Year 7 Science: Forces Revised August, 2019

Forces: Vocabulary List

Word Meaning
Force A push or a pull

Newton (N) Unit used to measure force.

Air resistance A contact force that involves air particles pushing against a moving
object.
Friction Force that works against an object as it slides along the surface of
another object or moves through a liquid or gas
Contact force A force that acts on an object by directly touching that object

Non-contact force A force that acts an object from a distance without touching it

Field A region in which a non-contact force can be experienced

Charge The property of matter that is responsible for electrical phenomena,

existing in a positive or negative form.
Electrostatic Relating to stationary electric charges or fields as opposed to moving
electric charges (known as current).
Magnet Any object, usually containing iron, that will exhibit magnetism

North pole The end of a magnet that is attracted to the North Pole of the Earth
(of a magnet)
South pole The end of a magnet that is attracted to the South Pole of the Earth
(of a magnet)
Gravity A general term for the force that attracts any object towards the centre
of the Earth (or any large body)
Mass The amount of matter in an object

Weight The term used for the force of gravity on a specified object

Terminal velocity The point at which a falling body ceases to accelerate but falls at a
constant speed.