| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| reference frame | A coordinate system or perspective from which an observer measures the position, velocity, and other physical quantities of objects. |
| scalar | A physical quantity that has only magnitude and no direction. |
| 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 the entire mass can be considered to be concentrated for the purposes of analyzing motion and forces. |
| conservative force | A force for which the work done is path-independent and depends only on the initial and final configurations of the system. |
| displacement | A vector quantity representing the change in position from an initial to a final location. |
| dot product | A mathematical operation between two vectors that results in a scalar quantity equal to the product of their magnitudes and the cosine of the angle between them. |
| 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 total energy of a system due to its motion and position, equal to the sum of 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 only magnitude and no direction. |
| work | Energy transferred to or from a system by forces or torques acting on it. |
| 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 force | A force for which the work done is path-independent and depends only on the initial and final configurations of the system. |
| elastic potential energy | The potential energy stored in a spring due to its displacement from equilibrium, given by Us = 1/2 k(Δx)². |
| gravitational potential energy | The energy stored in a system due to the gravitational interaction between a satellite and a central object, defined as zero at infinite distance. |
| ideal spring | A theoretical spring that obeys Hooke's law and stores elastic potential energy proportional to the square of its displacement. |
| local maximum | A point on a potential energy graph where the potential energy is higher than at nearby positions, corresponding to unstable equilibrium. |
| local minimum | A point on a potential energy graph where the potential energy is lower than at nearby positions, corresponding to stable equilibrium. |
| potential energy | The energy stored in a system due to the relative positions or configurations of objects that interact via conservative forces. |
| relaxed length | The natural length of a spring when no external force is applied to it. |
| scalar | A physical quantity that has only magnitude and no direction. |
| stable equilibrium | A position where a small displacement results in a restoring force that accelerates the object back toward the equilibrium position. |
| system | A defined collection of objects whose energy and interactions are being analyzed. |
| unstable equilibrium | A position where a small displacement results in a force that accelerates the object further away from the equilibrium position. |
| 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. |
| conservative force | A force for which the work done is path-independent and depends only on the initial and final configurations of the system. |
| 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 process by which energy moves into or out of a system through the action of forces or torques. |
| 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 total energy of a system due to its motion and position, equal to the sum of kinetic and potential energies. |
| nonconservative interactions | Interactions within a system, such as friction or air resistance, that dissipate mechanical energy as heat or other forms of energy. |
| potential energy | The energy stored in a system due to the relative positions or configurations of objects that interact via conservative forces. |
| system | A defined collection of objects whose energy and interactions are being analyzed. |
| work | Energy transferred to or from a system by forces or torques acting on it. |
| 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 process by which energy moves into or out of a system through the action of forces or torques. |
| instantaneous power | The rate at which energy is being transferred or converted at a specific instant in time. |
| power | The rate at which energy is transferred into or out of a system, or converted from one type to another within a system. |
| work | Energy transferred to or from a system by forces or torques acting on it. |