• Instrument to measure forces: Spring Balance

Name : _________________________

Date: _________________________

Lower Secondary Sciences: Force and Pressure

1. Force
• Force is a push or pull.
• Almost all our daily actions involve forces (action of pulling and pushing).

For example • S.I. unit for force: Newton (N)

• Two types of forces: Contact and non-contact forces.

Contact forces Non-contact forces

Frictional force Gravitational force
Tensional force Electrical force
Normal force Magnetic force
Air resistance
Applied force (pushing force)
Action of writing Walking
(a push) (a push) • Contact force requires the force to have physical contact directly with the object.
For example: When a person pushes a door, the force he applied is in contact with the
object.

• Non-contact force does not require the actual physical contact with an object
For example: A permanent magnet attracts an iron bar when it is placed close to the bar.

A) Effect of a force
• Makes an object speed up
• Makes an object slow down
Action of typing Open a door
• Changes the direction of movement of an object
(a push) (a pull)
• Changes the shape of an object
• Causes a stationary object to move
• Makes a moving object stop

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2. Types of Forces B) Friction

A) Gravitational Force • Friction is a force that exists when two objects rub against or in contact with each other.

• Gravity (also known as gravitational field), is a region which an object experiences a • S.I unit for frictional force: Newton (N)
pulling force due to gravitational attraction. • Friction always opposes and slows down the motion of an object.
• This pulling force is commonly known as gravitational force. • The following table shows a few applications of friction in our daily lives:
• Earth and moon both exerts gravitational force. They pull all objects towards them when
Application Weight
the object is placed in their gravitational fields.
- Friction between our feet (shoe) and the ground enables
Walking and running
us to walk or run without slipping and falling.
Opening the tab of a - Friction between our fingers and the tab allows us to pull
bottle the tab off a bottle without slipping.
- Friction allows us to hold a pencil or pen without slipping
Writing
so we can write on a paper.

• The following table shows a few examples when friction causes nuisance in our daily lives:

Application Weight
• Weight is the force caused by the gravitational pull of a planet. - It causes wear and tear such as car tyre, shoes or moving
Wear and tear
• S.I. unit for weight: Newton (N) parts of a machine.

• The stronger the gravitational pull, the greater the weight of an object. - Friction converts useful energy into heat which cannot be
used anymore. For example, heat produced from the
Weight = Mass × Gravity Heat production
moving parts of a machine is released into the

• The earth exerts a gravitational force of 10 N on every 1 kg of object. surroundings.

• The gravitational pull of the earth is stronger than the moon, so the weight of an object is - Friction always slows down the motion of an object. For

higher on the earth than on the moon. Reduce motion example, we need to spend more energy to push an object

• The difference between mass and weight of an object: across a rough surface.

Mass Weight
C) Ways to reduce friction
- Measurement of the amount of matter - Measurement of the gravitational
• Friction can be reduced by using one of the following methods:
in the object force acting on an object
- Using wheel, roller or ball bearing
- S.I unit: Kilograms (kg) - S.I unit: Newton (N)
- Applying lubricating oil or grease between two surfaces
- Not affected by gravity. - Affected by gravity.
- Using a cushion of air such as in a Maglev (magnetic levitation) train
- Measured with electronic / beam - Measured with spring balance.
balance

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 3. Free Body Diagram
• A free body diagram shows all the forces acting on an object.

• Objects with equal and opposite forces will remain stationary or move at a constant speed

D) Magnetism
A) Contact force
• Magnetism is a force of attraction between:
• Is always 90° to the surface
- Two permanent magnets
- A magnet and a magnetic substance, such as iron or steel.
• When two magnets are placed together, they exert a force on each other
- Like poles repel each other. The force between these two magnets is called the force
of repulsion.

B) Friction
• Always opposes pushing/forward force

- Unlike poles attract one another. The force between these two magnets is called the
C) Weight
force of attraction.
• Due to gravitational force.
• Arrow starts from centre of gravity

• Some applications of magnetic force in our daily life are magnetic door
holder and compass.

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4. Pressure
Name : _________________________
• Pressure is a force acting on an area.
!"#$%
Pressure = Date: _________________________
&#%'

For example Forces (Worksheet 1)

Section A: MCQ

1. The diagram shows a basketball player throwing a ball into the hoop.

If the same force is applied to shoes A and B, shoe A exerts a greater pressure on the ground
than shoe B because the area of shoe A is smaller.

• S.I. unit of pressure: Pascal (Pa) or N/m2

• Pressure is an important concept in our everyday applications.

Application Change of pressure

Knife - Small area to increase pressure
What is the effect of the force exerted by the basketball player on the ball?
- Larger surface area to reduce pressure so that it is easy to
Skis
move on the surface of snow A. It changes the mass of the ball.
B. It changes the size of the ball.
C. It moves the stationary ball.
D. It stops the moving ball.

2. Which action does not involve a force?

A. observing stars in the night sky

B. pressing a doorbell
C. using a magnet to attract iron nails
D. walking to school from home

3. Which is a disadvantage of friction?

A. cars stopping by braking

B. able to hold spoons and eat
C. people walking on pavements without slipping
D. tyres being worn out

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4. Which force makes it possible for a person to walk? 9. A wooden block is pulled at constant speed using a spring balance over four different types
of surfaces. Which of these surfaces gives the largest reading on the spring balance?
A. frictional force C. magnetic force
B. gravitational force D. electrical force

5. What is the SI unit for measuring force?

A. kilogram (kg) C. gram (g)

A. surface covered with oil
B. newton (N) D. joule (j)
B. surface covered with powder
6. The diagram shows three forces acting on a stationary ball. C. surface covered with sand
D. surface covered with paper

10. What force causes the soles of the running shoes to wear out?

Which direction will the ball move? A. friction C. magnetic force

B. gravitational force D. weight
A. to the left C. upwards
B. to the right D. remain stationary
11. A box is pushed across the room as shown in the diagram below.

