Forces and Motion Investigations

Ari is designing an experiment to study forces on a sliding block. He plans to pull it with a spring scale to measure balanced forces on the block.

How should he use the spring scale?

• Pull just enough to lift the block.

• Pull so that the block stops and starts.

• Pull so the block moves at a steady rate of speed.

• Pull the block faster and faster along the table each time he measures.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Marta designed an experiment to test the effect of force on an object. In the illustration, she is holding the spring scale still.

What force is she measuring with the spring scale?

• the pull of the spring

• gravity on the truck

• how hard she can pull

• friction on the truck’s wheels

Students want to investigate the effect of force on an object. They design this test using a ramp, some masses, and a spring scale.

Which change could increase the amount of force needed to move the mass up the ramp?

• Use less mass.

• Make the ramp higher.

• Shorten the length of the ramp.

• Pull the spring scale with two hands.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Jim is testing how pushes affect objects. This picture shows what happened when Jim pushed on a box.

Which picture shows what would happen to the box if Jim pushed with more force?

• 
• 
• 
• 

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Elise wants to show how an object can change position by pulling it.

Which action should she do?

• use a pulley to raise a flag

• ​​​​​​roll a ball across the floor

• hand a book over to a friend

• use her arm to raise her hand

Tags

NGSS.3-PS2-1

Students set up a ramp at four different heights and observe how much force is needed to pull a toy car up the ramp using a string. They will record their observations in a table.

Which setup will need the LEAST amount of force to pull the toy car?

• 0 cm ramp

• 10 cm ramp

• 15 cm ramp

• 
  20 cm ramp

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Look at the image of a basketball being dribbled.

The basketball player uses their hand to hit the ball. What is the athlete demonstrating in the picture?

• Doing work by pulling the ball and changing its motion and position

• Doing work by pushing the ball and changing its motion and position

• Doing work by pulling the ball and changing its position but not its motion

• Doing work by pushing the ball and changing its position but not its motion

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

A student is experimenting with two toy cars to find out which one is faster. The student will start each car at a starting point on a track at equal distances from the finish line. Evaluate the experimental design in the picture to make a valid conclusion.

Which change will improve the design?

• moving the finish line

• making the cars bigger

• shortening one of the tracks

• making both tracks flat

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

Which investigation might be planned to demonstrate how position can be changed by pushing objects? 

• place a wagon on a sidewalk and observe it for two minutes

• pull a wagon and time how long it takes to reach the end of the sidewalk

• compare the time it takes you and a classmate to each push a wagon 10 meters

• push a wagon and measure how many meters it moves in one minute

Tags

NGSS.K-PS2-1

NGSS.K-PS2-2

The pictures show people testing how objects change by pushes or pulls.

Why do the objects move forward?

Amella​ (a)  

on the bow string and lets go. The bow string ​ (b)   on the arrow, and the arrow moves forward.

Hector​ (c)  

his feet on the ice, and his body moves forward. The hockey stick​ (d)   on the puck, and the puck moves forward.

• pulls
• pushes

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2