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Forces and Motion Introduction

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Forces and Motion Introduction

You are a force detective investigating how pushes and pulls change the way objects move. Read each scenario carefully. A force can start or stop motion, change an object’s speed or direction, or change its shape. In Australia, forces are measured in newtons (N).

Spot the force

Use the scenarios to identify what the force does.

1.At the skate park, Chloe pushes a scooter that is at rest. What is the most likely effect of her push?

It starts the scooter moving.
It changes the scooter’s colour.
It removes the scooter’s mass.
It makes gravity disappear.

2.A football rolls across the oval and gradually slows on the grass. Name the force that acts between the ball and grass, and describe its effect on the ball.

3.A magnet attracts a steel paper clip across a small gap. Is the magnetic force a contact or non-contact force? Explain why.

Investigate motion

Think about how forces affect moving objects.

4.At a school fete, Jai rolls a ball gently and then rolls another ball harder in the same direction. What would you expect the harder push to do to the second ball?

Make it move faster or travel further, if other conditions are similar.
Make it stop immediately.
Make it move backwards without changing direction.
Have no possible effect on its motion.

5.A cyclist squeezes the brakes. The brake pads press against the wheel. Identify the contact force involved and explain how it changes the bicycle’s motion.

6.A gust of wind pushes a sailing boat across the water. Is the wind’s push a contact or non-contact force? Explain your choice.

7.True or false? Gravity is a non-contact force that pulls objects towards Earth, including a dropped pencil.

TrueFalse

8.A toy car is rolling north. Cooper gives it a sideways push towards the east. What change to the car’s motion could the push cause?

Force detective challenge

Use evidence and your own model to explain what is happening.

Example

Force type

Possible effect on motion

Earth’s gravity pulls a dropped apple down.

A hand pushes a shopping trolley.

Tyres grip the road as a bike turns.

9.A dropped tennis ball hits the ground and bounces back up. Describe how its motion changes when it hits the ground, and name the force that causes the bounce.

10.Draw and label a simple force model for a football being kicked to the right. Include the football, the direction of the applied force, and one sentence explaining how the kick changes the ball’s motion.

11.A student says, “A moving object will keep moving at the same speed and direction unless a force changes its motion.” Give one everyday example that supports this idea and name the force that eventually changes the motion.