7. Which one of following is used to measure force?

Ground
Which of the following is true about friction that acts between the box and ground?

I the smaller the mass of the box, the larger the friction
II the rougher the surface area in contact with the ground, the larger the friction
III friction opposes the motion of the box

A. I only C. I and III only

B. III only D. II and III only

8. Which of the following properties of an object can be changed by a force?

A. colour C. shape
B. mass D. weight

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12. The figure below shows a force, F, acting on a ball that was moving in the direction D. 17. The diagram below shows three different events.

What happens to the ball?

A. It stops immediately. C. Its speed decreases.

B. It turns left. D. Its speed increases.
What is the similar cause for all the three events?
13. According to Newton’s First Law of Motion, when there is no resultant force acting on a
A. Heat C. Gravity
moving object, the object will
B. Friction D. Radiation
A. slow down and stop moving.
B. continue moving at the same speed in the same direction. 18. Which of the following is a contact force?
C. continue moving at the same speed but direction might change. A. Electrostatic Force C. Magnetic Force
D. continue moving at the same acceleration in the same direction. B. Gravitational Force D. Tension

14. Which of the following is not possible when a force acts on an object? 19. The reason why an astronaut can jump higher on the moon than on earth is because
A. The object slows down. C. The object changes its mass. _______________________.
B. The object moves faster. D. The object changes its shape. A. his mass is lower moon on than on the earth.
B. his mass is higher moon on than on the earth.
15. Two forces of magnitudes 10 N and 15 N are acting on an object. C. his weight is lower on the moon than on the earth.
Which of the following is not a possible value for the resultant force? D. his weight is higher on the moon than on the earth.

A. 5 N C. 25 N
20. An object is taken into the outer space in a rocket.
B. 12 N D. 30 N
As the rocket moves from Earth into outer space, which changes take place to the object?

16. A pressure of 100 Pa is equal to change in mass change in weight

A no no
A. 100 Nm-2 C. 100 Ncm-2
B no yes
B. 1000 Nm-2 D. 1000 Ncm-2
C yes no
D yes yes

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21. A force is applied to a rolling ball in the same direction as its motion. 25. The diagram below shows a hammer being used to remove a nail from a wooden board.
What is a possible effect of the force? At which position would you apply a force to pull the nail out of the board with the least
possible effort?*
I slows down the rolling ball
II speeds up the rolling ball
III stops the rolling ball
IV changes the direction of the rolling ball

A. II only C. I and III only

B. II and IV D. All of the above

22. Which of the following terms refer to gravitational force acting on an object? 26. A uniformed beam is balanced at its midpoint. An object is placed on the shown in the
A. Density C. Mass diagram.*
B. Friction D. Weight

23. Four objects A, B, C and D of different shapes are resting on a horizontal surface. All the
four objects, which are not drawn to scale, have the same weight. Which object would exert
the greatest pressure on the surface?

Which of the following forces will rebalance the system?

A. 15 N acting upwards, 120 cm to the left of the pivot.

B. 30 N acting upwards, 60 cm to the right of the pivot.
C. 45 N acting downwards, 40 cm to the left of the pivot.
D. 90 N acting downwards, 10 cm to the right of the pivot.

24. Which line shows the unit for force, the unit for mass and the unit for weight? 27. Which of the following best illustrates the turning effect of forces?*

force mass weight A. accelerating a car

A kg kg N B. rotating the blades of a fan
B kg N kg C. slowing down a bicycle
C N kg N D. squeezing a sponge
D N N kg

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Section B: Structured Questions (b) Jane had some interpretations about the sign above. Circle the interpretation that is
correct about the sign.
1. Match the following actions to their respective effect of forces.

3. The figure below shows the changes in the length of a spring when identical slotted masses
are added to the hanger.

2. Jane was in a shopping centre when she saw the cleaner just finished mopping the floor and
placed the following signboard at that area.

(a) State the instrument used to measure force.

_____________________________________________________________________

(b) Name the SI unit of force.

_____________________________________________________________________

(a) (i) What is ‘force’?

(c) The table below shows the changes in the length of the spring when different numbers
_______________________________________________________________ of slotted masses are added to the hanger.

(ii) State an effect of a force.

_______________________________________________________________

(iii) Name the force that is responsible for allowing us to walk safely.

_______________________________________________________________

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 (i) State the increase in the length of the spring when only the hanger is added.
(ii) Find the pressure exerted on the floor if the weight of the stool is 6 N
_______________________________________________________________

(ii) State and explain whether the hanger or one slotted mass is heavier.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________
Pressure = ________________ N cm-2
(iii) Predict the length of the spring when 3 slotted masses are added to the hanger.
(iii) Find the pressure exerted on the floor when a lady of weight 300N sat on the
_______________________________________________________________ stool.

4. Figure below shows an experiment to measure the friction between the object and the
surface of a floor.

Pressure = ________________ N cm-2

(iv) The stool is now replaced by another stool of the same weight which has only
three legs, each of which has a square base of side 5 cm. State and explain how
(a) (i) State the name of instrument X
this would affect your answer in (iii) if the lady now sits on this stool.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
(ii) On the diagram, indicate the direction of the frictional force acting on the object.
_______________________________________________________________
(b) The second figure below shows a stool. Each leg of the stool has a square base of side
5 cm. _______________________________________________________________

5. A man of weight 800 N is standing on two feet. He is carrying a box that has a weight of
100 N. The total area of his two feet in contact with the floor is 400 cm2.

