Energy, Force, and Motion Vocabulary Word Definition Acceleration The rate at which an object changes speed or direction Balanced Forces Two or more forces acting on an object without a change in motion Criteria Standards or specifications that have to be met Collision An event in which one object exerts a force quickly Conservation of The total amount of momentum is the same Momentum before and after a collision Constraints Limitations or restrictions Energy The ability to do work or cause change Energy Transfer Energy moving between objects Energy Energy changing forms Transformation Force A push or pull Force Pair An action force and the reaction force it produces, according to Newton’s Third Law of Motion Friction A force that resists motion between touching objects Gravitational Energy of an object due to height Potential Energy Gravity The force that pulls objects together Inertia An object’s tendency to resist a change in motion Joule The unit of measure for energy Kinetic Energy Energy of Motion Law of Conservation Energy cannot be created nor destroyed of Energy Magnet A material that has the ability to attract or repel other magnetic material

Continued on back side Word Definition Magnetic Field The space or area around a magnet where the magnet generates a force Magnetic Pole The part of a magnet where its force is the strongest Magnetism The force exerted by a magnet Mass The measure of the amount of matter in an object Momentum A measure of how difficult it is to speed up, slow down, or change the direction of a moving object. Momentum = Mass x Velocity Model Tools that scientists and engineers use to represent ideas and provide information Motion Change in position relative to a reference frame Net Force All the forces acting on an object Newtons Unit for force Potential Energy Stored Energy Predict To make a statement about what might happen before it does Prototype An early version of a design to test if it meets the criteria Reference Frame The point at which you observe motion Speed The rate at which an object changes position. Speed = Distance/Time System A set of related objects under study or under consideration Unbalanced Force Two or more forces acting on an object that cause a change in motion Velocity The speed and direction of a moving object Weight Measure of the force of gravity Work When a force acts on an object and changes its position or speed