Forces in Action
Explain what happens to the distance a toy car travels when you increase the height of a ramp. Why?
Increasing the height of the ramp increases the toy car’s speed and distance traveled because it has more potential energy converted to kinetic energy.
What does a flat line on a distance-time graph mean?
The object stopped moving (rest).
Which unit measures force?
Newtons (N).
Why is variation in orchid flower colors helpful?
Different colors attract more pollinators, improving reproduction.
How does genetic diversity help a population survive environmental changes?
More variety means some individuals will have traits that help them adapt.
A 100 g box slides down a ramp. What factors affect how fast it moves?
Ramp steepness, gravity, and friction.
A cyclist’s velocity graph shows constant speed for 3 hours. What does that mean?
The cyclist kept the same speed the whole time.
Two equal-mass balls collide. How does Newton’s 3rd Law explain what happens?
Each ball exerts equal and opposite forces
What is one major reason why a species’ habitat or range might change over time?
Environmental changes (like climate shifts, natural disasters, or human impact) can cause species to move or adapt.
Why are inherited traits more useful than learned behaviors for survival?
Inherited traits are passed down through genes, learned behaviors are not.
Why does a balloon attached to a straw move forward when air escapes?
Escaping air pushes backward, balloon moves forward (Newton’s 3rd Law).
What does an upward sloping line on a speed-time graph mean?
The object is accelerating.
A student pushes two blocks with different masses. Which accelerates more?
The lighter block, because acceleration = force ÷ mass.
What do similar bone structures in different animals show?
They share a common ancestor (homologous structures).
Give an example of analogous structures. Why aren’t they evidence of a common ancestor?
Insect wings and bat wings — same function but evolved separately.
What does “net force” mean? Give an example.
: Overall force after combining all forces. Ex: 10 N right and 6 N left = 4 N right, so it moves right.
A go-cart’s speed-time graph shows a flat line in the second half. What does that mean?
The go-cart moved at constant speed
Give a real-life example of Newton’s First Law.
A book slides in a car and keeps moving when the car stops suddenly.
Why do whales have hip bones even though they don’t use them?
They are vestigial, showing whale ancestors once walked on land.
How does competition affect natural selection?
Organisms with the best traits survive and reproduce, passing traits on.
Four forces act on a box in space. Predict its motion.
It moves in the direction of the stronger, unbalanced forces (ex: upward and rightward).
On a distance-time graph, a flat section between X and Y appears. What does that mean?
The object stopped moving (ex: waiting to cross a street).
A car accelerates at a constant rate for 10 seconds. What would the velocity-time graph look like?
A straight diagonal line going up, showing steady acceleration.
Fossil A is in rock above Fossil B. What does that mean?
Fossil A is more recent; they lived in different time periods.
Why is the fossil record strong evidence for evolution?
It shows gradual changes and transitional species over time.