2025 Understanding Forces

Which of the following describes shear?

• A force that bends a material at an angle

• A force that stretches a material in all directions

• A force that slides one layer of material in the opposite direction of another

• A force that compresses two materials together

Which situation is an example of compression?

• Pulling a rope to lift a heavy object

• Pushing on a bookcase to move it against the wall

• Pushing down on a spring to make it smaller

• Twisting a screw into a piece of wood

Fill in the blank: Torque is a measure of how much force is applied to make an object _______.

• Bend

• Rotate

• Compress

• Stretch

Fill in the blank: Tension is a force that _______ a material.

• Bends

• Stretches

• Twists

• Compresses

What type of force is primarily acting on the legs of a chair when someone sits down?

• Shear

• Compression

• Tension

• Torque

Which of these real-world examples best illustrates torque?

• Pulling on a rubber band until it breaks

• Squeezing a sponge with your hand

• Twisting a door handle to open a door

• Pushing down on a pedal to stop a bicycle

Fill in the blank: In construction, ______ force can cause layers to slide and potentially weaken the structure.

• Shear

• Compression

• Tension

• Torque

Fill in the blank: The primary force acting on the legs of a chair when someone sits down is ______.

• A) Shear

• B) Compression

• C) Tension

• D) Torque

The force that pushes you back when a car accelerates:

• Shear

• Compression

• Torque

• Tension

Fill in the blank: ______ is the force that pushes materials directly into each other.

• Shear

• Compression

• Tension

• Torque