(a) Calculate the pressure exerted by the man’s feet on the floor, in N cm .

(i) Define pressure.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Pressure = ________________ N cm-2

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 (b) The man is standing on soft sand and he starts to sink into it as a result of the pressure 7. Figure below shows a claw hammer being used to pull a nail out of a piece of wood.
he exerts on the sand. Suggest and explain how he can reduce the sinking effect.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

6. The diagram below shows the forces acting on a cupboard as it is being pushed along the
floor. The mass of the cupboard is 20 kg, and it is moving with an acceleration of
0.5 ms-2.*

(a) (i) Define Moments*

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

(ii) Explain why the force at the nail is greater than the force exerted at the handle
of the hammer.*
(a) Calculate the resultant force acting on the cupboard.*
_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Resultant force = ________________ N _______________________________________________________________

(b) Calculate the frictional force.*

(b) For his 16th birthday, Klose's parents bought him a new pair of football shoes. He noted
that there were protrusions (called "studs") at the sole of his shoes as shown in the figure
below.
Frictional force = ________________ N

(c) State one way to reduce the friction between the cupboard and the floor

_____________________________________________________________________

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 (i) Klose has a mass of 45 kg. The total surface area of the studs in contact with 8. The picture below shows a pair of heels worn by a lady.
2
the football pitch is 30 cm , calculate the pressure (in terms of Pa) exerted by
Klose on the pitch when he wears his football shoes. (Assume g = 10 m/s2)

(a) If the weight of the lady is 500 N, calculate the pressure by the lady on the floor.

Pressure = ________________ Pa

(ii) Feeling uncomfortable in his new shoes, Klose decided to manually unscrew
the studs from his shoes. Assuming studs occupied 10% of the shoes total
pressure = _________________
surface area, calculate the new pressure (in terms of Pa) exerted by Klose on the
pitch with his unstudded shoes. (b) The lady is wearing heels and she needs to walk across the soft muddy ground.

Pressure = ________________ Pa

(iii) Without the studs, Klose frequently found himself slipping and falling while
participating in football matches. Explain why playing with studs would be a
Suggest a possible solution to avoid having her feet sink into the soft muddy ground if
better option for Klose.
she walks across it in her heels.

_______________________________________________________________
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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 6. Which of the following examples demonstrate non-contact forces?
Name : _________________________
I. Pushing a cart
Date: _________________________
II. An object falling from the top of a building
III. Opening a can of a bottle
Forces (Worksheet 2)
IV. Separating iron powder from table salt crystals

Section A: MCQ A. I, II C. III, IV

1. What is the S.I unit for weight? B. II, IV D. I, III

A. Newton B. Kilogram C. Joules D. Pascal

7. A boy must exert a minimum force of 20 N on a stationary toy car just to make it move.
What is the most likely the magnitude of frictional force that acts on the toy car?
2. A block of wood has a mass of 15 kg on earth. What is its mass when it is placed in a
planet which it experiences half of the Earth’s gravitational force? A. 0 N C. 20 N

A. 7.5 kg B. 15 kg C. 30 kg D. 45 kg B. 10 N D. 40 N

3. Which of the following examples shows the use of friction? 8. A block exerts a pressure of 60 Pa on the floor. If the weight of the block is 30 N, what is
the area of the block in contact with the floor?
A. The wear and tear of the soles of shoes.
B. Heat generated when dragging an object across the floor. A. 2 cm2 C. 0.5 m2
2
C. A large amount of energy required to move a stationary object. B. 0.5 cm D. 2 m2

D. The braking of a car during an emergency.

9. Which of the following statements is not true?*

4. Which of the following statements is true about friction? A. A 10 N iron bar always exert the same amount of pressure as a 10 N stone when

A. It only happens when an object moves. resting on the floor.

B. A stationary object is free of friction. B. The sharp edge of a knife exerts more pressure than a dull edge of a knife when same

C. It often produces heat. force is applied on them.

D. It makes an object move faster. C. A lady wearing a pair of high-heel shoes exerts more pressure on the floor than
wearing a pair of sports shoes.

5. Three books are placed on top of a table. Which of the following is not true? D. Skis with a larger surface area enables the skier to slide on the ground easily.

A. There is no force acting on the book.

10. Which of the following has the same value as 20 Pa?*
B. There is no work done by the book.
A. 0.002 N/cm2 B. 0.2 N/cm2 C. 2 N/cm2 D. 20 N/cm2
C. The book possess potential energy
D. There is no friction between the books and the table

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11. An object is placed on a beam balance and on a compression spring balance on Earth. The 14. Forces were applied on a particular box as shown below.
same experiment is then repeated on Moon.

Which set of observations is true about the beam balance and the spring balance readings?

beam balance compression spring balance

A reads less on Moon than on Earth reads less on Moon than on Earth What is the resultant force?
B reads less on Moon than on Earth reads the same on Moon and Earth A. 13 N to the right
C reads the same on Moon and Earth reads less on Moon than on Earth B. 1 N to the right
D reads the same on Moon and Earth reads the same on Moon and Earth C. 12 N to the left
D. 1 N to the left
12. A student stood on a weighing scale to measure her mass. She first stood on the scale on
both feet. Then change to standing on one foot. 15. A robotic vehicle, which has a weight of 800 N on Earth, was sent to Mars to explore the

Which of the following statements is true? surface. The gravitational field strength is 4 N/kg on Mars and 10 N/kg on Earth.

