| A | B |
|---|
| Projectile | Any object that moves through air or through space- acted on only by gravity (and air resistance if any). |
| parabolic path | the path all projectiles follow- often called an arch; all or some portion of a parabola as defined by y = x^2 |
| resultant vector | the vector sum of two or more component vectors. |
| horizontal component | the component of a resultant vector that lies along the horizontal axis - parallel to the ground for a projectile. |
| vertical component | the component of a resultant vector that lies along the vertical axis - perpendicular to the ground for a projectile. |
| Range | the horizontal distance a projectile travels. |
| Satellite | an object that falls around the Earth or some other body rather than falling into it. The satellite is the smaller of the two objects. |
| Direction | The distance-independent relationship between two points in space that specifies the location of either with respect to the other May be indicated by terms such as: north, south, positive, negative, up, or down |
| Time | the duration of an action or an event. |
| instantaneous speed | The speed of an object at specific moment. |
| average speed | The total distance traveled divided by the total time of travel; the average of two instantaneous speeds. |
| constant speed | A speed that does not change, such as a steady speed; no acceleration. |
| Acceleration | The rate at which an object changes its velocity, meaning there is a change in speed, direction, or both |
| freefall | The condition of a falling object which experiences no friction and gravity is the only force acting on the object. A freefalling object always accelerates at the same rate and all objects in freefall accelerate at the same rate as each other. The rate of acceleration is 9.8 m/s2 downward near the surface of the earth. |
| Gravity | a force field produced by an object's mass, which attracts other masses. Used to define down here on earth |
| Precision | The degree of exactness with which an operation is performed or a measurement stated. |
| Accuracy | Freedom from mistake or error; degree of conformity of a measure to a standard or a true value |
| independent variable | The factor in an experiment that the researcher chooses to vary at specific intervals; is plotted on the x-axis. |
| dependent variable | The factor whose value changes as the result of a change in the independent variable and is plotted on the y-axis. |
| Slope | Refers to the degree of inclination or steepness of a line on a graph. Determined by dividing the rise by the run of the line. |
| model | A simplified description of a physical system intended to capture the essential aspects of the system in a sufficiently simple form. A description or analogy used to help visualize something (as an atom) that cannot be directly observed |
| hypothesis | An assumption to be tested; a statement of a problem to be solved, expressed as a question |
| Theory | A plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena |
| unit | A specific measure of quantity (length, time, heat, etc.) used as a standard of measurement |
| observation | An act of recognizing and noting a fact or occurrence; often involving measurement with instruments. |
| Experiment | An operation carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover an unknown effect or law, to test or establish a hypothesis, or to illustrate a known law |
| Law | A statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions. |
| standard | Set up and established by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, weight, extent, value, or quality |
| Three ways to accelerate | speed up, slow down, change direction |
| Three types of acceleration | positive, negative, zero |
| a=(vf-vi)/t | formula for acceleration(m/s^2) |
| vf | final or ending velocity(m/s) |
| vi | initial or starting speed(m/s) |
| t | time(s) |
| d=(1/2)at^2 | the distance a falling object will fall due to gravity (acceleration due to gravity is sometimes rounded to 10m/s^2)(distance measured in meters) |
| air resistance | the resistance that air provides on an object as it moves through trying to separate the air. |
| projectile | Any object that moves through air or through space, acted on only by gravity (and air resistance if any). |
| parabolic path | the path all projectiles follow, often called an arch; all or some portion of a parabola as defined by y = x2 |
| resultant vector | the vector sum of two or more component vectors. |
| horizontal component | the component of a resultant vector that lies along the horizontal axis, parallel to the ground for a projectile. |
| vertical component | the component of a resultant vector that lies along the vertical axis, perpendicular to the ground for a projectile. |
| range | the horizontal distance a projectile travels. |
| satellite | an object that falls around the Earth or some other body rather than falling into it. The satellite is the smaller of the two objects. |
| Height | the distance an object either falls from or goes up to in a projectiles path |
| apex | the highest point an object will go during its path, usually the mid way point in the range |
| vf=vi+at | formula to find final velocity - you need to know initial velocity, acceleration, and time |
| vi=vf-at | formula to find initial velocity - you need to know final velocity, acceleration, and time |
| a=(vf-vi)/t | acceleration if the final velocity and initial velocity and the time is known |
| dy=(1/2)at^2 | distance an object will cover if the acceleration and the time accerealted is known |
| dx=vx*t | horizontal range of a projectile |
| trajectory | the path a projectile follows |
| t=sqrt(2d/a) | time can be found by taking the square root of twice the distance an object went divided by the acceleration of the object) |
| g | acceleration due to earth's gravitational pull close to the earth's surface (approximately 10 m/s^2) |
| scale | a converting equality that can represent real life distances when drawing vectors (ex. 1 cm = 10 m/s) |
| arrow | used to represent a vector quantity in a scale drawing of situation. The direction of the arrow always shows the direction of the vector. |
| head to tail method | a method used to draw out vectors to help visualize vector addition. |
