Balanced and Unbalanced Forces
SARAH C. GUTIERREZ
Science 8 Teacher
Short Review
Question 1a:
Q1a. What does the word balance mean in
everyday terms?
Answer: When something is
stable
equal
not falling over
Question 1b:
What does the word force mean in everyday terms?
Answer:
To break something open,
like to force a door open;
• A (force) field,
• A push or a pull;
• Something that makes
things move (accelerate) –
like a magnet pulling a
metal toy.
Question 2:
What does balance mean in scientific terms
when we are referring to forces?
Answer: The forces are the same.
• The forces are cancelling each
other;
• One force counteracts the other
Question 3:
How could you illustrate or represent balanced forces?
(you can use words, symbols, or drawings)
A seesaw balance beam for gymnastics Pushing the palms of your hands together
Standing on one foot
Balanced and Unbalanced Forces
Lesson Purpose and
Intention
Lesson Purpose and
Intention The lesson is about balanced and
unbalanced forces and how
forces can affect the way an
object moves. .
The lesson may also help you to
be better at using symbols to
communicate information in
science.
Lesson Language
Practice
Key words/terms
Force; Same direction; Opposite direction; Cancel;
Representations; Situations
Lesson Activity
Lesson Activity
Balance and Forces
Here are two statements about forces and balance:
1. Equal forces acting in opposite directions in the same line cancel each other and are
described as being ‘in balance’.
2. The movement of objects is changed if the forces acting on them are not ‘in balance’.
[Reference: Working with Big Ideas of Science Education; Wynne Harlen, IPA, 2015]
These statements relate to four representations of forces ( or ) acting on some square
objects (, , , and ,) as shown here:
Situation 1 Situation 2
Situation 3 Situation 4
Question 1:
Q1. What does Equal forces
mean?
Answer: The same sized forces – two or
more.
Question 2:
Q2. What are some ways that the motion of
objects might be changed?
Answer:
• They could start moving from being still (i.e.,
accelerate).
• They could speed up (i.e., accelerate).
• They could slow down (i.e., accelerate).
• They could change direction (i.e., accelerate).
• They could stop moving
Question 3:
What needs to happen for a force to change
an object’s motion?
• If an object is still, you would need to apply a
force to it to make it move (like push it or pull it).
• If an object is moving, you could apply a force to
it to make it slow down, to make it change
direction, or to make it go faster
Question 1:
The stimulus shows four ways to
represent forces using symbols. Which
situations are representing balanced
forces?
Answer: Situation 1 and Situation
4
Answer:
Situation 1 and Situation
4
Question :
Assuming the square objects are the
same size and mass (weight), what
do you predict would be the
movement of the objects in each
situation when the forces
represented were applied to the
objects?
Answer:
• The object in situation 1 will not move.
• The object in situation 2 will move to the
right.
• The object in situation 3 will move to the
left.
• The object in situation 4 will not move
Question 3:
Write a general statement that
describes the relationship
between forces and the motion
of an object
Answer:
• If the forces acting on an object are
balanced, the object will not move., or
• If the forces acting on an object are
unbalanced, the object will move.,
• If there is no net force, the object will not
move.,
• If there is a net force, the object will move.
Lesson Conclusion
Question 1:
What did you learn
from this lesson?
Question 2:
What are some things
you enjoyed about the
lesson?
Question 3:
Write a general statement
that describes the
relationship between
forces and the motion of
an object?
