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Lesson 14 of 15

6 min

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Here are the eleven rules, in the words each lab uses.

Exploring Forces, the rules
IdeaThe rule
A push or a pullA force is a push or a pull on an object. It comes from that object's interaction with another object.
What a force doesA force can make a still object move. It can change the speed of a moving object. It can change its direction or its shape.
Touching, or notA contact force needs touching. A non-contact force acts across a gap.
Two at onceForces on one line, the same way, add. Forces on one line, opposite ways, subtract. What is left is the net force.
BalancedForces are balanced when they cancel. The net force is zero. The motion does not change.
UnbalancedThe net force changes the motion. A net force can speed up, slow down or turn an object.
FrictionFriction acts against the motion, or against the push to move. Rougher surfaces give more friction.
Friction both waysWe need friction to grip, walk, write and stop. We reduce friction where it wastes effort or wears parts.
Weight and the spring balanceWeight is the pull of the Earth on an object. It is measured in newtons. For the smallest reading, divide a big gap by its equal spaces.
Mass stays, weight changesMass is the amount of matter. It is the same everywhere. Weight is the pull on an object. It changes from place to place.
The push a liquid givesA liquid pushes up on an object. This push is upthrust. Weight bigger than upthrust: the object sinks. Both the same: it floats.

You ring a bicycle bell with your thumb. What is the force?

  • A push
  • A pull
  • There is no force

A racket sends a ball back the way it came. What changes?

  • Only its shape
  • Its direction
  • Nothing

Which force acts across a gap?

  • Friction
  • Muscular force
  • Magnetic force

A coconut falls from a palm. Which force pulls it down?

  • Muscular force
  • Friction
  • Gravitational force

Two teams pull a cart. One pulls left with 15 N. One pulls right with 9 N. What is the net force?

  • 24 N to the right
  • 6 N to the left
  • 6 N to the right

A book rests on a table. What can we say about the forces on it?

  • There are none
  • They are balanced
  • They are unbalanced

A trolley moves. The net force points the same way as the motion. What happens?

  • It speeds up
  • It slows down
  • Its speed stays the same

One shove slides a block on tile and on a rough mat. Where does it stop sooner?

  • On the tile
  • On the rough mat
  • The same place

Where do we need friction?

  • Brake pads on a wheel
  • An oiled cycle chain
  • A plane moving through air

Big marks on a balance are 2 N apart. The gap is split into 4 equal spaces. What is the smallest reading?

  • 0.5 N
  • 8 N
  • 2 N

A bag is taken from the Earth to the Moon. What changes?

  • Its mass
  • Its weight
  • The amount of matter in it

An object weighs 10 N. The water pushes up on it with 6 N. What happens?

  • It floats
  • It sinks
  • It is pushed up

Chapter 5 is called Exploring Forces. Read it in your NCERT book.

Next: Pressure, Winds, Storms, and Cyclones. Pressure is a force spread over an area.

Reveal every answer to finish this lesson.