Forces and Motion
A push or pull that can change an object’s motion or shape is called this.
Force
What is mass?
The amount of matter in an object.
Explanation: Mass doesn’t change no matter where you are—it’s how much “stuff” is inside something.
What is aerodynamics?
The study of how air moves around objects.
Explanation: Air pushes on objects, and how it moves affects things like speed, lift, and drag.
Name the four forces acting on a plane.
Answer: Lift, weight, thrust, drag.
Explanation: These are the forces that push the plane up, down, forward, or slow it down.
A force can change an object in three ways. Name them
Speed, direction, or shape.
What is gravity?
A force that pulls objects toward each other.
Explanation: On Earth, gravity pulls things down toward the center of the earth.
Drag is _____________
Answer: Drag is a force that slows something down. It pushes back on an object or pushes against thrust.
Key idea: state it is a force and explain what it does.
Lift is ____________
Lift is a force that pushes an object up into the air. (Key ideas: it is a force, and it pushes upwards.)
Matching:
Situation: A) If you push a door B) gravity pulls a ball C) stretch a rubber band
What Changes: 1) speed, 2) direction, or 3) shape
Door → direction A-2
Gravity → speed B-1
Rubber band → shape C-3
What is weight?
The force of gravity acting on mass.
Explanation: Weight is made up of mass and gravity acting on the object
More drag causes what to happen? Why?
Answer: More drag means there is more surface area for the particles to hit, so it slows down the object.
Example: Think of the paper demo with the flat sheet and the crumpled ball—the flat paper had more drag acting on it.
Thurst is ______________
Thrust is a force that pushes an object forward. (Key ideas: it is a force, and it pushes forward.)
The two main types of forces are __ and __.
Contact and non-contact forces.
Explanation:
Contact forces need objects to touch.
Non-contact forces, like gravity, work from a distance.
If you go to the Moon, your mass stays the same, but your weight changes. Why?
Gravity on the Moon is weaker.
Explanation: Less gravity means it pulls less on your mass, so you weigh less.
Explain where there is more or less drag in this situation. Use surface area to explain why the object slows down or goes faster.
Answer: The bird has less drag acting on it. It tucks its wings in to reduce drag by decreasing the surface area (the space for air particles to hit). Since there is less surface area, there is less drag, allowing the bird to dive very quickly.
What part of a plane creates thrust?
Answer: Engines or jets.
Kicking a soccer ball is what kind of force?
Contact
You have to physically touch the ball to change its motion.
How are mass, gravity, and weight connected?
Mass and Gravity together = Weight.
Explanation: Weight is created when gravity pulls on an object’s mass.
2 ways to create lift are:
Explain what happens with the air particles
1) Wing Shape:
2) Increase Speed or Thrust:
When thrust is stronger than drag, what happens to the plane?
Answer: It moves forward.
Explanation: Forward push is stronger than backward resistance, so the plane accelerates