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All Key Terms
AP Physics C: Mechanics
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AP Physics C: Mechanics
Key Terms
250 essential vocabulary terms and definitions to know for your AP Physics C: Mechanics exam
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AP Physics C: Mechanics
Key Terms by Unit
Unit 1 – Kinematics
1.1 Scalars and Vectors
1.2 Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration
1.3 Representing Motion
1.4 Reference Frames and Relative Motion
1.5 Motion in Two or Three Dimensions
Unit 2 – Force and Motion Dynamics
2.1 Properties and Interactions of a System
2.10 Circular Motion
2.2 Forces and Free-Body Diagrams
2.3 Newton's Third Law
2.4 Newton's First Law
2.5 Newton's Second Law
2.6 Gravitational Force
2.7 Kinetic and Static Friction
2.8 Spring Forces
2.9 Resistive Forces
Unit 3 – Work, Energy, and Power
3.1 Translational Kinetic Energy
3.2 Work
3.3 Potential Energy
3.4 Conservation of Energy
3.5 Power
Unit 4 – Linear Momentum
4.1 Linear Momentum
4.2 Change in Momentum and Impulse
4.4 Elastic and Inelastic Collisions
Unit 5 – Torque and Rotational Motion
5.1 Rotation
5.2 Connecting Linear and Rotational Motion
5.3 Torque
5.4 Rotational Inertia
5.5 Rotational Equilibrium and Newton's First Law in Rotational Form
5.6 Newton's Second Law in Rotational Form
Unit 6 – Rotating Systems: Energy & Momentum
6.1 Rotational Kinetic Energy
6.2 Torque and Work
6.3 Angular Momentum and Angular Impulse
6.4 Conservation of Angular Momentum
6.5 Kinetic Energy of a System with Translational and Rotational Motion
6.6 Motion of Orbiting Satellites
Unit 7 – Oscillations
7.1 Defining Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)
7.2 Frequency and Period of SHM
7.3 Representing and Analyzing SHM
7.4 Energy of Simple Harmonic Oscillators
7.5 Simple and Physical Pendulums
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X
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Δ𝛳 (Change in Angular Position)
ΣF=ma_c (sum of forces equals mass times centripetal acceleration)
ѡ (Angular Velocity)
A
Acceleration
Acceleration (a)
Acceleration due to gravity (-g)
Acceleration due to Gravity (g)
Acceleration Formula (a = (v - v0)/t)
Acceleration of the COM
Acceleration vs. Time graph
Acceleration-time graph
Action and reaction
Air Resistance
Air Resistance Force
Amplitude (A)
Angular Acceleration
Angular Frequency
Angular frequency (ω)
Angular Momentum and Its Conservation
Angular velocity
Angular Velocity (Ω)
Atwood Machine
Average velocity
B
Ballistic Pendulum
Banked Curve
C
Calculus
Calculus definition
Celestial Mechanics
Center of Gravity
Center of Mass
Center of Mass Velocity
Centrifugal Force
Centripetal Acceleration
Centripetal Force
Changes
Chemical Energy
Circular motion
Circular Orbit
Closed System
Coefficient of friction
Coefficient of Kinetic Friction
Coefficient of Static Friction
Conservation
Conservation Laws
Conservation of Angular Momentum
Conservation of Energy
Conservation of Linear Momentum
Conservation of Linear Momentum and Collisions
Conservation of mechanical energy
Conservative Force
Counterclockwise Torques
Critical Speed/Velocity
D
Damping
Derivative of the Position Function
Differential equation for SHM
Disks Colliding
Displacement
Displacement (d)
Displacement-time graph
Distance
E
Earth's gravity
Efficiency
Elastic Collision
Elastic Collisions
Elastic Force
Elastic Potential Energy
Electrostatic Force
Elliptical orbit
Energy Conservation
Equations of Motion
Equations of motion (x(t) = x0 + v0t + 1/2at^2)
Equilibrium
Escape Velocity
External Torque
F
F=ma
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