Lists of physics vocabulary words related to motion and force. Each word is explained in simple terms, making it easy for children to understand. Perfect for young learners exploring the world of physics!
Physics Words for Motion and Force
The following is the list of Motion and Force vocabulary words with meaning from A to Z:
A
- Acceleration: How fast something speeds up.
- Air resistance: The force that slows things down when they move through the air.
- Axis: An imaginary line that something spins around.
B
- Balance: When forces are equal, and there is no movement.
- Baseline: A starting point to measure motion.
- Bumper: A part that helps to stop or slow something safely.
C
- Centripetal force: The force that keeps something moving in a circle.
- Contact force: A push or pull that happens when two objects touch.
- Creep: Slow movement over time.
D
- Deceleration: When something slows down.
- Displacement: How far something has moved from its original spot.
- Drag: The force that slows things down in a fluid, like water or air.
E
- Energy: The power that makes things move.
- Equilibrium: A state where all forces are balanced.
- Elasticity: The ability of an object to return to its original shape after being stretched or compressed.
F
- Force: A push or pull that can change the motion of an object.
- Friction: The force that makes it hard for two things to slide past each other.
- Fulcrum: The point on which a lever rests or pivots.
G
- Gravity: The force that pulls objects towards the Earth.
- Gyroscope: A spinning device that helps keep something stable.
- Gears: Wheels with teeth that work together to move things.
H
- Heat: Energy that comes from the motion of particles.
- Horizontal: A flat, level line or direction.
- Hinge: A point where something moves back and forth, like a door.
I
- Inertia: The tendency of an object to stay still or keep moving unless acted on by a force.
- Impact: When two things hit each other.
- Incline: A sloped surface, like a ramp.
J
- Jerk: A sudden, quick movement.
- Jounce: A bouncing motion.
- Joint: The place where two parts of a machine or object come together and allow movement.
K
- Kinetic energy: The energy something has because it’s moving.
- Kinematics: The study of motion without considering the forces that cause it.
- Knock: A sudden hit or collision.
L
- Lever: A simple machine that helps lift or move objects.
- Load: The weight or force that is being moved by a machine.
- Lift: The force that pushes something up.
M
- Momentum: How much motion an object has, depending on its mass and speed.
- Mass: How much matter is in an object.
- Machine: A tool that makes it easier to move or lift things.
N
- Newton: A unit to measure force.
- Normal force: The support force from a surface, like the ground holding you up.
- Net force: The total force acting on an object after all the forces are added together.
O
- Oscillation: Back-and-forth movement, like a swing.
- Orbit: The path an object takes as it moves around another object.
- Opposite force: A force that acts in the opposite direction.
P
- Pendulum: A weight that swings back and forth.
- Push: A force that moves something away.
- Pull: A force that moves something closer.
Q
- Quantity: How much of something there is.
- Quiver: A slight, rapid motion.
- Quadrant: One of four sections on a graph or chart, often used in motion studies.
R
- Rest: When something is not moving.
- Resistance: A force that opposes motion.
- Roll: To move by turning over and over on a surface.
S
- Speed: How fast something moves.
- Slide: To move smoothly over a surface.
- Spring: A device that returns to its shape after being stretched or compressed.
T
- Torque: A force that causes something to rotate.
- Trajectory: The path that an object follows as it moves through space.
- Tension: A force that pulls on something, like a rope.
U
- Uniform motion: Moving at the same speed in the same direction.
- Unbalanced force: Forces that are not equal, causing a change in motion.
- Upthrust: A force that pushes things up in a fluid, like water.
V
- Velocity: Speed in a specific direction.
- Vibration: A rapid back-and-forth motion.
- Vector: A quantity that has both magnitude (how much) and direction.
W
- Weight: The force of gravity on an object’s mass.
- Work: When a force moves something over a distance.
- Wheels: Circular objects that help things move smoothly.
X
- X-axis: The horizontal line on a graph.
- Xenon: A gas used in certain types of motion studies, like in lights.
- X-section: A cut or slice of something to see its inside.
Y
- Yaw: The rotation of an object around its vertical axis.
- Yield: To give way or move aside.
- Yardstick: A tool used to measure length or distance in motion experiments.
Z
- Zero velocity: When an object is not moving at all.
- Zoom: To move quickly.
- Zigzag: A motion that changes direction quickly and sharply.