After STAAR

Students drop the same heavy ball onto identical blocks of soft clay from different heights. For each height they measure the depth of the dent the ball makes in the clay. Which question is the student most likely trying to answer with this investigation?

• Does the height of the release affect the force of the impact?

• Does the mass of the ball affect the force of the impact?

• How does the mass of the ball change?

• How does the mass of the ball increase?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student designs an experiment to test the effect (result) of the width of a piece of elastic on the elastic's ability to stretch. The student uses four different pieces of elastic with different widths but the same length when not being stretched. The student then attaches blocks with different masses to the pieces of elastic. The results of the student's experiment are shown in the picture.

What should the student do to improve this experiment?

• Use blocks of equal mass on each of the four pieces of elastic.

• Use blocks with enough mass to cause each of the four pieces of elastic to break.

• Use more than four pieces of elastic and more than four blocks.

• Use four pieces of elastic each with different lengths but the same width.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student observes that the craters on the moon are different sizes. The student designs an experiment to study the formation of the craters. The materials for the experiment are marbles and a pan of flour. The student makes a hypothesis that the size of the craters made on the surface of the flour will depend on the height from which the marble is dropped. Some of the steps in the experiment are described in the box. Which of these is most likely Step 3 in the experiment?

• Drop the same marble from different heights into the pan of flour.

• Drop marbles of different masses from the same height into the pan of flour.

• Drop marbles of different sizes from different heights into the pan of four.

• Drop a single marble one time into the pan of four.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

A student designs an experiment to test the force of a spring launcher and four spheres with the same diameter (same size) but with different masses.

What other piece of equipment would be most useful for this experiment?

• A graduated cylinder to measure the volume of each sphere before it is launched.

• A beaker to collect the spheres after they are launched.

• A stopwatch to measure how long it takes to load each sphere on the spring.

• A meterstick or measuring tape to measure the height each sphere reaches after the sphere is launched.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student designs an experiment to test the force of a spring launcher and four spheres with the same diameter (same size) but with different masses.

What other piece of equipment would be most useful for this experiment?

(a)  

AND how can the hypothesis be tested?​ (b)  

• A graduated cylinder

• A beaker

• A stopwatch

• A meterstick or measuring tape

• launch each sphere and record the height

• launch only one sphere multiple times

• change the spring

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student designs an experiment to test the force of a spring launcher and four spheres with the same diameter (same size) but with different masses. Which question is the student most likely trying to answer with this investigation?

• How does the mass of an object affect the height reached by that object?

• How do different surfaces affect the height reached by an object?

• How can you reduce the mass of each object?

• Which surface creates the most friction?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

A student uses a spring scale to pull a 50 gram block horizontally across a wood desk. Then the student pulls the block the same distance across surfaces of carpet, sandpaper, and glass.

Which question is the investigation designed to answer?

• How do blocks of different sizes react to force?

• How to different surfaces affect the amount of force needed to move a block?

• How do blocks affect spring scales?

• How does the mass of a block change when it is pulled across a desk?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student wearing skates rolls down a ramp. What force causes the student to slow down and stop rolling?

• gravity, which acts against the direction of motion

• friction, which acts against the direction of motion

• magnetism, which acts against the direction of motion

• mass, which increases with motion

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

The diagram shows a view of a ball from above a table. The ball is rolling across the table. A student lightly taps the rolling ball in the direction show.

In which direction does the ball most likely move after the student taps the ball?

• 
• 
• 
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Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

What is the primary reason for the seasons on Earth?

• The distance of Earth from the Sun changes.

• The tilt of Earth's axis relative to its orbit.

• The speed of Earth's rotation changes.

• The gravitational pull of the Moon.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1