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Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

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Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

At sports day, watch how pushes and pulls change motion. For each situation, decide whether the forces are balanced or unbalanced. Remember: balanced forces do not change an object's motion; unbalanced forces change its speed or direction.

Spot the force

Use what you know about pushes, pulls, and motion.

1.Two people pull a tug-of-war rope with equal strength in opposite directions. The rope marker stays in the same place. Are the forces balanced or unbalanced? What happens to the rope's motion?

2.A soccer ball is sitting still. A player kicks it, and it rolls across the field. Which statement best explains the change?

Balanced forces made the ball change direction.
An unbalanced force changed the ball's motion.
The ball moved without any force acting on it.
The ball's mass disappeared.

3.A water bottle rests on a flat bench during a break. Gravity pulls it down, and the bench pushes it up. The bottle stays still. Are these forces balanced or unbalanced?

Balanced
Unbalanced

Follow the arrows

Read the force directions and relative strengths described in each question. A stronger force is greater than an opposing force.

4.A scooter has equal forces pointing in opposite directions. Are the forces balanced or unbalanced? What can you conclude about a change in the scooter's motion?

5.A scooter has a force pointing right that is stronger than the force pointing left. Which way is the net force, and what change in motion could it cause?

6.Complete the statements: When forces are balanced, an object's motion . When forces are unbalanced, an object's motion .

Sports Day challenge

Use evidence from the situations to explain your thinking.

7.During a relay, a runner is moving straight ahead at a steady speed. For this question, assume the forward push and backward air resistance are equal. Are the horizontal forces balanced or unbalanced? Explain what that means for the runner's motion.

8.A rolling basketball slows down on the grass and comes to a stop. What does this tell you about the forces on the ball while it slows? Name one force that can oppose its motion.

9.A player says, “If forces are balanced, an object must always be standing still.” Is this correct? Use an example to support your answer.

10.At the finish line, a soccer ball rolls to the right. A player taps it so it begins rolling to the left. What happened to the ball's direction, and were the forces on it balanced or unbalanced during the tap?

11.Draw a force-arrow model for a stationary equipment cart being pushed equally from both sides. Add one sentence explaining why it stays still.

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More Science Worksheets

Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

Spot the force

Follow the arrows

Sports Day challenge

3 printable pages

About This Worksheet

Free in Kuraplan

Print-Ready

AI-Generated

For Teachers & Parents

Need a custom version of this worksheet?

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