Goal: Students will understand that forces change the motion of objects in predictable ways and use
Newton’s 1st and 2nd Law to describe the relationship between forces and motion.
Score 4.0
Score 3.0
In addition to everything learned at the 3.0 level, the student knows more than expected which
can be shown by:
 Complete the Converting Units Extra Credit Activity correctly
 Create an experiment that tests Newton’s 2nd Law for a real-life situation
 Describe the difference between action/reaction forces and balanced/unbalanced forces
acting on an object?
 Describe 3 examples of Newton’s 3rd Law, including the action and reaction forces.
Score 3.5
In addition to everything learned at the 3.0 level the student has worked on
level 4.0 activities with partial success.
With only minor mistakes or any items left out, student can:
 Define the concept of inertia.
Inertia is an object’s resistance to a change in motion; like how easy or
difficult it is to get an object at rest to move.
 Describe the relationship between inertia and mass.
The greater the mass, the greater the inertia.
 State Newton’s 1st Law.
Newton’s 1st Law states that an object in motion will stay in motion unless
acted on by an unbalanced force. Also, an object at rest stays at rest unless
acted on by an unbalanced force.
 Describe a situation that involves balanced forces. Describe a situation that involves
unbalanced forces. An object at rest or one traveling at a constant speed must
have balanced forces. When there is motion or a change in motion, there
must be unbalanced forces causing the change.
 Describe the difference between mass and weight.
Mass is the amount of matter and weight is the force of gravity on that mass.
 Draw all the forces acting on a still object and on a moving object. The arrow used to
show force must show the direction and magnitude (size) of the force. See study guide
answers.
 State Newton’s 2nd Law, including the formula.
The acceleration of an object increases with greater force, and decreases with
greater mass. F = m*a
 Describe the measure of force as a Newton (kg * m/sec2).
A Newton is equal to a kg* meter/sec2.
 Describe how acceleration is affected by an object with increased mass for a steady force,
and how the mass of an object affects the size of the acceleration possible for a steady
force. The acceleration will increase as the mass decreases for a steady force.
As the mass decreases the object will experience more acceleration for a
steady force.
 Determine the direction of motion, if the direction of the force is known.
Motion is in the same direction as the force causing the motion.
 Name two forces that keep an object moving in a circle.
You can use either centripetal or centrifugal force to describe a force that
keeps an object moving in a circle.
 Describe friction as a force and name 3 factors that affect the size of the friction force.
Friction is a force that resists motion between 2 surfaces in contact. Friction
can be affected by the surface, motion, and the force pressing the surfaces
together.
Score 2.5
Score 2.0
No big mistakes on any of the 2.0 elements and has learned parts of the
score 3.0 items.
With only minor mistakes, the student can describe basic ideas below but has not
accomplished the more complex ideas and processes at level 3.0.
 Give an example of how forces create motion
 Explain that Sir Isaac Newton created laws that describe how forces create motion
Score 1.5
Score 1.0
Makes some mistakes with level 2.0 elements but makes big mistakes
and/or has not accomplished the more complex ideas and processes at
level 3.0.
With help, the student makes big mistakes with level 2.0 elements and also makes big mistakes
and/or has not accomplished the more complex ideas and processes at level 3.0.