A. The pressure exerted on the scale doubled when she changed to standing on one foot. What is the robotic vehicle’s weight on Mars?

B. The pressure exerted on the scale halved when she changed to standing on one foot. A. 20 N C. 200 N
C. The reading on the weighing scale doubled when she changed to standing on one foot. B. 32 N D. 320 N
D. The reading on the weighing scale halved when she changed to standing on one foot.

16. In which of the following positions will a person exert the greatest pressure on the ground?
13. A soccer player took a penalty kick from a spot in front of the goalpost.
A. The person stands on one foot.
B. The person sits cross-legged on the floor.
C. The person stands on both feet.
D. The person lies flat on his back.

Which effect of a force was applied?

17. A football hits a goal post. A force acts on the ball and it rebounds.
A. stopping a moving object
What happens to the shape and mass of the ball as it hits the goal post?
B. moving a stationary object
A. The shape is altered and the mass decreases.
C. changing the shape of the object
B. The shape is altered and the mass is constant.
D. slowing down a moving object.
C. The shape is constant and the mass decreases.
D. The shape is constant and the mass is constant.

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18. The gravity on Mars is 3.711 m/s2, which is just 38 percent the gravity on Earth. Earth’s 21. Sam is trapped in very soft mud. Dan wanted to rescue him by walking directly into the
2
gravity is 9.807 m/s . mud. John decides to crawl across a long and light board on the mud instead, to rescue
Sam.

What effect does the board have on the force and pressure acting on the mud, compared
with walking?

force pressure
A decreased decreased
B decreased unchanged
The Mars Rover has a mass of 1050 kilograms on Earth.
C unchanged decreased
How do the mass and weight of the Rover change on Mars? D unchanged unchanged
mass on Mars weight on Mars
A less less 22. A rectangular block of dimensions 0.5 m by 0.1 m by 0.2 m is placed on a wooden plank
B less same of dimensions 1.2 m by 1.0 m. The weight of the block is 26 N.
C same less
D same same

19. The diagram shows the wheel of a car which is moving in the direction shown. In which
direction does the frictional force between the wheel and the road surface act?

What is the pressure exerted by the block on the wooden plank?

A. 2 Pa C. 520 Pa
B. 52 Pa D. 2600 Pa

20. An object, which that has a mass of 15 kg on Earth, is taken to the Moon. The gravitational 23. Which is/are non-contact force(s)?

field strengths on Earth and on the Moon are 10 N / kg and 1.6 N / kg respectively. I Air resistance

What is the weight of the object on the Moon? II Gravitational

III Magnetic
A. 16 N C. 150 N
B. 24 N D. 240 N A. I only C. I and III only
B. II only D. II and III only

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24. A person wants to remove a large stone using a metal rod as shown in the diagram.* Section B: Short Answer Questions

1. (a) State two effects of a force.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

(b) (i) Identify two main forces that act on the stationary ball on the edge of a table.

Which statement describes the effect of the applied force on the large stone?

A. The force applied causes a turning effect on the rod.

B. The force applied causes the large stone to stop moving.
C. The force applied changes the shape of the large stone.
D. The force applied changes the size of the large stone.

Force 1: ____________________________
25. In the diagrams, the arrows represent forces acting on a piece of wood.*
Force 2: ____________________________
Which pair of forces will make the piece of wood rotate?

(ii) Explain the main difference between these two forces in terms of their
classification.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

2. (a) Explain what is meant by friction.

_____________________________________________________________________

(b) (i) Give two examples when friction becomes nuisance in our daily life.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

(b) (ii) Describe one way to reduce the nuisance of friction.

_______________________________________________________________

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3. A laboratory is testing the robotic arms of a machine that can lift rock samples on the Moon. 4. Civil engineers help to build structures such as bridges. Fig 4.1 shows a bridge supported
2
The acceleration due to gravity at the surface of the Moon is 1.6 m/s . by 4 pillars. The weight of the bridge is 1.6 × 10( N. Each supporting pillar has a cross
(a) The rock samples have a mass of 100 g on Earth. sectional area of 0.8 m2.
State the mass of the rock samples (in kg) on the Moon.

mass of the rock samples on the Moon = ________________

(b) Calculate the minimum force required to lift up the rock samples on the moon.

Fig 4.1

(a) Explain the term pressure.

_____________________________________________________________________

force = ________________ (b) Calculate the pressure exerted on each supporting pillar.

(c) The test shows that the robotic arm can lift up to 0.05 kg rock on Earth.
State whether the arm be able to lift the 100 g rock samples on the moon. Show your
working.

pressure = _________________

(c) Table 4.2 shows two possible types of materials that could be used to make the
supporting pillars for the bridge and the maximum pressure these materials can support.

Raw material Maximum pressure that raw material can support / Nm2
Reinforced concrete 400 000
Stainless steel 480 000
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ Table 4.2

Based on your calculation in (b) and data in Table 4.2, suggest and explain if reinforced
concrete and stainless steel are suitable raw materials to make the supporting pillars.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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5. A box is lying on the floor as shown below. The weight of the box is 200 N. 6. The diagram below shows a wood being pulled by a force on the floor. The force needed
to move the wood is measured by a spring balance.

(a) What is the unit of the force measured by the spring balance?
(a) Calculate the greatest pressure exerted by the box on the ground. Leave your answer in
N/m2. _____________________________________________________________________

(b) (i) Which type of force would oppose the movement of the wood?

