pull on an object
• Newton’s first law states that an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion at the same speed and direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force
• Newton


  A unit used to measure force
• Newton's second law states that the acceleration of an object increases with increased force, decreases with increased mass, and is in the same direction as the force.
• Net force


  The sum of all forces acting on an object
• Newton's third law of motion states that for every action force there is an opposite and equal reaction force
• Unbalanced force


  Has a net force that is not equal to zero
• Speed


  The rate at which an object is moving
• Velocity

  The speed and direction of an object, velocity changes when the speed, direction, or both change
• Potential Energy

  Mass x Gravity (9.8) x Height
• Kinetic Energy


  ½(mass x velocity^2)
• The higher an object is off the ground, the more potential energy it has
• Mechanical energy


  The total energy of motion (KE) and position (PE) of an object
• The faster an object moves, the more kinetic energy it has
• Newton's first law is often referred to as Law of Inertia