Motion and Design Word List

aerodynamic able to move through the

air with as little air
resistance as possible
air resistance the force of friction on a
vehicle as it moves
through the air
balanced when two or more forces
operating on a body that
do not change the rest or
the motion of that body
constant a condition that is not
changed in a scientific
experiment
drag force that opposes the
forward movement of a
vehicle
energy the ability to do work or
make something happen

force a push or pull

 friction the force that acts to
slow the motion of things
that are moving
gravity a force that acts without
physical contact to pull
two objects toward each
other
inertia the tendency of objects
to keep doing what they
are doing, whether it be
moving or staying at rest
kinetic energy energy associated with
motion

mass the amount of matter in

something

momentum the product of an object’s

mass and speed that
affects the motion of an
object
motion the change in an object’s
position over time
Newton’s first law of if the forces acting on an
motion object are balanced (equal
and opposite), the object
will continue doing what it
is doing; inertia
Newton’s second law of the rate that an object
motion speeds up or slows down
depends on the amount of
force acting on it and the
object’s mass
Newton’s third law of for every action, there is
motion an equal and opposite
reaction

potential energy stored energy that can be

released to become other
forms of energy
any force that tends to
resistance slow, or oppose motion

Rest to stop motion, still

 speed the measure of the
distance an object travels
in a specific amount of
time
unbalanced when two or more forces
operate on a body and
change the rest or the
motion of that body
 Vocabulary:
1.  Force:  any push or pull
2.  Gravity:  the attraction or pulling force between objects and the Earth.
3.  Friction:  the force that slows down or stops objects in motion
4.  Simple machine:  a machine with few or no moving parts.  There are six: 
lever, screw, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, and wedge.
5.  Compound machine:  a machine made of two or more simple machines. 
Examples
      Include a can opener, a bulldozer, an elevator, etc.
6.  Fulcrum:  the point where a lever rocks back and forth
7.  Screw:  an inclined plane wrapped around a post; it’s used to hold things
together.
8.  Wedge:  two inclined planes together; it is wide at one end and pointed at
the other.  It is used to split or cut things apart.
9.  Energy:  the ability to do work
10.  Work:  occurs when a force moves an object over a distance; examples,
running, kicking a ball, moving furniture, the wind pushing a sailboat, etc.  No
work is being done sitting still watching TV, pushing against something that
won’t move, etc.
11.  Recycling:  making trash into something new instead of throwing it
away:  items that can be recycled include glass bottles, some plastics,
aluminum, newspapers, etc.
12.  Natural resources:  things found in nature that people can use:  trees,
water, metals, good soil, stone for building, etc.
 aerodynamic able to move through the air with as little air resistance as possible
air resistance the force of friction on a vehicle as it moves through the air
balanced when two or more forces operating on a body that do not change
the rest or the motion of that body
constant a condition that is not changed in a scientific experiment
drag force that opposes the forward movement of a vehicle
energy the ability to do work or make something happen

force a push or pull

friction the force that acts to slow the motion of things that are moving
gravity a force that acts without physical contact to pull two objects
toward each other
inertia the tendency of objects to keep doing what they are doing,
whether it be moving or staying at rest
kinetic energy energy associated with motion
mass the amount of matter in something
momentum the product of an object’s mass and speed that affects the motion
of an object
motion the change in an object’s position over time
Newton’s first law of if the forces acting on an object are balanced (equal and opposite),
motion the object will continue doing what it is doing; inertia
Newton’s second law of the rate that an object speeds up or slows down depends on the
motion amount of force acting on it and the object’s mass
Newton’s third law of for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction
motion
potential energy stored energy that can be released to become other forms of
energy
any force that tends to slow, or oppose motion
resistance
Rest to stop motion, still
speed the measure of the distance an object travels in a specific amount
of time
unbalanced when two or more forces operate on a body and change the rest
or the motion of that body