Unit 4: Force and Motion Vocabulary

Front

What is friction?

Back

A force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are in contact.

Front

What is action in terms of force and motion?

Back

Movement caused by force.

Front

What is elastic potential energy?

Back

The energy stored in an object when there is a temporary strain on it (it is stretched or compressed).

Front

What is chemical potential energy?

Back

The energy stored within the chemical bonds of a substance, which can be released or absorbed during a chemical reaction.

Front

What is potential energy?

Back

The stored energy in an object due to its position, properties, and/or forces acting on it.

Front

What is kinetic energy?

Back

The energy of an object due to its motion.

Front

What is gravitational potential energy?

Back

The energy stored in an object as a result of its vertical position or height.

Front

What is inertia?

Back

The tendency of an object to resist changes in its state of motion.

Front

What is an unbalanced force?

Back

A force that causes a change in the motion of an object.

Front

What is a balanced force?

Back

Forces that are equal in size but opposite in direction, resulting in no change in motion.