Forces: Size and Direction

Name:

Date:

Class:

🔵 Part 1: Key Concepts

Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What is a force?

A type of energy stored inside an object

A push or a pull acting on an object

The weight of an object in kilograms

The speed at which an object moves

2. What unit is used to measure the size of a force?

Kilograms (kg)

Metres per second (m/s)

Newtons (N)

Joules (J)

3. Two teams are playing tug-of-war. Team A pulls with 300 N to the right and Team B pulls with 300 N to the left. What happens to the rope?

It moves towards Team A

It moves towards Team B

It stays still — the forces are balanced

It snaps in the middle

4. Which of the following are examples of a push force? (Select ALL that apply)

Kicking a football

Pulling open a door

Pressing a button on a keyboard

Pushing a shopping trolley

Picking up a bag

✏️ Part 2: Short Answer

Answer each question in full sentences where possible.

5. Forces have both size and direction. Explain what this means using an example from everyday life.

6. A book is sitting still on a desk. Gravity pulls it downward with 10 N. What must the desk be doing to keep the book from falling? What are these forces called?

7. Look at the diagram below. Two forces are acting on a box.

← 50 N [BOX] 80 N →

a) Which direction will the box move? _______________________________

b) What is the net (total) force on the box? _______ N

c) Are the forces balanced or unbalanced? _______________________________

8. A scientist measures two forces acting on a toy car:
• Engine push forward: 120 N
• Friction pushing backward: 120 N

Will the toy car speed up, slow down, or stay at the same speed? Explain why.

🎨 Part 3: Draw It!

Use arrows to show forces. Longer arrows = bigger forces. Label each arrow with its size in Newtons (N) and direction.

9. In the box below, draw a diagram showing a person pushing a heavy crate across the floor. Show at least two forces acting on the crate and label them clearly.

10. Complete the sentence:

When forces acting on an object are balanced, the object will _______________________________.

When forces acting on an object are unbalanced, the object will _______________________________.

📋 Teacher Answer Guide

For relief teacher use — not to be distributed to students.

Q1: ✅ A push or a pull acting on an object

Q2: ✅ Newtons (N)

Q3: ✅ It stays still — the forces are balanced

Q4: ✅ Kicking a football, Pressing a button on a keyboard, Pushing a shopping trolley (pulling open a door and picking up a bag are pull forces)

Q5: Sample answer — A force's size tells us how strong it is (measured in Newtons) and its direction tells us which way it acts. For example, when you kick a football, the force is about 200 N and it acts forward in the direction of the kick.

Q6: The desk pushes upward on the book with 10 N. This upward force from the desk is called the normal force. The two forces (gravity down, normal force up) are equal and opposite — they are balanced forces.

Q7: a) To the right | b) 30 N to the right (80 − 50 = 30 N) | c) Unbalanced

Q8: The toy car will stay at the same speed (or remain still if already stopped). The forces are balanced (120 N forward = 120 N backward), so there is no net force to change its motion.

Q9: Diagram should show at minimum: an arrow pointing forward (push/applied force) and an arrow pointing backward (friction). Bonus: arrow pointing down (gravity/weight) and arrow pointing up (normal force). Arrows should be labelled with direction and a Newton value.

Q10: Balanced → stay still (or continue moving at the same speed) | Unbalanced → speed up, slow down, or change direction