Balanced & Unbalanced Forces

Front

What are balanced forces?

Back

Balanced forces are forces that are equal in size and opposite in direction. They do not cause a change in motion.

Front

What are unbalanced forces?

Back

Unbalanced forces are forces that are not equal in size or opposite in direction. They cause an object to start moving, stop moving, or change direction.

Front

Why did Izzy fall when playing tug of war?

Back

Izzy fell because of unbalanced forces acting on him.

Front

What happens when forces are balanced?

Back

When forces are balanced, an object remains at rest or continues to move at a constant speed in a straight line.

Front

What happens when forces are unbalanced?

Back

When forces are unbalanced, an object will accelerate, meaning it will speed up, slow down, or change direction.

Front

Can you give an example of balanced forces?

Back

An example of balanced forces is a book resting on a table. The force of gravity pulling it down is balanced by the table pushing it up.

Front

Can you give an example of unbalanced forces?

Back

An example of unbalanced forces is when you push a toy car. If you push harder than the friction holding it back, the car will move.

Front

What is the force of gravity?

Back

The force of gravity is the force that pulls objects toward each other, like the Earth pulling us down.

Front

Why is the egg NOT moving before Zoe hits the pan?

Back

The egg is not moving because the forces acting on it are balanced.

Front

Why doesn’t the ping-pong ball just shoot up to the ceiling?

Back

The ping-pong ball does not shoot up because of the force of gravity pulling it down.