Physics 3-2 Vocab

speed

ratio of distance traveled to the time taken, or distance divided by time. Speed is also the magnitude of the velocity vector and therefore cannot be negative.

slope

ratio of the increase in the vertical or y-direction divided by the change in the horizontal or x-direction.

inertial reference frame

reference frame that has a zero or constant velocity (both speed and direction)

reference frame

coordinate system assigning positions and times to events. Two different reference frames can be in motion with respect to each other.

average velocity

distance or displacement an object travels divided by the time taken, regardless of any variations in velocity during the time interval.

velocity

vector quantity that describes the rate at which position changes. Like speed, velocity has units of length over time, such as m/s.

instantaneous velocity

velocity of an object measured at a particular time (not over a time interval).