Mechanics Definitions

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Energy

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Is the ability to do work.

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Work

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Is done when a force moves an object through a distance.

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Power

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The rate at which energy is converted from one form to another.

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Force

Back 4

Is anything that causes or tends to cause an acceleration.

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Momentum

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The momentum of the body is the product of its mass and its velocity.

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Friction

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Is a force that tends to oppose motion.

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Principle of Conservation of Momentum

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States that in any interaction between two or more bodies, the total momentum before is equal to the total momentum after the interaction as long ad no external forces act on them.

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Centripetal Acceleration

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Is the acceleration of a body in circular motion. Its direction is towards the centre.

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Centripetal Force

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Is the force on a body in circular motion. Its direction is towards the centre of the circle.

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Simple Harmonic Motion

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Is any motion where the acceleration of a particle is proportional to its distance from an equilibrium position.

a~s

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Density

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Of an object is its mass per unit volume.

P = m

v

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Pressure

Back 12

Is defined as a force per unit of area. SI unit is Pascal / Pa

P = F

A

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Law of Flotation

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States that when a body floats it is displacing exactly its own weight of fluid.

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2 Conditions For Equilibrium

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The sum of the forces in any direction equal the sum of the forces in the opposite direction.

The sum of the moments about any one point is zero.

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Acceleration

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Is the rate of change of velocity.

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Velocity

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Is the rate of change of displacement.

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Vector

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Is a quantity that has magnitude and direction.

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Scalar

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A quantity which has magnitude only.

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Potential Energy

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Is the energy a body has due to its position or state.

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Kinetic Energy

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Is the energy a body has due to its motion.

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The Principle of Conservation of Energy

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States that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but can change from one form to another.

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The Centre of Gravity

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Of an object is the point through which the weight of the object appears to act.

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The Moment of A Force

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Is the force applied multiplied by the perpendicular distance to the fulcrum.

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Kepler's 3rd Law

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States that the square of the periodic time of a satellite is directly proportional to the cube of its radius of orbit and inversely proportional to the mass of the planet it orbits.