WorksheetsNewton's Laws of Motion: Standard Assessment
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
A box with a mass of 20 kg is pushed across a frictionless surface. If the net force applied to the box is 100 N, what is the acceleration of the box? Use Newton's Second Law to determine your answer.
50 m/s^2
2000 m/s^2
5 m/s^2
100 m/s^2
An astronaut in deep space pushes a floating satellite. The satellite begins to move away, but the astronaut also moves away in the opposite direction. Explain this phenomenon using one of Newton's Laws of Motion.
This is an example of Newton's First Law, as both the astronaut and the satellite were initially at rest and an outside force acted on them.
This is an example of Newton's Second Law, because the force the astronaut applies to the satellite causes an acceleration.
This is an example of Newton's Third Law, where the force the astronaut exerts on the satellite is met with an equal and opposite force from the satellite, causing the astronaut to move in the opposite direction.
This phenomenon cannot be explained by any of Newton's Laws because there is no gravity in deep space.
A student pushes a toy car on a flat surface. The student measures the car's mass and the force applied. The student's data table is below. Use the data to make a claim about the relationship between force and acceleration, and provide reasoning based on Newton's Second Law. | Trial | Mass (kg) | Force (N) | Acceleration (m/s^2) | | 1 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 2.5 | | 2 | 2.0 | 10.0 | 5.0 | | 3 | 2.0 | 15.0 | 7.5 | a.
The claim is that as force increases, acceleration decreases, because the car has the same mass in all trials.
The claim is that force and acceleration are directly proportional. The evidence from the table shows that when the force doubles, the acceleration also doubles, which is consistent with Newton's Second Law (F=ma).
The claim is that mass and acceleration are inversely proportional. The evidence shows that the mass stays the same, so acceleration must be inversely proportional to force.
The claim is that the force and acceleration are unrelated. The data shows no clear pattern, and the mass of the car is constant.
A hockey puck is gliding across a sheet of ice with no friction. If no one touches the puck, what will happen to its motion? Justify your answer using Newton's First Law.
The puck will eventually slow down and stop because no force is being applied to keep it moving.
The puck's speed and direction will stay constant because there are no unbalanced forces acting on it to change its motion.
The puck's speed will increase over time due to the force of its initial push.
The puck's speed and direction will change randomly because there are no forces to control it.
A student pushes a cart with a force of 5 N, and it accelerates at 1.5 m/s2. The student then adds a 1 kg mass to the cart. If the student pushes with the same 5 N force, what will be the new acceleration? (Note: assume the original mass of the cart is unknown, but you can find it using the initial data. Ignore friction.)
The acceleration will remain the same at 1.5 m/s^2 because the force is unchanged.
The new acceleration will be less than 1.5 m/s^2 because the total mass of the cart has increased.
The new acceleration will be greater than 1.5 m/s^2 because adding mass makes the cart heavier.
A swimmer pushes off the wall of a pool. Analyze the forces involved and create an explanation for why the swimmer moves forward using Newton's Third Law.
The swimmer moves forward because they apply a large force to the wall, and the wall applies a small, opposite force on the swimmer.
The swimmer moves forward because their push on the wall is the action force, and the water pushes the swimmer forward as the reaction force.
The swimmer moves forward because they exert a backward push (action) on the wall, and the wall exerts an equal and opposite forward push (reaction) on the swimmer.
The swimmer moves forward because the force of their push is greater than the force of inertia, causing them to accelerate.
A skateboarder is at the top of a ramp. They push off and roll down the ramp. What is the main force causing the skateboarder to accelerate down the ramp, and which of Newton's Laws best explains this change in motion?
The main force is friction, and the law is Newton's First Law, because friction is an outside force that changes their state of motion.
The main force is gravity, and the law is Newton's First Law, because the force of gravity changes the skateboarder's state of motion from rest to moving.
The main force is the push from the skateboarder, and the law is Newton's Third Law, as the skateboarder's push on the ramp causes a reaction force.
The main force is gravity, and the law is Newton's Second Law (F=ma), which shows that a force applied to a mass will cause it to accelerate.
A rocket launching into space burns fuel, and a large amount of hot gas is expelled downward from the engine. Analyze this situation to provide evidence for the claim that Newton's Third Law is responsible for the rocket's upward motion.
The claim is that the rocket's upward motion is due to Newton's Second Law because the force from the engine causes the rocket to accelerate.
The claim is that the rocket's motion is due to inertia, because the rocket wants to stay at rest until the engine provides a force.
The claim is that the rocket's upward motion is due to a net force. The evidence is that the rocket is able to accelerate upward even though gravity is pulling it down.
The claim is that the rocket's upward motion is a result of Newton's Third Law. The evidence is that the rocket exerts a downward force on the expelled gas, and the gas exerts an equal and opposite upward force on the rocket, propelling it forward.
A student pushes a 2 kg textbook across a table. The student observes that it takes more force to get the book to start moving than it does to keep it moving at a constant velocity. Provide a scientific principle (not a law) that explains this observation.