_______________________________________________________________

(ii) In which direction does this force in (b)(i) act?

_______________________________________________________________
(b) Calculate the least pressure exerted by the box on the ground. Leave your answer in (c) (i) How will the reading on the spring balance is affected, increase, decrease or
N/m2. remain the same, if the roughness of the floor surface increases?

_______________________________________________________________

(ii) Explain your answer

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________
(c) What conclusion can you make from the calculations in (a) and (b)?
(d) When the wood is at rest, it exerts a pressure of 3 × 10) Pa on the floor. If the area of
_____________________________________________________________________ contact between the wood and the floor is 4 cm2, what is the gravitational force acting

_____________________________________________________________________ on the wood?

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7. In Fig. 7.1, a boy is making use of a lever to lift up a 500 N stone. Section C: Free Response Questions

1. (a) Study the nail A and nail B as shown below.

(a) Is the effort used to lift the stone less than, equal to or greater than 500 N?
Explain your answer.

The masses of both nails are the same. When the same force is applied to them, nail A
_____________________________________________________________________
can penetrate the wall easier than the nail B. Explain the possible reason.
_____________________________________________________________________

(b) State one practical way in which the boy can use less effort to lift the stone. _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

(b) A skier has a weight of 650 N. He puts on a single sleigh which has a total area of
50 cm2 in contact with the snow. The pressure exerted on the snow is 140 000 Pa.
Calculate the weight of the sleigh.

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2. Mr Lee and Mrs Lee wore different footwear to a football match.
Name : _________________________

Date: _________________________

Forces (Worksheet 3)

Section A: MCQ

1. Which action does not involve a contact force?

A. a needle in a compass pointing north

Mr Lee weighs 820 N while Mrs Lee’s mass is 58 kg.
B. hitting a baseball
(a) Calculate the surface area in contact with the ground in m2 for Mrs Lee. C. sweeping the floor
D. turning the steering wheel of a car

2. A wooden block has a mass of 10 kg on the Earth. What is the mass of the block on the
surface area in contact with the ground for Mrs Lee = ______________ m2 Moon? The gravitational field strength of the Earth and the Moon is 10 N/kg and 1.6 N/kg

(b) Calculate Mrs Lee’s weight in newtons (N). respectively.

A. 10 kg C. 16 kg
B. 10 N D. 100 kg

Mrs Lee’s weight = ______________ N 3. A force was applied to hammer a nail into a wall.

(c) Calculate the pressure exerted by both shoes in N/m2 for Mrs Lee. The sharp end of the nail has a cross sectional area of 0.0005 m2. If the pressure exerted on
the sharp end of the nail is 300 000 Pa, what was the force applied to hammer the nail?

A. 0.15 N C. 150 N
B. 60 N D. 6 000 000 N

pressure exerted by Mrs Lee = ______________ N/m2

4. Which of the following enables us to open a bottle screw cap with our hands?
(d) Mr Lee exerts 12 058 N/m2 of pressure when he walks on the football field. Explain
A. electrostatic force
why Mrs Lee should not walk on the football field in her shoes.
B. magnetic effect of a force

_____________________________________________________________________ C. pressure
D. turning effect of a force
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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5. The figure shows a bicycle wheel moving right by rotating in a clockwise direction 8. The figure shows forces acting on a body.

What is the resultant force acting on the body?

A. 1 N to the left
B. 2 N to the right
C. 4 N to the left
In which direction is the frictional force acting on the bicycle wheel? D. 24 N to the right

A. C.
9. Two different blocks of metal, X and Y, hang from spring balances as shown below.

B. D.

6. An astronaut has a mass of 60 kg on Earth. He can jump to a vertical height of 0.50 m on

the surface of the Earth.

Which statement regarding the distance he can jump on the Moon and the corresponding
reason is correct?
Which of the following statements about metals X and Y is correct?
height he can jump on Moon reason
A higher than 0.50 m His mass on Moon is less than on Earth. A. They have different volume and different weight.

B lower than 0.50 m His mass on Moon is greater than on Earth. The B. They have different density and different mass.

C higher than 0.50 m Moon’s gravity is lower than the Earth’s. C. They have the same mass but different weight.

D lower than 0.50 m The Moon’s gravity is greater than the Earth’s. D. They have the same weight but different density.

7. An astronaut in his spacesuit has a mass of 75 kg on Earth. He can jump 15 cm off the 10. How does the mass and weight of a satellite in orbit around the Earth change compared to

surface of the Earth. When he is on the Moon, he can jump higher than 15 cm. when the satellite is on Earth before launch?

Which of the following descriptions is correct? Mass in orbit Weight in orbit

A unchanged unchanged
A. His mass is the same on the Moon as on Earth.
B unchanged lesser than on Earth
B. His mass is smaller on the Moon than on Earth.
C lesser than on Earth unchanged
C. His weight is the same on the Moon as on Earth.
D lesser than on Earth lesser than on Earth
D. His weight is greater on the Moon than on Earth.

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11. The weight of a stone is found using a newton meter, and its mass is found using a pan 14. ln a laboratory on Earth, 2 different balances show that an object has a mass of 2 kg and a
balance. weight of 20 N. The same balances and object are then taken to the Moon, where the
gravitational field strength is less than on the Earth. Will the mass and weight of the object
be the same, or less, than before?

mass weight
A less less
B less same
C same less
D same same

The experiment is carried out on the Earth and on the Moon.

