Forces Questions - KS3

Q1.

(a) Megan’s dog is pulling on his lead.

Which arrow, A, B, C or D, shows the direction of this force?
1 mark
(b) Megan has to pull to keep the dog still.
Which arrow shows the direction of this force?
1 mark
(c) Suddenly the dog’s collar breaks.

(i) When the collar breaks, the lead moves.

Draw an arrow on the diagram to show which way the lead starts to move.
1 mark
(ii) Why does the lead move when the collar breaks?
1 mark
Maximum 4 marks

Q2.
(a) Some of the statements in the list describe forces, and some do not.
Tick the boxes by the three forces.
the movement of a car travelling along a road

the push of a jet engine on an aeroplane.

the flow of electricity through a light bulb.

the weight of a book on a table.

the pull of a horse pulling a cart.

the speed of a hockey ball flying through the air.

3 marks
(b) A girl throws a ball. The diagram shows the path of
the ball after she has thrown it.

How can you tell from the path of the ball that
there is a force acting on the ball?
1 mark

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 Forces Questions - KS3
(c)

The drawing shows a trolley rolling along a table from A to B.

Then another force acts on the trolley. This is shown by the arrow on the drawing.
What effect does this force have? Tick the correct box.
It makes the trolley go faster.

It makes the trolley go slower.

It makes the trolley change direction.

It has no effect.

1 mark
Maximum 5 marks
Q3.

(a) A railway engine is being used to try to pull a wagon

along a level track. The wagon’s brakes are on, and
the wagon does not move.
(i) Draw one arrow on the diagram to show the direction
of the force which prevents the wagon from moving.
1 mark
(ii) Is the force which prevents the wagon from moving greater than, equal to or less than the pull of the
engine?
1 mark
(b) (i) When the wagon’s brakes are off, the engine pulls the wagon forwards. A frictional force also acts
on the wagon. In what direction does the frictional force act?
1 mark
(ii) The pull of the engine is 5000 N. When the wagon’s speed is increasing, how large is the frictional
force? Tick the correct box.
zero

between 0 and 5000 N

5000 N

more than 5000 N

1 mark
(c) After a while, the wagon travels at a steady speed. The engine is still pulling with a force of 5000 N.
How large is the frictional force now? Tick the correct box.
zero

between 0 and 5000 N

5000 N

more than 5000 N

1 mark
Maximum 5 marks

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 Forces Questions - KS3

Q4. Sarah made a cotton reel vehicle like the one shown in the diagram. The pencil is wound round and
round so that it winds up the rubber band.
A piece of candle wax next to the cotton reel lets the rubber band slowly unwind.

(a) As the rubber band unwinds, the candle wax slips and the cotton reel turns.
Name the force which acts between the cotton reel and the candle wax.
1 mark
(b) Sarah tested the vehicle by letting it run along a horizontal table top.
(i) She noticed that the vehicle gradually slowed down. Give the reason for this.
1 mark
(ii) Describe what Sarah could do to make the rubber band move this vehicle faster.
1 mark
Maximum 3 marks

5. In a storm, a small ship was blown onto a beach. Now

it is calm and there is no wind. A tugboat is trying to
pull the ship off the beach.

(a) The tugboat pulls the ship with a force of 25 000 N.

The ship does not move because of the force of
friction acting on it.
(i) Tick one box to show the size of the frictional force acting on the ship.
zero

more than zero but less than 25 000 N

25 000 N

more than 25 000 N

1 mark
(ii) Add an arrow to the drawing to show the direction of the frictional force acting on the ship.
1 mark

(b) When the tide is higher, the tugboat again pulls the ship with a steady force of 25 000 N. The ship
begins to move.
Once the ship is off the beach, the tugboat continues to pull the ship with a force of 25 000 N.
A frictional force due to the water acts on the ship.

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 Forces Questions - KS3
(i) At first, the speed of the ship increases.
Tick one box to describe the frictional force acting on the ship while its speed is increasing.
zero

more than zero but less than 25 000 N

25 000 N

more than 25 000 N

1 mark
(ii) After a short while, the ship reaches a steady speed. The tugboat continues to pull with a force of 25
000 N.
Tick one box to describe the frictional force acting on the ship while it is going at a steady speed.
zero

more than zero but less than 25 000 N

25 000 N

more than 25 000 N

1 mark
(iii) The ship is towed to the north. What is the direction of the frictional force acting on the ship?
1 mark
Maximum 5 marks
Q6. The drawing shows a snow-buggy being pulled
by a sail. The buggy rests on three skis on
the snow.

(a) The drawing shows four forces that act

when the snow-buggy is moving.
Draw a line from each force in the list below
to the correct letter from the diagram.
Draw only three lines.

3 marks
(b) A scientist travelled 80 kilometres (km) each day in the buggy.
How many kilometres did he travel in 10 days?
1 mark
(c) The buggy carried the scientist, food and equipment for the journey.
The table shows how the total mass changed.
total mass at start total mass at end of
of journey (kg) journey (kg)
mass of buggy, scientist, food and equipment 295 130

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 Forces Questions - KS3
The buggy sank deeper into the snow at the start of the journey than at the end.
Why did it sink deeper at the start? Use the table to help you.
1 mark
(d) The buggy rests on three skis instead of three wheels.
Why are skis better than wheels for travelling on snow?
1 mark
(e) When a bigger sail is used, the buggy goes faster.
How does a bigger sail help the buggy to go faster?
1 mark
maximum 7 marks

Q7. The drawing on the right shows an astronaut in space.

He has four small jets attached to his space suit.
These jets produce forces on the astronaut in the directions A, B, C
and D.

(a) The drawing below shows the size and direction of four forces acting
on the astronaut.

In which direction, A, B, C or D, will the astronaut move?

1 mark
(b) The drawing below shows the size and direction of four different
forces acting on the astronaut.

What will happen to the astronaut when the jets produce these four forces?
1 mark
Explain your answer.
1 mark

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 Forces Questions - KS3

(c) The drawing below shows the size and direction of four different forces acting on the astronaut.
Draw an arrow on the diagram below to show the direction in which he will move.

1 mark
maximum 4 marks