Released STAAR

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 5 trials, using a different scale to pull each block of wood.

• Conduct 5 trials, using a different table for each trial.

• Conduct 5 trials, pulling a different side of each block each time.

• Conduct 5 trials, pulling each block of wood in the same way for each trial.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

The diagram (picture) shows two trials of an experiment in which a spring scale was used to measure force.

This experiment can determine (figure out) -

• how mass affects (changes) the force needed to move objects

• how force affects (changes) the mass of two objects

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

• how the mass of a box of marbles affects (changes) the mass of a dictionary

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

The diagram (picture) shows two trials of an experiment in which a spring scale was used to measure force.

Which statement is a reasonable conclusion?

• It takes more force to pull a load with more mass.

• It takes less force to move a load with more mass.

• The force needed to move a heavier load is the same as the force needed to move a lighter load.

• The mass of the marbles changes the mass of the dictionary.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Students drop the same heavy ball onto identical blocks of soft clay from different heights. For each height they measure the depth of the dent the ball makes in the clay.

Why is the depth of the dent different in each trial?

• The size of the ball changes.

• The material (type of matter) of the ball changes.

• The mass of the ball changes.

• The force of the ball when it hits the clay changes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Students drop the same heavy ball onto identical blocks of soft clay from different heights. For each height they measure the depth of the dent the ball makes in the clay. Which question is the student most likely trying to answer with this investigation?

• Does the height of the release affect the force of the impact?

• Does the mass of the ball affect the force of the impact?

• How does the mass of the ball change?

• How does the mass of the ball increase?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student observes that the craters on the moon are different sizes. The student designs an experiment to study the formation of the craters. The materials for the experiment are marbles and a pan of flour. The student makes a hypothesis that the size of the craters made on the surface of the flour will depend on the height from which the marble is dropped. Some of the steps in the experiment are described in the box. Which of these is most likely Step 3 in the experiment?

• Drop the same marble from different heights into the pan of flour.

• Drop marbles of different masses from the same height into the pan of flour.

• Drop marbles of different sizes from different heights into the pan of four.

• Drop a single marble one time into the pan of four.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student designs an experiment to test the force of a spring launcher and four spheres with the same diameter (same size) but with different masses.

What other piece of equipment would be most useful for this experiment?

(a)  

AND how can the hypothesis be tested?​ (b)  

• A graduated cylinder

• A beaker

• A stopwatch

• A meterstick or measuring tape

• launch each sphere and record the height

• launch only one sphere multiple times

• change the spring

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student designs an experiment to test the force of a spring launcher and four spheres with the same diameter (same size) but with different masses. Which question is the student most likely trying to answer with this investigation?

• How does the mass of an object affect the height reached by that object?

• How do different surfaces affect the height reached by an object?

• How can you reduce the mass of each object?

• Which surface creates the most friction?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

How can the student improve the investigation?

• Use repeated trials for each surface.

• Use different blocks for each of the different surfaces.

• Use more than 3 surfaces.

• Use a block with more mass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

A student wearing skates rolls down a ramp. What force causes the student to slow down and stop rolling?

• gravity, which acts against the direction of motion

• friction, which acts against the direction of motion

• magnetism, which acts against the direction of motion

• mass, which increases with motion

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2