15. A craftsman is preparing a granite worktop for a kitchen.
For each meter, is its reading the same or different on the Earth and on the Moon?
The worktop has dimensions 2.0 m x 0.8 m x 0.03 m and has a weight of 1300 N. The
reading on newton meter reading on pan balance
craftsman rests the worktop on the ground.
A different different
B different same What is the maximum pressure that the worktop exerts on the ground?
C same different A. 810 Pa C. 27 000 Pa
D same same B. 22 000 Pa D. 54 000 Pa

12. The wind pressure acting on the face of a wall is 150 Pa. 16. A string extended 4 mm for every 0.5 N pulling on it.
The dimensions of the wall are 20 cm by 30 cm. How much would the string extend with a mass of 300 g hanging on it?*
What is the total force applied by the wind on the wall? A. 4 mm C. 12 mm
A. 0.25 N C. 9 N B. 8 mm D. 24 mm
B. 2500 N D. 90 000 N
17. The weight of a spacecraft on Earth is 1250 N and on Mercury it is 475 N. The gravitational
13. A boy of mass 40 kg stands on ice with his ice skates. The ice skates have a total base area field strength on Earth is 10 N/ kg.
of 0.5 m2 in contact with the ice. The gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg. What is the gravitational field strength on Mercury?

What is the pressure that the boy exerts on the ice? A. 0.26 N/ kg C. 2.63 N/ kg

C. 20 N/m 2
C. 200 N/m 2 B. 0.38 N/ kg D. 3.80 N/ kg
2 2
D. 80 N/m D. 800 N/m

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Section B: Structured Questions 2. Fig. 2.1 shows a block with surfaces labelled A, B and C.

1. Tanks are heavy vehicles which are designed to be able to travel on soft and muddy
grounds. All tanks are installed with tracks, as shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig 2.1

(a) The pressure exerted by the smallest contact area is 0.1 N/cm2. Find the weight of the
block.

Fig 1.1

(a) Define pressure.

_____________________________________________________________________
Weight = _______________ N
_____________________________________________________________________

(b) Explain how the tracks can prevent the tank from sinking into soft ground. (b) Given the gravitational field strength on Earth is 10 N/kg, calculate the mass of the
block.*
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Mass = _______________ kg

(c) Explain why surface A exerts the lowest pressure on the ground.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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3. Fig. 3.1 shows a concrete block with dimensions 20 cm x 40 cm x 80 cm. 4. An oxygen tank weighing 300 N on Earth is brought to Moon. The gravitational field
strength on Earth is 10 N / kg and that of Moon is 1.67 N / kg.

(a) Calculate the mass of the oxygen tank on Moon.

mass on Moon = _______________ kg

Fig 3.1
(b) Calculate the weight of the oxygen tank on Moon.
(a) A construction worker wants to lay this piece of concrete block on a soft ground. On
which surface, A, B or C, should he lay the concrete block on so that it is least likely to
sink into the soft ground? Explain your answer.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ weight on Moon = _______________ N

_____________________________________________________________________ (c) State the difference between mass and weight.

(b) Calculate the pressure exerted on the ground by the surface stated in 3(a) if the weight _____________________________________________________________________
of the block is 5000 N. _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

(d) State the instrument used to measure mass.

pressure = _______________ _____________________________________________________________________

(c) How will the pressure on the ground change if the block is made from styrofoam instead
of concrete?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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5. Fig. 5.1 shows a bottle that is filled with water. A cap is put on the bottle and it is turned 6. Fig. 6.1 shows a pin.
upside down. There is no air inside the bottle.
Fig. 6.2 shows a person pushing the pin into a wall.

Fig 6.1 Fig 6.2

(a) The area of the top surface of the pin is 1 .8 cm2. The person applies a force of 50 N.
Calculate the pressure exerted on the top surface of the pin. Include the unit.
Fig 5.1
(a) Define pressure.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

(b) The water exerts a pressure of 4000 Pa on the cap. The area of the cap in contact with
the water is 0.00035 m2.

Calculate the force exerted on the cap by the water. State its unit. pressure = _______________

(b) Explain why the pressure exerted on the wall in Fig. 6.2 is different from the pressure
calculated in (a)

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
Force = _______________
_____________________________________________________________________

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 4. Which of the following method helps to increase friction?
Name : _________________________
A. ball bearings in moving parts of machines
Date: _________________________ B. car tyres with grooves
C. lubricated surfaces
Forces (Test 1)
D. streamlined shape

Section A: MCQ [10 marks]

5. Which pairs of magnet would show a repulsive magnetic force?
1. The diagram shows a ship sailing in the sea.

In which of the directions labelled A, B, C and D, is friction acting?

2. Which option shows only non-contact forces?

A. friction only
B. friction and gravitational force
C. friction and magnetic force 6. The diagram shows a person holding a thumbtack in between his thumb and his forefinger.

D. gravity and magnetic force He felt a sharp pain on his thumb.

3. The diagram shows the different forces acting on an object when it is being pushed across
the floor.

Which statement correctly explains his observations?

A. Point X uses more force than Y to hold the thumbtack.

B. Point Y uses more force than X to hold the thumbtack.
C. The pressure of the thumbtack is greater on Point X than Y.
D. The pressure of the thumbtack is greater on Point Y than X.

Which arrow represents gravitational force?

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7. Which of the following is not possible when a force acts on an object? Section B: Structured Questions [10 marks]

A. The object slows down. 1. The first astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, who landed on the Moon

B. The object moves faster. in 1969, had planted their U.S. flag on the surface of the moon. They did a few experiments
*
C. The object changes its mass. on their mass and weight. They found that their weight were of their weights on Earth.
(

D. The object changes its shape. (Note: gravitational field strength, g, is 10 N/kg)

(a) Neil Armstrong’s mass is 78 kg on Earth.

