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Forces and Motion Worksheet

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Forces and Motion Worksheet

Forces and Motion Worksheet

Forces and motion illustration showing objects in motion

🎯 Success Criteria

By the end of this worksheet, you will be able to:

Define key forces and motion terms accurately

Distinguish between contact and non-contact forces

Explain Newton's three laws of motion

Calculate speed, velocity, and acceleration

Apply forces and motion concepts to real-life scenarios

📚 Part 1: Key Definitions

1. Match each term with its correct definition:
1. Force
2. Gravity
3. Mass
4. Weight
5. Friction
6. Inertia
A. The amount of matter in an object (kg)
B. A push or pull acting on an object (N)
C. Force that opposes motion between surfaces
D. Tendency of objects to resist changes in motion
E. Force of attraction between masses
F. Force due to gravity acting on mass (N)
2. Circle the correct units for each quantity:

Speed:

m/s²
m/s
kg⋅m/s

Acceleration:

m/s²
m/s
N

Momentum:

m/s²
kg
kg⋅m/s

✏️ Part 2: Fill in the Blanks

3. Complete the sentences using the words from the box:

Box: velocity, scalar, vector, resultant, balanced, unbalanced, contact, non-contact

Speed is a __________ quantity because it only has magnitude, whilst __________ is a __________ quantity because it has both magnitude and direction.

When forces acting on an object are __________, the object remains at rest or moves at constant velocity. When forces are __________, the object will accelerate.

The __________ force is the single force that has the same effect as all the individual forces acting on an object.

Friction is an example of a __________ force, whilst gravity is an example of a __________ force.

4. Newton's Laws - Fill in the missing information:

Newton's First Law: An object at rest stays at ________, and an object in motion stays in ________ at constant ________, unless acted upon by an ________ force. This is also known as the law of ________.

Newton's Second Law: The acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the ________ force acting on it and inversely proportional to its ________. Formula: F = ________ × ________

Newton's Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and ________ reaction acting in the ________ direction.

🧮 Part 3: Calculations

5. Calculate the following (show your working):

a) A car travels 150 metres in 10 seconds. Calculate its speed.

b) A cyclist accelerates from 5 m/s to 15 m/s in 4 seconds. Calculate the acceleration.

c) Calculate the weight of a 60 kg person on Earth (g = 9.8 m/s²).

d) A 2 kg object moving at 8 m/s collides with a stationary 3 kg object. Calculate the initial momentum.

🔬 Part 4: Concepts and Applications

6. Identify the type of force in each scenario:

A book resting on a table:

Tension
Compression
Air resistance

A stretched rubber band:

Tension
Compression
Friction

A parachutist falling at terminal velocity:

Balanced forces
Unbalanced forces
No forces

7. Energy and Motion - Choose all that apply:

Which factors affect kinetic energy?

Mass of the object

Velocity of the object

Height of the object

Temperature of the object

8. Explain the difference between speed and velocity:
9. Describe what happens to the forces acting on a skydiver from the moment they jump until they reach terminal velocity:

🚀 Part 5: Extension Questions

10. Real-life Application: A rugby player kicks a ball at an angle of 45° with an initial velocity of 20 m/s. Explain the forces acting on the ball during its flight and describe its motion using projectile motion principles:
11. Design Challenge: You need to design a safety system for a playground slide. Explain how you would use your knowledge of friction, gravity, and energy transfer to ensure children slide down safely but not too fast:
12. Critical Thinking: A car and a truck are travelling at the same speed. Which has more momentum and why? How would this affect their stopping distances?

🎨 Part 6: Visual Learning

13. Draw a force diagram showing all forces acting on a book resting on a table. Label each force and indicate if the forces are balanced or unbalanced:
14. Sketch a velocity-time graph for an object that:

• Starts from rest

• Accelerates for 3 seconds

• Travels at constant velocity for 2 seconds

• Decelerates to a stop over 1 second

💡 Differentiation Support

For students needing extra support:

Use the formula sheet provided

Work with a partner for calculations

Focus on questions 1-9 first

Use visual aids and diagrams

For advanced learners:

Complete all extension questions

Research real-world applications

Create your own force problems

Investigate advanced motion concepts

15. Self-Assessment: Rate your understanding (1-5 scale):

Forces and their effects: _____ / 5

Newton's Laws: _____ / 5

Motion calculations: _____ / 5

Energy and motion: _____ / 5

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