| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| coordinate system | A reference framework used to resolve vectors into their perpendicular components, typically using horizontal and vertical axes. |
| scalar | A physical quantity that has magnitude only, without direction. |
| translational kinetic energy | The kinetic energy associated with the linear motion of an object's center of mass. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| air resistance | A nonconservative force exerted by air on a moving object that opposes its motion. |
| center of mass | The point in a system where all the mass can be considered to be concentrated for the purpose of analyzing motion and forces. |
| conservative forces | Forces for which the work done is independent of the path taken, and energy can be stored as potential energy (such as gravitational or elastic forces). |
| displacement | A vector quantity representing the change in position of an object from its initial to final location. |
| friction | A nonconservative force that opposes motion and dissipates mechanical energy. |
| kinetic energy | The energy possessed by an object due to its motion, equal to one-half the product of its mass and the square of its velocity. |
| mechanical energy | The sum of a system's kinetic and potential energies. |
| net work | The sum of all work done by all forces exerted on an object. |
| nonconservative force | A force for which the work done is path-dependent, such as friction or air resistance. |
| potential energy | The energy stored in a system due to the relative positions or configurations of objects that interact via conservative forces. |
| scalar | A physical quantity that has magnitude only, without direction. |
| work | The amount of energy transferred into or out of a system by a force exerted on that system over a distance. |
| work-energy theorem | The principle stating that the change in an object's kinetic energy equals the net work done by all forces exerted on the object. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| conservative forces | Forces for which the work done is independent of the path taken, and energy can be stored as potential energy (such as gravitational or elastic forces). |
| elastic potential energy | The potential energy stored in a spring or elastic object due to its deformation from equilibrium length. |
| equilibrium length | The natural length of a spring when no external forces are applied to stretch or compress it. |
| gravitational field | The region of space around a mass where gravitational force is exerted on other masses. |
| gravitational potential energy | The potential energy of a system due to the gravitational interaction between two masses separated by a distance. |
| ideal spring | A theoretical spring that obeys Hooke's law and stores elastic potential energy proportional to the square of its displacement. |
| potential energy | The energy stored in a system due to the relative positions or configurations of objects that interact via conservative forces. |
| scalar | A physical quantity that has magnitude only, without direction. |
| system | A collection of objects and their interactions that are studied together as a single unit. |
| zero potential energy | A reference point chosen by an observer to simplify analysis of a system's potential energy. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| conservation of mechanical energy | The principle that the total mechanical energy of a system remains constant when only conservative forces act on it, or changes by an amount equal to energy transferred into or out of the system. |
| conservative forces | Forces for which the work done is independent of the path taken, and energy can be stored as potential energy (such as gravitational or elastic forces). |
| energy | The capacity to do work or cause change; a conserved quantity that can be transferred between a system and its environment. |
| energy transfer | The movement of energy from one part of a system to another or between a system and its environment. |
| environment | Everything outside the defined system; the region with which the system can exchange energy through work or other interactions. |
| kinetic energy | The energy possessed by an object due to its motion, equal to one-half the product of its mass and the square of its velocity. |
| mechanical energy | The sum of a system's kinetic and potential energies. |
| nonconservative interactions | Interactions within a system, such as friction or air resistance, that dissipate mechanical energy and cause the total mechanical energy to decrease. |
| potential energy | The energy stored in a system due to the relative positions or configurations of objects that interact via conservative forces. |
| system | A collection of objects and their interactions that are studied together as a single unit. |
| work | The amount of energy transferred into or out of a system by a force exerted on that system over a distance. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| average power | The total amount of energy transferred or converted divided by the time interval over which the transfer or conversion occurs. |
| energy transfer | The movement of energy from one part of a system to another or between a system and its environment. |
| instantaneous power | The rate of energy transfer at a specific moment in time, calculated as the component of force parallel to velocity multiplied by that velocity. |
| power | The rate at which energy is transferred into, out of, or converted within a system with respect to time. |
| work | The amount of energy transferred into or out of a system by a force exerted on that system over a distance. |