MYP Integrated Sciences Forces and Motion Key Definitions

Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity.

Air resistance is the frictional force acting on objects moving through air.

Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of the air above a surface.

Boyle’s law states that pressure is inversely proportional to volume at constant temperature.

Compression is a pushing force in a squashed object.

A region of space where an object experiences a force because of the presence of another object (for example, a magnet or an electric charge).

A force is a mechanical interaction between two objects or bodies.

A free-body diagram (FBD) is a simplified drawing that shows an object as a dot or box, with arrows for all external forces acting on it.

Freefall occurs when gravity is the only force acting on an object.

Friction is a force that opposes motion between surfaces in contact.

The gravitational force per unit mass at a point in a gravitational field and is measured in $\text{N kg}^{-1}$.

Gravity is the interaction that makes objects fall, gives us a sense of "up" and "down," and keeps moons, planets, and galaxies in orbit.

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion.

Instantaneous velocity is the velocity of an object at a particular instant in time.

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion.

Lift is the upward force produced by wings moving through air.

The amount of material in a body or object.

Newton's first law states, "An object remains at rest or continues to move at constant velocity unless acted on by an external resultant force."

Newton’s Second Law of Motion states that the resultant force on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.

When object A exerts a force on object B, object B exerts an equal-magnitude force on object A in the opposite direction.

A contact force exerted by a surface on an object, acting perpendicular to the surface.

An orbit is a curved path followed by an object moving under the influence of gravity.

Pressure is force exerted per unit area on a surface.

The resultant force is the single force that has the same effect as all the forces acting together.