Investigating Force and Motion

Students build a balloon-rocket car using a balloon, a straw, a water bottle, and some tape. When the straw is released by a student, the air from the balloon comes out. A diagram of the car is shown.

Which statement best describes the motion of the car when the straw is released?

• The car will move away from the wall in the same direction as the air that is leaving the balloon.

• The car will move toward the wall because of the force of the air from the straw.

• The car will move fast because the straw gets light as the air is released.

• The car will not move because the air escapes from the balloon.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Students fill a cart with books. The cart has a handle on each end. Which actions will make moving the cart in one direction easiest for the students?

• Student 1 pulls the cart to the left while Student 2 pulls the cart to the right.

• Student 1 pulls the cart to the left while Student 2 pushes the cart to the left.

• Student 1 pushes the cart to the right while Student 2 pushes the cart downward.

• Student 1 pushes the cart to the right while Student 2 pulls the cart upward.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A wagon is pushed and begins to move. As the wagon moves, it slows and comes to a stop. The wagon and the direction it is pushed are shown.

What force causes the wagon to stop?

• The force of gravity which is acting in the same direction as the arrow

• The force of friction which is acting in the same direction as the arrow

• The force of gravity which is acting in the opposite direction of the arrow

• The force of friction which is acting in the opposite direction of the arrow

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Students conduct experiments to investigate friction. Which experiment will best test the effect of friction on objects?

• Drop two balls from the same height at the same time

• Roll two marbles on the carpet from the same starting point at the same time and with the same amount of force

• Roll three marbles across three different surfaces from the same starting point at the same time and with the same amount of force

• Release two balls from the top of a ramp at the same time

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Students investigate force. The masses they use begin at the rest on the ramp. The setup the students use is shown.

Which change will reduce the amount of force needed to move the masses?

• Decrease the height of the ramp

• Increase the height of the ramp

• Add an additional mass

• Pull the spring scale with two hands.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student conducts the investigation shown in the diagram. In this experiment, a paper cup hangs from a string tied to a single uncooked spaghetti noodle. The student measures and records the mass of a penny. The student then adds pennies to the paper cup one at a time.

Which question is the student most likely trying to answer with this investigation?

• How many spaghetti noodles will it take to hold up the mass of a penny?

• How much force will it take to break the spaghetti noodle?

• How long should the string that holds the paper cup be in order to support the greatest mass of pennies?

• How does the distance between the two chairs affect the amount of force it takes for the spaghetti noodle to break?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Students design an experiment to determine how much force is needed to move blocks of wood of different masses slowly across a lab table.

Which procedure should students include in their design?

• Conduct five trials, using a different scale to pull each block of wood.

• Conduct five trials, pulling a different side of each block each time.

• Conduct five trials, using a different table for each trial.

• Conduct five trials, pulling each block of wood in the same way for each trial.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Use the diagram below to answer the following question: The illustration shows a ball.

If you want the ball to move in the direction indicated by the arrow, from which direction should the force come?

• At point 1

• Between points 1 and 2

• Between points 2 and 3

• At point 4

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

What is the attractive force that exists between all objects that have mass?

• Weight
• Mass 
• Gravity
• Viscosity

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

The diagrams show two trials of an experiment in which a spring scale was used to measure force. This experiment can be used to determine -

• how mass affects the force needed to move objects

• how force affects the mass of two objects

• how the force used to pull a dictionary affects the mass of a box of marbles

• how the mass of a box of marbles affects the mass of a dictionary