Force and Motion

A teacher is moving classrooms across the school and wants to make the move as easy as possible. Which of the following questions should the teacher ask to determine the best simple machine to use for the move?

• Should the teacher use an inclined plane to push all of the classroom objects from one place to another?

• Should the teacher use a wheel and axle to move the classroom objects from one place to another?

• Should the teacher use a lever to lift and move the classroom objects from one place to another?

• Should the teacher use a pulley to pull all of the classroom objects from one place to another?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

Jessie and her friends are having a competition to see who can project a marshmallow the longest distance. They have been given craft sticks, rubber bands, and a plastic fulcrum. Which location should the fulcrum be placed in order to produce the longest distance?

• At point A because it is closest to their hands and farthest from the marshmallow.

• At point B because it is not too close to the end but not directly in the middle providing more leverage and force.

• Between B and C because that is the middle of the lever which will produce the largest force.

• At point D because it is the closest to the marshmallow and farthest from their hands creating a larger force.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

A student is helping their parents set up a bedroom in a loft. The staircase to the loft is circular, so the parents realize that they will not be able to carry the furniture upstairs. What question should the student ask the parents to help them figure out how to solve this problem?

• Can we use a lever to place the furniture on one side and the family can stand on the other?

• Should we create an inclined ramp so we can push all of the furniture to the loft upstairs?

• Can we create a pulley system to attach the furniture and pull it up to the loft?

• Should we create a wheel and axle to roll the furniture up the staircase?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

Students in a classroom are investigating simple machines found around the school and playground. A student claims that a seesaw is a lever. What question could a friend ask to determine if this claim is correct?

• Is a seesaw supported by a fulcrum to lift up a student?

• How does a wedge on a seesaw stay in place to lift up a student?

• Does a seesaw lift and lower a student through a rope and wheel system?

• Will a seesaw lift up a student by rotating with a wheel rotating around a rod?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Which of the following best describes how a pulley system changes forces when used to lift up an item?

• When the man pulls down on the rope to raise the object, the force is being transferred through the machine instead of having to lift the object by himself.

• The pulley acts like a second pair of hands and lifts the box on its own.

• The pulley uses force from the crate to pull the man down.

• The pulley allows for energy to be transferred from the person to the crate.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

Tommy is at the zoo with his mother, father, and little sister. His sister is 12 years old and is in a wheelchair. Tommy wants to take his sister to go see the Gorilla exhibit but there are stairs. What statement best describes the usage of a machine to help Tommy and his sister see the gorillas?

• Tommy can carry his sister up the stairs while in her wheelchair.

• Tommy can ask his mother or father to bring his sister with them as they climb the stairs.

• Tommy can ask his mother or father to help his sister push the wheelchair up the ramp.

• Tommy can ask his sister to go down the slide.

A fourth grade class with 24 students is playing tug of war with a rope against their teacher. Which of the following BEST describes the expected outcome?

• The 24 students and the teacher will result in a tie since their forces are balanced.

• The results cannot be unpredicted since balanced and unbalanced forces are random.

• The teacher will win since the forces are balanced because the teacher will have more force pulling than all 24 students.

• The 24 students will win since the forces are unbalanced because they will have more force pulling on their side compared to the one teacher.

Tags

NGSS.3-PS2-1

Examine the picture and their descriptions. Which picture shows an unbalanced force?

• Picture A, because the books are an unbalanced force on the table.

• Picture B, because the cat sleeping is an unbalanced force on the couch.

• Picture C, because the pictures hanging are an unbalanced force on the wall.

• Picture D, because the girl kicking the soccer ball shows an unbalanced force.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

David and his friend Delia arrive at the playground. David and his friend are so much alike. They are the same age and the same height, but David weighs more than Delia. They can't wait to play on the new seesaw at the playground. David hops onto one side and Delia hops onto the other. What will most likely happen to David and Delia on the seesaw?

• David and Delia will not move because their forces are balanced.

• David and Delia will not move because their forces are unbalanced.

• David will move up, and Delia will move down because their forces are unbalanced.

• David will move down, and Delia will move up because their forces are unbalanced.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A fourth grade student wants to investigate how friction affects the motion of a ball rolling on different surfaces after rolling down a ramp. Which of the following best explains the results of the investigation?

• The ball rolling on the tile shows an unbalanced force since there was less friction than when the ball rolled on the carpet.

• The ball rolling on the carpet shows an unbalanced force since there was less friction than when the ball rolled on the tile.

• The ball rolling on the tile shows a balanced force since there was less friction than when the ball rolled on the carpet.

• The ball rolling on the carpet shows a balanced force since there was less friction than when the ball rolled on the tile.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2