IB Physics A4 Definitions
This page contains our IB Physics definitions for A4. By learning each one of these definitions, you will fully cover the content for IB Physics 'Rigid body mechanics'.
acceleration
It is the velocity travelled per unit time or displacement travelled per square unit time
Angular Impulse
The change in angular momentum due to the application of an external torque over an extended time
Angular Momentum
The momentum of rotational motion, calculated as the moment of the linear momentum around the axis of rotation
Angular velocity
It is the angle travelled per unit time
Centripetal acceleration
It is the acceleration of an object towards the center of the circle during uniform circular motion
distance
It is the amount of space travelled
equilibrium
The state of all forces on an object being balanced and cancelling out to zero
kinetic energy
It is the energy of movement
momentum
It is the product of mass and velocity
motion
It is the movement of an object
Rotational Equilibrium
A state where there is no resultant torque acting on an object, meaning it has no angular acceleration
Torque
The turning effect of a force around a given axis, calculated as the product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the line of action of the force
Translational Equilibrium
A state where there is no resultant force acting on an object, meaning it has no translational acceleration
Translational Motion
Motion in which all particles of an object move in parallel paths
Uniform circular motion
The motion of an object in a circle at a constant speed
velocity
It is the displacement per unit time
work
It is the measure of energy required to apply a force to move an object in the direction of the force
Next Up
You have completed the topic 1 definitions for IB Physics - continue with related resources below or explore the full IB Physics course from the IBO.
Other topic 1 resources