4th grade unit 1 vocab Forces and Energy

Front

What is motion?

Back

A change in an object’s position.

Front

How is speed defined?

Back

Speed is how fast an object’s position changes over time: distance/time.

Front

What is energy?

Back

Energy is what makes things move. It is not created or destroyed, just transferred or transformed.

Front

What is kinetic energy?

Back

The energy of motion.

Front

What is potential energy?

Back

Stored energy that can be used later.

Front

What is velocity?

Back

The speed AND direction of an object.

Front

What is inertia?

Back

The tendency of an object in motion to stay in motion OR of an object at rest to stay at rest.

Front

What is gravity?

Back

A noncontact force that pulls objects toward each other (things on Earth to Earth).

Front

What is friction?

Back

A contact force between surfaces that slows or stops objects from moving.

Front

What is the conservation of energy?

Back

A law stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed.