impact

Everyday

1. An impact is a strong hit of one thing against another: «the impact of the crash». tree →
2. An impact is a strong effect or influence: «Exercise has a good impact on health.» tree →
3. (verb) To impact means to have an effect on something. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons impacts are about forces and crashes, like meteorites making craters. In geography and everyday talk it is the effect of something, like the impact of pollution. Phrases: «on impact», «have an impact on», «make an impact», «environmental impact».

Examples

• The meteorite left a crater on impact. tree →
• Litter has a bad impact on wildlife. tree →
• Her speech made a big impact. tree →
• The glass broke on impact. tree →
• How does rain impact the crops? tree →
• Seat belts reduce the impact of a crash. tree →

Note

Noun stressed IM-pact. «Have an impact on» is the usual phrase. Some teachers prefer «affect» to «impact» as a verb.