Glossary
TEAMS Science programs emphasize conceptual understanding rather than vocabulary
acquisition. The following is not intended as a list of vocabulary for students
to learn, but is provided for teacher reference. As students explore the
concepts and construct knowledge, they may seek labels for the concepts they
develop. Teachers can introduce vocabulary at that time.
acceleration
The rate of change in velocity.
action force
A force exerted on an object.
air resistance
The force of air pushing against a moving object.
arm
The beam or bar of a lever.
axle
A shaft on which a wheel revolves.
driven gear
The gear receiving the force.
driving gear
The gear transmitting the force.
effort
The force needed to move a load.
energy
The ability to do work (or to produce change).
force
1. A push or a pull. 2. Something that pushes or pulls on an object in a certain
direction, measured in newtons.
friction
1. A resistance force opposing motion. 2. A force that resists motion whenever
the surfaces of two objects rub against each other.
fulcrum
The pivot point on a lever.
gear
A wheel with teeth that, when meshed with the teeth of another wheel, is able
to transmit, modify, or change the direction of an applied force.
gear ratio
The ratio of the number of rotations of the driving gear to the driven gear.
gravity
The force of attraction between masses.
inclined plane
A simple machine consisting of a flat surface that is slanted.
joule
A unit of work; 1 joule of work is performed when a force of 1 newton is used
to move an object a distance of 1 meter.
kinetic energy
The energy possessed by an object because of its motion.
lever
A simple machine consisting of a rigid bar that is free to pivot on a fulcrum.
load
An object that requires force to be moved over a distance.
lubricant
A substance used to reduce the friction between two solid surfaces.
machine
A mechanical device that transmits, modifies, or changes the direction of
force in order to help people do work.
mass
The amount of matter an object contains.
mechanical advantage
The advantage created by a machine that enables people to do work while using
less force.
newton
The international unit of force.
potential energy
The energy required to place an object in a position. This energy is stored
in the object until the object moves.
pulley
A simple machine consisting of a wheel that rotates around a stationary axle.
The outer rim of the pulley is grooved to accommodate a rope or chain.
ramp
An inclined plane.
simple machine
A machine that requires only the force of a human to perform work. The six
types are: the lever, the wheel and axle (including the gear), the pulley,
the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw.
speed
The distance traveled by an object divided by the time required to cover the
distance.
weight
The strength of the gravitational force pulling down on an object.
wheel
A disk that turns around an axis and transfers force to and from an axle.
work
The transfer of energy resulting from a force acting to move an object over
a distance. Work = Force x distance.
These definitions are used with permission from:
Simple Machines, a Delta Science Module,
Delta Education, Nashua, N.H. 1994
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