All Flashcards
What is the difference between internal and external forces regarding the motion of a system's center of mass?
External forces affect the motion of the center of mass. Internal forces do not.
Compare the effect of force on objects with different masses.
For the same force, an object with smaller mass will have a greater acceleration than an object with larger mass.
Compare the relationship between net force and acceleration vs. mass and acceleration.
Net force and acceleration are directly proportional. Mass and acceleration are inversely proportional.
What is the effect of an unbalanced force?
Causes the system to accelerate in the direction of the net force.
What is the effect of doubling the net force on an object?
The object's acceleration doubles, assuming mass remains constant.
What is the effect of doubling the mass of an object, with the same net force applied?
The object's acceleration is halved.
What happens when the net external force on a system is zero?
The system's center of mass maintains a constant velocity (or remains at rest).
What is the effect of friction on a moving object?
Friction opposes the motion, resulting in a net force that is reduced, and thus a smaller acceleration.
Define Newton's Second Law.
An object's acceleration is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass.
What is 'net force'?
The vector sum of all forces acting on an object.
Define 'acceleration'.
The rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time.
What is 'mass'?
A measure of an object's resistance to acceleration (inertia).
Define 'external force'.
A force that originates from outside the system being considered.