Mass, because the mass of the book is constant, so it should be easy to move.
Inertia, because the book wants to stay at rest until a force is applied to it.
Static and kinetic friction. The force of static friction is a force that opposes the initiation of motion and is generally greater than the force of kinetic friction, which opposes motion once it has begun.
Force and acceleration. The greater the acceleration of the book, the more force is required.
A soccer player kicks a ball with a force of 50 N. The ball has a mass of 0.45 kg. If the kick lasts for 0.05 seconds, what is the impulse delivered to the ball? I = F × Δt where I = impulse ; F = force ; Δt = time interval
100 N·s
2.5 N·s
0.4 N·s
50 N·s
A student pushes a block with a force of 15 N. If the block has a mass of 3 kg, what is its acceleration? Justify your answer using Newton's Second Law.
5 N
45 m/s 2
5 m/s 2
0.2 m/s 2
A magician pulls a tablecloth out from under a set of dishes without disturbing them. Explain this phenomenon using one of Newton's Laws.
Newton's Second Law, because the force applied to the tablecloth is very strong.
Newton's Third Law, because the tablecloth pulls on the dishes, and the dishes pull on the tablecloth.
Newton's First Law, which states that an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. The force from the tablecloth is brief and weak, so it does not overcome the dishes' inertia.
The dishes are not affected by any forces, so they don't move.
An air hockey puck is hit by a player. The puck glides across the table at a constant speed in a straight line. What can you conclude about the forces acting on the puck?
There is a net force acting on the puck, causing it to move.
The forces acting on the puck are unbalanced.
There are no forces acting on the puck.
The forces acting on the puck are balanced, resulting in a net force of zero. This is an example of Newton's First Law.
A student pushes a block with a force of 10 N, and it accelerates at 2 m/s 2 . What is the mass of the block?
20 kg
0.2 kg
5 kg
8 kg
A student hits a baseball with a bat. The bat pushes the ball forward, and the ball pushes the bat backward. Based on this interaction, provide a claim and evidence that Newton's Third Law explains this event.
Claim: The bat's force is greater than the ball's force. Evidence: The ball travels a far distance while the bat does not.
Claim: Newton's Second Law explains the interaction. Evidence: The force of the bat on the ball causes a change in the ball's motion.
Claim: Newton's Third Law explains the interaction. Evidence: The action force of the bat on the ball is met with an equal and opposite reaction force of the ball on the bat.
Claim: The ball's inertia is the reason for the interaction. Evidence: The ball resists the force of the bat, causing a force on the bat.
A bowling ball and a tennis ball are pushed with the exact same amount of force. Explain, using Newton's Second Law, why the tennis ball will accelerate more than the bowling ball.
The tennis ball has more inertia, so it is easier to accelerate.
The tennis ball has less mass than the bowling ball. According to Newton's Second Law (F=ma), with the same force, the object with less mass will have a greater acceleration.
The bowling ball and the tennis ball will accelerate at the same rate because they are pushed with the same force.
The bowling ball will accelerate more because it is heavier, and a heavier object accelerates faster.
A student pushes a cart with a force of 10 N. The cart has a mass of 5 kg. The student then adds a 3 kg mass to the cart. If the student pushes with the same 10 N force, what is the new acceleration? (Show your work and reasoning.)
1.25 m/s 2
2 m/s 2
1.5 m/s 2
0.8 m/s 2
When you are in a moving car and the driver suddenly hits the brakes, your body lurches forward. Which of Newton's Laws explains this? Provide a scientific explanation for why this happens.
Newton's Third Law, because your body pushes on the seat and the seat pushes back on you.
Newton's Second Law, because the force of the seatbelt on you causes a deceleration.
Newton's First Law, which states that an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Your body's inertia keeps it moving forward even as the brakes and car apply a force to stop.
This is caused by the force of gravity, which pulls your body forward in the car.
A student pushes a block on a surface. The block's acceleration is measured. The student then changes the surface to one with less friction and pushes with the same force. What claim can be made about the new acceleration, and what evidence supports it?
Claim: The acceleration will decrease. Evidence: The force of friction will be greater on the new surface.
Claim: The acceleration will remain the same. Evidence: The student is pushing with the same force, so the acceleration will not change.
Claim: The acceleration will increase. Evidence: The force of friction on the new surface is less, so the net force on the block is greater, resulting in a larger acceleration according to Newton's Second Law.
Claim: The acceleration will increase. Evidence: The mass of the block is now less, causing a greater acceleration.
A fire extinguisher expels gas in one direction to create a force that moves a person in the opposite direction. What is the action-reaction force pair in this situation?
The action is the person moving, and the reaction is the extinguisher's force.
The action is the gas pushing on the extinguisher, and the reaction is the extinguisher pushing on the gas.
The action is the person's force on the extinguisher, and the reaction is the extinguisher's force on the person.
There is no action-reaction pair because the person is not touching another object to move.
