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affect an object’s
motion?
Describing Motion
velocity
from Latin velocitatem, means
“swiftness or speed”
Often, velocity is shown by using an arrow.
The length of the arrow represents the
speed of an object, while the direction in
which the arrow points represents the
direction in which the object is moving.
Each segment of the arrow shows the
distance and the direction you move in a
given unit of time.
Because each segment is the same
length, you are moving the same distance
and in the same direction during each
interval of time.
Because both your speed and direction of
movement are constant, you are moving at
a constant velocity.
The velocity of an object changes if the
speed changes, the direction changes, or
both the speed and the direction change.
Velocity (cont.)
• When either an object’s speed or
velocity changes, the object is
accelerating.
• Acceleration is the measure of how
quickly the velocity of an object changes.
Velocity (cont.)
inertia
Science Use the tendency to
resist a change in motion
Common Use lack of action
Newton’s First Law (cont.)
• Newton’s first law of motion states
that if the net force acting on an object is
zero, the motion of the object does not
change.
• Newton’s first law of motion is
sometimes called the law of inertia.
Newton’s First Law (cont.)
• When the forces acting on an object are
balanced, the object is either at rest or
moving with a constant velocity.
• Unbalanced forces can cause an object
to accelerate or decelerate.
• Unbalanced forces can also cause an
object to change direction.
Newton’s First Law (cont.)