8. The gravitational field strength on Earth is 10 N/kg while on the moon, it is 1.6 N/kg.
(i) What would be Neil Armstrong’s mass on the moon? [1]
An object has a weight of 10 N on Earth. Which of the following shows the mass and
weight of the object on the moon? _______________________________________________________________

(ii) Calculate his weight when he was on the moon. [2]

mass on the moon weight on the moon
A 1 kg 1.6 N
B 1 kg 10 N
C 1.6 kg 1.6 N
D 1.6 kg 10 N

9. Which statement about pressure is not true? (b) The two astronauts had some difficulty poking the flagpole into the hard sub-surface
soil of the Moon.
A. A 20 N iron bar always exert the same amount of pressure as 20 N stone when resting
(i) Suggest an improvement to the base of the flagpole to make it easier to push
on a floor.
through the hard sub-surface. [1]
B. The sharp edge of a knife exerts more pressure than a dull edge of a knife when the
same amount of force is applied on them.
_______________________________________________________________
C. A lady wearing a pair of high-heel shoes exerts more pressure on the floor than wearing
(ii) Explain how the suggestion in (b)(ii) will help them, in terms of pressure. [1]
a pair of sport shoes.
D. Skis with a larger surface area enables the skier to slide on the ground easily.
_______________________________________________________________

10. The same downward force is applied to the four objects resting on a horizontal surface. _______________________________________________________________
Which exerts the least pressure on the surface.

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2. The figure below shows a pair of shows (not drawn to scale). 3. A boy steps off a high board into swimming pool. The diagram shows the forces acting on
the boy at one point in his fall. The gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg.

(a) What is the total area of the pair of shoes in contact with the ground? [1]

(a) State the type of the two different forces. [2]

type of force for the 100 N force: ___________________________________________

type of force for the 540 N force: ___________________________________________

(b) The person wearing these shoes weighs 840 N.
Calculate the total pressure under the shoes. [1] (b) Hence, calculate the mass of the boy. [1]

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 4. A car is accelerating along a road in the direction shown. The wheel shown is connected to
Name : _________________________ the engine.

Date: _________________________

Forces (Test 2)

MCQ [10 marks]

1. A girl and a boy are pulling in opposite directions on a rope. The forces acting on the rope Which row shows the correct directions of air resistance on the car and friction acting on
are shown in the diagram. the wheel?

Which single force has the same effect as the two forces shown?
A. 50 N acting towards the girl C. 50 N acting towards the boy
B. 350 N acting towards the girl D. 350 N acting towards the boy
5. Which of the following shows the correct free body diagram of an aeroplane cruising
2. Three forces X, Y and Z are acting on a drone. forward with a constant speed of 250 m/s.

The drone is stationary in mid-air.

What row gives the correct combinations of forces?
A. X = Y = Z C. X – Y = Z
B. X + Y = Z D. X + Y > Z

3. Which quantities are measured in the same unit?

A. force and mass only C. force and weight only

B. mass and weight only D. force, mass and weight.

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6. A spanner is taken into outer space in a rocket. 9. A farmer has two carts. The carts have the same weight, but one has four narrow wheels
and the other has four wide wheels.
As the rocket moves from the Earth into outer space, which changes take place to the
spanner?

change in mass change in weight

A yes no
B yes yes
C no no
D no yes Which cart wheel sinks less into soft ground, and what is the reason?

cart wheels reason

7. An astronaut has a mass of 80 kg on Earth. He can jump to a vertical height of 1.50 m on
A narrow greater pressure on the ground
the surface of the Earth.
B narrow less pressure on the ground
Which row describes the height that he can jump on the Moon and the reason? C wide greater pressure on the ground

height he can jump on Moon reason D wide less pressure on the ground

A higher than 1.50 m his mass is less on the Moon

B higher than 1.50 m his weight is less on the Moon 10. Gavin is attempting to cross a frozen lake which is covered with only a very thin layer of

C 1.50 m his mass is the same on the Moon ice on the surface.

D lower than 1.50 m his weight is the same on the Moon Which of the following is the best method to cross the lake without cracking the ice?

A. tip-toe lightly and slowly across the surface

8. An astronaut conducted an experiment on Mars in which she placed a rock on a spring
B. run as fast as he can across the surface before it cracks
balance and then on a beam balance. The gravitational field strength of Mars is larger than
C. lie flat on the thin ice and push himself across the surface
that of the Moon.
D. remove all unnecessary heavy objects and walk normally across the surface
Which set of results is correct when the same experiment with the same rock was conducted
on the Moon?

spring balance reading beam balance reading

A greater than in Mars less than in Mars
B greater than in Mars same as in Mars
C smaller than in Mars less than in Mars
D smaller than in Mars same as in Mars

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Section B: Structured Questions [5 marks] 2. A moving car is pulling a trailer full of soil.
1. The figure below shows a tractor. The bucket in front of the tractor is used to push the fence
post into the ground. The bucket pushes the fence post down with a force of 6500 N. The
area of the post in contact with the ground is 100 cm2.

(a) Name force P. [1]

_____________________________________________________________________

(b) The soil has a mass of 180 kg and is eventually sent to a space station on the Moon for
science experiments. The gravitational field strength of the moon is 1.6 N/kg.

