| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| acceleration | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's velocity with respect to time. |
| component | The projection of a vector along a specific direction, such as the x-, y-, or z-direction. |
| direction | The orientation or path along which a vector quantity acts. |
| displacement | A vector quantity representing the change in position from an initial to a final location. |
| distance | A scalar quantity representing the total length of the path traveled. |
| magnitude | The size or amount of a quantity, often represented as the length of a vector arrow. |
| position | A vector quantity that specifies the location of an object relative to a reference point. |
| position vector | A vector denoted by r⃗ that specifies the location of a point relative to the origin. |
| resultant vector | The vector sum obtained by adding the components of two or more vectors. |
| scalar | A physical quantity that has only magnitude and no direction. |
| speed | A scalar quantity representing the rate of change of distance with respect to time. |
| unit vector notation | A method of expressing vectors as the sum of their components in the x-, y-, and z-directions using unit vectors î, ĵ, and k̂. |
| vector | A quantity that has both magnitude and direction, used to represent forces on a free-body diagram. |
| vector sum | The result of adding two or more vectors by combining their components. |
| velocity | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's position with respect to time. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| average acceleration | The change in velocity of an object divided by the time interval over which that change occurs. |
| average value | The mean value of a quantity calculated over a time interval. |
| average velocity | The displacement of an object divided by the time interval over which that displacement occurs. |
| derivative | A mathematical operation that represents the rate of change of a function with respect to a variable. |
| differentiation | The mathematical process of finding the derivative of a function. |
| displacement | A vector quantity representing the change in position from an initial to a final location. |
| instantaneous acceleration | The acceleration of an object at a specific instant in time, calculated as the limit of average acceleration over an infinitesimally small time interval. |
| instantaneous position | The exact location of an object at a specific moment in time. |
| instantaneous velocity | The velocity of an object at a specific instant in time, calculated as the limit of average velocity over an infinitesimally small time interval. |
| integration | The mathematical process of finding the antiderivative or accumulated sum of a function. |
| object model | A simplified representation of an object where size, shape, and internal configuration are ignored, treating the object as a single point with properties such as mass and charge. |
| position | A vector quantity that specifies the location of an object relative to a reference point. |
| time-dependent functions | Mathematical functions in which the output depends on time as the independent variable. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| acceleration | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's velocity with respect to time. |
| constant acceleration | Motion in which an object's acceleration remains unchanged over time. |
| displacement | A vector quantity representing the change in position from an initial to a final location. |
| gravitational acceleration | The constant downward acceleration experienced by objects near Earth's surface due to gravity, approximately 10 m/s². |
| instantaneous acceleration | The acceleration of an object at a specific instant in time, calculated as the limit of average acceleration over an infinitesimally small time interval. |
| instantaneous velocity | The velocity of an object at a specific instant in time, calculated as the limit of average velocity over an infinitesimally small time interval. |
| kinematic equations | Mathematical equations that describe the motion of an object under constant acceleration in one dimension. |
| motion diagrams | Visual representations showing an object's position at successive time intervals to illustrate its motion. |
| position | A vector quantity that specifies the location of an object relative to a reference point. |
| velocity | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's position with respect to time. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| acceleration | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's velocity with respect to time. |
| inertial reference frame | A reference frame in which Newton's laws of motion are valid; a frame that is either at rest or moving at constant velocity. |
| observer | A person or point of measurement from which physical quantities are measured and described in a particular reference frame. |
| reference frame | A coordinate system or perspective from which an observer measures the position, velocity, and other physical quantities of objects. |
| vector addition | The mathematical process of combining two or more vectors to find a resultant vector. |
| velocity | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's position with respect to time. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| acceleration | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's velocity with respect to time. |
| component | The projection of a vector along a specific direction, such as the x-, y-, or z-direction. |
| kinematic relationships | Mathematical equations that describe the relationships between position, velocity, acceleration, and time for moving objects. |
| motion in three dimensions | The movement of an object that changes position in three perpendicular directions simultaneously. |
| motion in two dimensions | The movement of an object that changes position in two perpendicular directions simultaneously. |
| projectile motion | A special case of two-dimensional motion where an object experiences zero acceleration in one dimension and constant, nonzero acceleration in the perpendicular dimension. |
| velocity | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's position with respect to time. |