Physics
Vocabulary
Work
The product of the component of a force along the direction of displacement and the magnitude
of the displacement
Kinetic energy
Scalar quantity, the energy of an object that is due to the object's motion
Work-kinetic energy theorem
The net work done by all the forces acting on an object is equal to the change in the object's
kinetic energy
Potential energy
The energy associated with an object that has the potential to move because of its position
relative to some other location; depends not only on the properties of an object but also on the
object's interaction with its environment
Gravitational potential energy
The potential energy stores in the gravitational fields of interacting bodies; depends on both the
height and the free-fall acceleration
Elastic potential energy
The energy available for use when a deformed elastic object returns to its original configuration;
stored in any compressed or stretched object
Spring (force) constant
A parameter that is a measure of a spring's resistance to being compressed or stretched