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Forces and Motion Exploration

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Forces and Motion Exploration

A sports equipment team is testing how forces affect a trolley and a ball. Use the evidence and science ideas on this sheet to explain what changes their motion. Answer in complete sentences where needed.

Force snapshots

In the trolley situation, the trolley moves to the right while slowing down. The floor exerts an upward support force on the trolley, gravity acts downward, and the resultant horizontal force is to the left. In the ball situation, the ball rolls farther on a hard court than on grass. Use these details to help with Questions 1–3.

1.What type of force could produce the leftward resultant horizontal force on the trolley?

2.The trolley is moving right but slowing down. Is its acceleration zero or nonzero? Explain your answer.

Zero, because the trolley is still moving
Nonzero, because the trolley's velocity is changing
Zero, because it is moving to the right
Nonzero, because gravity acts on it

3.The ball rolls farther on the court than on the grass. Explain how friction accounts for this difference.

Use the test results

A team released the same trolley from the same starting point on three surfaces. They measured how far it travelled before stopping.

Surface

Distance travelled (cm)

Smooth tile

Carpet

Sandpaper

4.Which surface produced the shortest travel distance, and what does that suggest about its friction compared with the other surfaces?

5.Calculate the difference in distance travelled on smooth tile and carpet. Include the unit.

6.Complete the statements with scientific terms: Gravity acts towards . Friction acts to relative motion between surfaces in contact.

7.True or false? If an object is moving, there must be a resultant force acting in the direction it is moving. Explain your choice.

Plan and explain

Use force ideas to interpret everyday motion and plan a fair test.

8.A cyclist travels downhill and then uses the brakes. Name two forces acting on the cyclist and bicycle, and explain how each affects their motion.

9.Design a fair test to find out whether a stronger push makes a trolley travel farther. State a prediction, what you would change, what you would measure, and one factor you would keep the same.

10.A student says, “Friction is always a force we should get rid of.” Give one example where friction is useful and explain why.