Neglect

How it is used

A standard textbook verb: 'neglect air resistance', 'friction can be neglected', 'the mass of the string is negligible'. In conclusions, students discuss whether it was reasonable to neglect an effect. Similar expressions: ignore, assume to be zero.

Example sentences

1. Neglecting air resistance, how long does the stone take to reach the ground?

2. We neglected the heat lost to the surroundings, so our value for c is too high.

Common collocations

• neglect air resistance
• neglect friction
• negligible mass
• can be neglected

Related terms

• projectile motionThe motion of an object that is thrown or launched and then moves only under gravity, following a curved path. Its horizontal and vertical motions are treated separately.
• frictionA force that acts between two surfaces in contact and opposes their sliding past each other. It usually turns kinetic energy into heat.
• deriveTo obtain an equation or result step by step from basic laws or other equations, using logic and algebra instead of simply quoting it.
• uncertaintyThe range within which the true value of a measurement probably lies, written with a ± sign. It shows how reliable a measurement or result is.
• systematic errorAn error that shifts every reading in the same direction by a similar amount, for example because of a badly calibrated instrument or a zero error. Repeating the measurement does not remove it.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• neglect · Social Work
• neglect · Child Development & Early Education

More terms: Experiments and Problem Solving

• free-body diagram
• directly proportional
• inversely proportional
• line of best fit
• resolve