Physical Science Chapter 11 Vocabulary

Frame Of Reference

a system that uses coordinates to establish position

Relative Motion

the change in position of one object compared to the position of another

Distance

the property created by the space between two objects or points

Vector

a straight line segment whose length is magnitude and whose orientation in space is direction

Resultant Vector

The sum of two or more vectors

Speed

distance travelled per unit time

Average Speed

the total distance traveled divided by the time it takes to travel that distance

Instantaneous Speed

the rate at which an object is moving at a given moment in time

Velocity

the speed of an object in a particular direction

Acceleration

an increase in speed

Free Fall

the motion of a falling object when the only force acting on it is gravity

Constant Acceleration

velocity changing at a constant rate

Linear Graph

a line graph in which the data points yield a straight line

Nonlinear Graph

a graph in which the displayed data form a curved line