(i) State the mass of the soil on the Moon. [1]

(a) Calculate the pressure that the fence post exerts on the ground. [1]

mass = _______________

(ii) What are the instruments used to measure the mass and weight of the soil?
pressure = _______________
[BONUS QUESTION]

(b) A farmer cuts the bottom of the post to make it more pointed. He then uses the same Mass: ________________________
force to push the post into the ground.
Weight: ________________________
Explain why he makes the post more pointed. [2]

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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 5. Which of the following shows the correct free body diagram of a submarine moving
Name : _________________________ forward underwater?

Date: _________________________ A. B.

Forces (Test 3)

MCQ [10 marks]

1. Which quantities are measured in the same unit?

C. D.
A. weight and mass only C. force and energy only
B. energy and weight only D. force and weight only

2. Which statement about a gravitational field is correct?

A. A gravitational field is a region in which an object experiences a force because it is
6. Which statement about the weight of an object is correct?
charged.
B. A gravitational field is a region in which an object experiences a force because of its A. A electronic balance can only be used to compare weights, not masses.

mass. B. Weight is a type of non-contact force.

C. The gravitational field of the Earth acts outwards from its surface. C. Large objects always have more mass than small ones.

D. The strength of the Moon's gravitational field is less than the Earth's because it has no D. Mass is a force but weight is not.

atmosphere.
7. An Eskimo of mass of 50 kg stands on snow, wearing snow-shoes. The area of each snow-

3. A hammer with a mass of 300 g on the Earth is taken to Mars. The gravitational field shoe in contact with snow is 0.2 m2. Given that the gravitational field strength is 10 N/kg,

strength on the Earth is 10 N/kg and on Mars is 3.72 N/kg. what is the pressure exerted on the snow by the Eskimo?

What are the mass and the weight of the object on Mars? A. 125 N/m2
B. 250 N/m2
mass weight C. 1250 N/m2
A same same D. 2500 N/m2
B same different
C different same
D different different

4. Which statement about the mass of an object is correct?

A. Weight is equal to mass. C. Mass is found using a measuring cylinder.
B. Mass is not affected by gravity. D. Mass is measured in newtons.

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8. The diagram shows a 500 g box of dimensions 6.0 cm × 8.0 cm × 4.0 cm. 10. Four different blocks are resting on the ground.
The gravitational field strength g is 10 N / kg.

Which block exerts the greatest pressure on the surface below it?

The box rests on a flat horizontal surface.

What is the maximum pressure the box can exert on the surface it rests on?

A. 0.104 N/ cm2
B. 0.208 N/cm2
C. 10.4 N/cm2
D. 20.8 N/cm2 Bonus Question

11. The table shows the weight in newtons of a 10 kg mass on each of the four planets.
9. The diagram shows a tractor on muddy ground.
planet weight of a 10 kg mass in N
Earth 100
Jupiter 250
Mercury 40
Venus 90

The diagram shows a spring balance being used on one of these planets.

Why does the tractor need to have big and wide tires?

A. To travel a further distance

B. To avoid skidding on the ground
C. To support the weight of the tractor
D. To reduce the pressure on the ground

On which planet is the spring balance being used?

A. Earth C. Mercury
B. Jupiter D. Venus

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12. Suppose some aliens landed on several planets. Structured Questions [10 marks]
alien mass / kg weight / N
1. Two girls, A and B, of the same weight and wearing the shoes shown in the diagram, walk
P 40 80
across some sand.
Q 20 200
R 10 200
S 20 400

From the information, which two aliens are likely to have landed on the same planet?

A. P and S C. Q and R
B. Q and S D. R and S (a) Define pressure. [1]

13. The diagram shows two objects on a beam balance. _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

(b) The weight of both girls are 400 N.

(i) If the total area of the pair of shoes worn by girl A in contact with the ground is
300 cm2, calculate the pressure exerted by the shoes on the ground. [1]

The beam balance is in equilibrium. Which quantities may be different?

pressure = _______________
A. The masses of the two objects
B. The inertia of the two objects. (ii) If the total area of the pair of shoes worn by girl B in contact with the ground is
C. The volumes of the two objects 150 cm2, calculate the pressure exerted by the shoes on the ground. [1]
D. The weights of the two objects

14. An object that has a mass of 15 kg on the Earth is taken to the Moon. The gravitational
field strength on the Earth is 10 N/kg and on the Moon is 1.6 N/kg.
pressure = _______________
What are the mass and the weight of the object on the Moon?
(c) State why girl B leaves deeper marks in the sand. [2]
mass/ kg weight / N
_____________________________________________________________________
A 15 24
_____________________________________________________________________
B 15 150
C 24 15 _____________________________________________________________________
D 24 150

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2. The diagrams show what happens when a boy walks to the end of a springboard and dives Bonus Question
into a swimming pool. 4. A small table weighing 40 N stands on four legs, each having an area of contact of
0.001 m2.

What is the pressure of the table on the floor? [1]

(a) In diagram S, what force makes the springboard bend? [1]

pressure = _______________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. A car is exerting a total of 200 000 Pa on the ground. The total area of the four tyres in
(b) Name another force that acts on the boy in diagram T. [1]
contact with the road is 0.060 m2.
_____________________________________________________________________
(a) Calculate the weight of the car. [2]

3. Fig. 3 shows a concrete slab with dimensions 60.0 cm × 45.0 cm × 6.0 cm.

weight = _______________

(b) Calculate the mass of the car. [1]

Fig 3

The minimum pressure exerted by the concrete slab is 400 Pa. mass = _______________

(a) Calculate the weight of the concrete slab. [2]

weight = _______________

(b) Calculate the mass of the concrete slab given that the gravitational field strength on the
Earth is 10 N/kg. [1]

mass = _______________

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