This definitions covers Key Definitions within Forces & Their Effects for GCSE Physics. Revise Forces & Their Effects in Forces for GCSE Physics with 25 exam-style questions and 11 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 7 of 13 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Topic position
Section 7 of 13
Practice
25 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
📖 Key Definitions
Force: A push or pull that can change an object's speed, direction, or shape. Measured in Newtons (N). Force is a vector quantity.
Mass: The amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms (kg). Mass is a scalar and does not change with location.
Weight: The gravitational force acting on an object. W = mg. Measured in Newtons (N). Weight varies with gravitational field strength.
Resultant force: The single force equivalent to all individual forces acting on an object combined. A non-zero resultant force causes acceleration.
Gravitational field strength (g): The force per unit mass at a point in a gravitational field. On Earth, g = 10 N/kg. On the Moon, g ≈ 1.6 N/kg.