Flashcards
Leaving Cert Physics mechanics definitions
Cards in this deck (40)
- 1physical quantityA physical quantity is one that can be measured or calculated and expressed in numbers
- 2scaler quantityA scaler quantity is one with magnitude only. It has no directional component
- 3distanceThe distance between two points is a measure of how far one point is from the other
- 4timeTime is used to measure the duration of events to put them in sequence or to measure the interval between them
- 5speedSpeed is the distance travelled per unit time
- 6vector quantityA vector quantity is one with both magnitude an direction
- 7displacementDisplacement is distance in a given direction
- 8velocityVelocity is the rate of change of displacement with respect to time
- 9accelerationAcceleration is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time
- 10massMass is a measure of the amount of matter in a body
- 11momentumMomentum is the product of mass and velocity
- 12forceA force is that which can cause acceleration
- 13acceleration due to gravityAcceleration due to gravity is the acceleration experienced by a body in free fall within the gravitational field of a massive body
- 14weightWeight is a force equal to the product if mass and acceleration due to gravity
- 15Centre of gravityCentre of gravity is the point at which the whole weight of the bidy appears to act
- 16frictionFriction is a force that opposes the motion of a body
- 17moment of a forceThe moment of a force is the force multiplied by the perpendicular distance to the fulcrum
- 18leverA lever is a rigid body that is free to rotate about a fixed axis
- 19coupleA couple is a pair of equal and opposite forces whose line of action fo not coincide
- 20torqueThe torque of a couple is equal to the magnitude if one of the forces multiplied by the distance between them
- 21densityDensity is mass per unit volume
- 22pressurePressure is force per unit area
- 23buoyancyBuoyancy is the upward force on a body that is wholly or partially immersed in a fluid
- 24workWork is the product of force and displacement
- 25energyEnergy is the ability to do work
- 26kinetic energyKinetic energy is the energy a body has due to its motion
- 27potential energyPotential energy is the energy a body has due to its position or condition
- 28powerPower is the rate at which work is done
- 29angleAngle measured in radians is equal to the arc length divided by the radius
- 30angular velocityAngular velocity is the rate of change of angle
- 31linear velocityLinear velocity is the speed of the particle in a direction perpendicular to the radius at that point
- 32periodic timePeriodic time is the time taken for one complete revolution cycle or oscillation
- 33centripetal acclerationCentripetal acceleration is the acceleration of an object travelling in uniform circular motion it is directed towards the centre of the circle
- 34centripetal forceCentripetal force is the force required to maintain uniform circular motion it is directed towards the centre of the circle
- 35the elastic constantThe elastic constant is the constant of proportionality between the applied force and the resulting displacement of a given spring
- 36elasticityElasticity is the ability of a body to resist a distorting influence or stress and to return to its original size and shape when the stress is removed
- 37simple harmonic motionSimple harmonic motion is where the acceleration of a body towards a particular point is proportional to displacement from that point
- 38amplitudeAmplitude is the maximum distance that an object moves from its equilibrium position
- 39frequencyFrequency is the number of cycles or oscillations the object completes per unit time
- 40periodThe period of a particle executing shm is the time taken for one complete oscillation
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- Flashcards on Physics mechanics definitions, created by Aoife Clooney on 28/05/2017.
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- Aoife Clooney
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