Newton's Second Law

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Force Noun

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[fors]

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Force

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A push or pull exerted on an object that can cause it to change its state of motion.

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Example: This diagram shows Newton's Second Law, F=ma, where Force (a vector) equals mass (a scalar) multiplied by acceleration (a vector), including their units.

Front

Mass Noun

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[mas]

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Mass

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The measure of an object's inertia, representing the amount of matter contained within the object.

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Example: This image shows a balance scale where a rock outweighs a feather, visually demonstrating that the rock has more mass.

Front

Acceleration Noun

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[ak-sel-uh-rey-shuhn]

Back

Acceleration

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The rate of change of an object's velocity, which occurs when it speeds up, slows down, or changes direction.

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Example: This image shows the three ways an object can accelerate: by speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction, which are all changes in velocity.

Front

Inertia Noun

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[in-ur-shuh]

Back

Inertia

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The property of an object to resist any change in its state of motion; mass is its measure.

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Example: When the car suddenly stops, the box on top continues to move forward due to its inertia, which is its resistance to a change in motion.

Front

Velocity Noun

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[vuh-los-i-tee]

Back

Velocity

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The speed of an object in a given direction, where a change in velocity results in acceleration.

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Example: This image shows that velocity includes speed (covering a distance of 8 km in 15 minutes) and a specific direction (from home to school).

Front

Net Force Noun

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[net fors]

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Net Force

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The overall or total force acting on an object when all individual forces are considered and combined.

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Example: Two opposing forces act on a soccer ball; the stronger force (125 N) overcomes the weaker one (75 N), creating a net force.

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Newton Noun

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[noo-tn]

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Newton

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The SI unit of force, equal to the force required to accelerate a one-kilogram mass at one meter per second squared.

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Example: This diagram compares balanced forces (zero net force) with an unbalanced force (net force from weight), illustrating the condition for Newton's Second Law.

Front

Unbalanced Force Noun

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[uhn-bal-uhnst fors]

Back

Unbalanced Force

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A force that is not opposed by an equal and opposite force, causing a change in an object's motion.

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Example: When two forces pull an object in the same direction, they add together to create a larger net force, causing the object to accelerate.

Front

Direct Relationship Noun

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[di-rekt ri-ley-shuhn-ship]

Back

Direct Relationship

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A relationship between two variables where an increase or decrease in one variable causes the same in the other.

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Example: This diagram shows that when mass is constant, doubling the force applied to an object (from 15 N to 30 N) also doubles its acceleration.

Front

Inverse Relationship Noun

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[in-vurs ri-ley-shuhn-ship]

Back

Inverse Relationship

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A relationship between two variables where an increase in one variable causes a decrease in the other variable.

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Example: This image uses a seesaw to show an inverse relationship: as one quantity (A) increases, the other quantity (B) must decrease.