| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| force | a push or a pull on an object |
| noncontact force | a force that pushes or pulls an object without touching it. |
| contact force | a push or a pull applied by one object to another object that is touching it. |
|
friction |
a contact force that resists the sliding motion between two objects that are touching. |
| gravity | a non-contact attractive force that exists between all objects that have mass. |
| balanced force | the forces acting on an object, when the net force of an object is 0 N. |
| unbalanced force | the forces acting on an object, when the net force of an object is not 0 N |
| energy | the ability to cause change |
| kinetic energy | the energy an object has when it is in motion |
| potential energy | stored energy that depends on the interaction of objects, particles or atoms. |
| electric energy | the energy that an electric current carries is a form of kinetic energy. |
| chemical energy | the energy that is stored in and released from the bonds between atoms. |
| nuclear energy | energy stored in and released from the nucleus of an atom. |
| mechanical energy | the sum of the potential energy and the kinetic energy in a system of objects. |
| thermal energy | the sum of the kinetic energy and the potential energy of the particles that make up an object. |
| sound energy | energy carried by sound waves. |
| seismic energy | energy transferred by waves moving through the ground. |
| radiant energy | energy carried by electromagnetic waves |
| energy transformation | the conversion of one form of energy to another. |
| law of conservation of energy | says that energy can be transformed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed |
| work | the transfer of energy that occurs when a force makes an object move in the direction of the force while the force acts on the object. |
| joule | how work is measured |
| newton | |
| Formula for Work | W=Fd Work(joules)=Force(newtons) times distance |
