Key terms - mechanics

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Created by
milena faulds

Cards (34)

  • Angular Displacement
    How many degrees or radians an object has rotated through.
  • Angular Momentum
    How hard it is to stop something once it is rotating.
  • Angular Velocity
    How quickly an object rotates.
  • Centre of Mass
    The mean position of matter in a system.
  • Centripetal Force
    A net force that acts on an object to keep it moving in a circular path.
  • Circular Motion
    When an object moves in a circle, or through part of a circle.
  • Elastic Collision
    A collision where there is no loss of kinetic energy.
  • Energy
    The ability to do work.
  • Free Body Diagram
    A diagram showing all of the forces acting on an object.
  • Force
    A push or pull on an object.
  • Forced SHM
    Simple harmonic motion that is assisted by external driving forces.
  • Frequency
    The number of oscillations completed in one second.
  • Geostationary
    An object that stays above the same spot on Earth.
  • Gravitational Field Strength
    How strong the force of gravity is on an object.
  • Inelastic Collision
    A collision where the kinetic energy is lost (changed into another form of energy).
  • Inversely Proportional
    If something is inversely proportional to something else, when one increases, the
    other decreases.
  • Momentum
    Mass in motion.
  • Natural Frequency
    The frequency that an object oscillates at naturally, or without any damping or
    driving force.
  • Oscillation
    The regular back and forth movement of an object.
  • Period
    The length of time taken to complete one oscillation.
  • Proportional
    If something is proportional to something else, when one increases, so does the
    other.
  • Radians
    A way of measuring angles, like degrees.
  • Restoring Force
    A force that pushes an object towards its equilibrium.
  • Rotational Inertia
    A property of matter that opposes rotation.
  • Rotational Kinetic Energy
    The kinetic energy of an object due to its rotation.
  • Rotational Motion
    When an object rotates.
  • Scalar
    A quantity without a specific direction.
  • Simple Harmonic Motion
    A type of motion involving oscillation around an equilibrium point.
  • System
    The objects/situation that we’re choosing to look at.
  • Tangent
    A straight line that touches a curve at one point.
  • Torque
    A force that causes a turn.
  • Translational Motion
    How an object shifts from one point to another.
  • Vector
    A quantity with a specific direction.
  • Work
    The energy used up when moving an object over a distance with force.