Unit Science Test

Force and Motion

Name_________________________

Date__________________

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Read each set of directions CAREFULLY. Choose the best answer. When
finished, go back and check over your work, making sure that you have answered
each question.

Part 1. Match each definition with the correct term.

_____ 1. combination of all the forces acting on an object

_____ 2. force that opposes the motion of any object

_____ 3. an object’s motion will not change unless an unbalanced force acts on it

_____ 4. factor that determines the inertia of an object

_____ 5. type of force needed to overcome inertia of an object

_____ 6. Tendency of an object to resist a change in motion

Terms
a. inertia
b. unbalanced force
c. friction
d. law of inertia
e. mass
f. net force

Part 2 - Determine if the following statements are true or false.

_____ 7. Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist motion.

_____ 8. Newton’s first law of motion is also called the law of acceleration.
_____ 9. If an object is at rest, inertia will keep it at rest.

_____ 10. The speed of an object changes only when it is acted on by an unbalanced force.

_____ 11. When you are moving at a high rate of speed, having a larger mass makes is harder to
stop.

_____ 12. Newton’s first law of motion applies only to objects that are already moving.

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Part 3 – Circle the best choice for each question or statement.

13. Gravity is a ___________________.

O velocity
O speed
O force
O weight

14. If an equal force acts on each of the following objects, which will have the greatest
acceleration?
O a golf ball
O a soccer ball
O a football
O a baseball

15. Inertia explains why ___________________________________.

O friction can be overcome for all objects
O people in a car move forward in their seats when the car stops quickly
O gravitational forces are stronger on Earth than on the Moon
O the ground pushes against your feet when you run.

16. An object is accelerated when it is acted on by _____________________.

O an unbalanced force
O a balanced force
O velocity
O inertia

17. In which situation are the forces operating on an object unbalanced?

O A stack of books rests on a table.
O A car has a constant motion of 60 miles per hour.
O Two sides of a balance both support 20 kg.
O A baseball falls at a faster and faster speed.

18. Which of the following is NOT a force?

O Newton
O Gravity
O Friction
O Inertia

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19. Newton’s first law of motion states than an object’s motion will not change unless
O the net force acting on it is greater than zero.
O a force continues to be applied to the object.
O its inertia is stronger than the applied force.
O the object has no inertia.

20. Overcoming an object’s inertia always requires a(n)

O large mass.
O massive force.
O unbalanced force.
O two of the above

21. It is more difficult to start a 50-kg box sliding across the floor than a 5-kg box because the
50-kg box has greater
O mass.
O inertia.
O volume.
O velocity.

22. An object’s velocity will not change unless it is acted on by a(n)

O net force.
O strong force.
O unbalanced force.
O opposite but equal force.

23. Which force slows a skateboard when a skateboarder puts a foot down to brake?

O motion
O gravity
O friction
O inertia

24. If two arm wrestlers exert a force on each other’s hands, and the hands don’t move, the
forces must be ______________________.
O balanced
O unbalanced
O weak
O strong

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25. The first law of motion says that an object at rest will remain at rest unless …
O it continues in a straight line
O a nearby star acts on it
O an outside force acts on it
O it is placed on a flat surface

26. According to the third law of motion, for every action there is ….
O a force sending it backward
O an equal and opposite reaction
O a greater force pushing on it
O a movement in all directions.

27. If one car moves ahead of another car that is traveling in the same direction, do the cars have
the same velocity?
O No, they are traveling in different directions.
O Yes, they are traveling in the same direction.
O No, the cars are traveling at different speeds.
O Yes, the direction and speed of the cars is the same.

28. Do two skaters traveling in different directions at the same speed have the same velocity?
O No, because the direction is different
O No, because the skaters are different
O Yes, because the speed is the same
O Yes, because the acceleration is the same

29. A pull or push that acts on an object is called a(n)

O force
O acceleration
O speed
O gravity

30. __________ is the pull that all objects exert on each other.
O Resistance
O Friction
O Inertia
O Gravity

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Part 4 – Answer each question using complete sentences and using complete
explanations. Remember, giving details is a GOOD THING!

31. Why do seat belts help protect passengers when a car stops quickly? Explain your answer.
(1 pts)

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32. If you kick a soccer ball across a playing field, eventually it will slow down and stop on its
own. Identify a force that causes this to happen and explain how this causes this to happen.

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33. Linda wants to do an experiment to test the effect that weight has on motion.

She will set up an experiment as shown in the following diagram, putting different weights on
the string to see how far the car moves.

Explain how different weights will effect the motion of the car. (2 pts)
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34. An inclined plane is a slanting surface that connects a lower level to a higher level. Suppose
two workers are pushing a piano up an inclined plane. (2 points)
What kind of force is slowing down the piano, pulling it toward the Earth?

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Suppose the surface of the ramp was extremely rough, like coarse sandpaper. How would this
affect the motion of the piano? Why?

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35. The picture below shows wagons filled with boxes. All of the boxes are the same size and
weights. (2 pts)

Wagon A Wagon B Wagon C

Which wagon would take the least force to move? ____________________________________

Explain why the wagon you chose would take the least amount of force to move.
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What could you do to make all of these wagons require the same amount of force to move them?

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