Physical Science Quiz: Measure Your Science Skills

The SI unit for force is called newton. The newton is defined as the amount of force required to accelerate a one kilogram mass by one meter per second squared. It is named after Sir Isaac Newton, who made significant contributions to the field of physics and formulated the laws of motion. The newton is widely used in scientific calculations and is the standard unit for measuring force in the International System of Units (SI).

A push or a pull exerted on an object is called a force. In physics, a force is any interaction that, when unopposed, will change the motion of an object. Forces can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (which includes to begin moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate.

Acceleration is the term that defines the rate at which velocity changes over time. Velocity is the rate at which an object's position changes over time, and acceleration measures how quickly that velocity is changing. If an object's velocity is increasing, it is said to be accelerating. If an object's velocity is decreasing, it is said to be decelerating or experiencing negative acceleration. Average speed, on the other hand, is a measure of how fast an object is moving overall, but it does not take into account the changes in velocity over time.

When the net force on an object equals 0 N, it means that the forces acting on the object are balanced. This means that the forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, resulting in a net force of zero. In this situation, the object will remain at rest or continue to move at a constant velocity. The forces being balanced indicate that there is no overall force acting on the object, resulting in a state of equilibrium.

Average speed is calculated by dividing the total distance traveled by the total time taken. This is because average speed is a measure of how fast an object is moving over a given period of time, and it is determined by the total distance covered and the total time taken to cover that distance. Factors such as motion, velocity, acceleration, and time are not directly used in calculating average speed.

Average speed is defined as the total distance traveled divided by the total time elapsed. It represents the overall rate at which an object moves over a given period of time, regardless of the direction. Velocity, on the other hand, includes both the speed and direction of an object's motion. Acceleration refers to the rate at which an object's velocity changes. Motion is a general term that encompasses any change in an object's position over time.

Unbalanced forces cause an object to start moving. When the forces acting on an object are unbalanced, meaning that they are not equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, there is a net force acting on the object. This net force causes the object to accelerate in the direction of the larger force, resulting in the object starting to move. Balanced forces, on the other hand, do not cause any change in the object's motion as they cancel each other out.

Velocity is the term that defines the speed of an object in a certain direction. It not only considers the magnitude of the speed but also the direction in which the object is moving. Therefore, velocity is the correct answer to this question.

Motion is the term that defines a change in position relative to a reference point. It refers to the movement or displacement of an object or person from one place to another. Motion can be described in terms of speed, direction, and time, and it is a fundamental concept in physics and everyday life.

Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. Velocity is the rate at which an object changes its position, so speed represents the magnitude of velocity. Therefore, the best representation of acceleration on a graph would be speed versus time, as it shows how the speed of an object changes over a specific time interval.

When there is a change in velocity, it means that the object is experiencing a change in its speed and/or direction of motion. This can occur when the object speeds up or slows down (change in speed), changes its path or turns (change in direction), or both. Therefore, a change in velocity can be caused by a change in speed, a change in direction, or both.

The hands of a clock relative to the numbers on the clock illustrate motion by showing the position of the hands in relation to a fixed reference point, which is the numbers on the clock. As the hands move, they indicate the passage of time and their position changes relative to the numbers, allowing us to measure the time accurately. This demonstrates how motion can be understood and measured by comparing it to a reference point.