Physics Unit 4 Energy: Key Content Vocabulary

Front

Kinetic energy

Back

Energy of motion

Front

Law of conservation of energy

Back

Energy can change forms but cannot be created or destroyed

Front

Mechanical energy

Back

The sum of potential and kinetic energy for an object

Front

Potential energy

Back

Energy related to the position of an object

Front

Power

Back

Rate at which energy is transformed

Front

Work

Back

A force applied to an object that results in a displacement in the same direction

Front

Work-energy theorem

Back

The net work done by the forces acting on an object is equal to the change in the object’s kinetic energy

Front

Acceleration due to gravity

Back

The acceleration of an object caused by the force of gravity

Front

Air resistance

Back

The force that opposes the motion of objects through air

Front

Conservative force

Back

A force with the property that the total work done in moving a particle between two points is independent of the path taken