Speeding up, slowing down and turning
Grade 8 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
A ball rises straight up after a toss. In Ari's side-view diagram, its velocity arrow points up and its net-force arrow (gravity) points down. What is the ball doing?
- Moving down, the way the force points
- Slowing down as it rises
- Rising at a steady speed
- Speeding up, since gravity acts
In Bo's diagram, a cart's velocity arrow and net-force arrow both point left. What is the cart doing?
Force arrow diagram (top view): a box for the cart, with a velocity arrow pointing left and a net-force arrow pointing left. Force arrow diagram (top view): a box for the cart, with a velocity arrow pointing left and a net-force arrow pointing left. cart velocity net-force - Moving right
- Turning to the right
- Speeding up, moving left
- Slowing down, moving left
Read this first
Table (example data)
Time (s) and velocity. 0 s, 0 m/s east; 1 s, 2 m/s east; 2 s, 4 m/s east; 3 s, 6 m/s east.
Jun records a scooter's velocity each second. What is the scooter doing?
- Moving at a steady speed
- Turning
- Speeding up
- Slowing down
Table (example data)
Time (s) and velocity. 0 s, 10 m/s north; 1 s, 8 m/s north; 2 s, 6 m/s north; 3 s, 4 m/s north.
Kira records a bike's velocity on a straight road. Is the bike accelerating?
- No: it keeps going north
- Yes: it is slowing down
- Yes: it is turning
- No: speeding up is what counts
Table (example data)
Time (s) and velocity. 0 s, 3 m/s east; 2 s, 3 m/s south; 4 s, 3 m/s west; 6 s, 3 m/s north.
Luz's robot drives a square path at one speed. Is the robot accelerating?
- Yes: its direction changes
- No: it ends heading north
- Yes: it speeds up
- No: its speed stays 3 m/s
Milo learns that a car has a gas pedal, a brake and a steering wheel. Which of them can make the car accelerate?
- The gas pedal alone
- The steering wheel alone
- The gas pedal and the brake, not the wheel
- All three of them
On a bike, Noah can pedal harder, squeeze the brakes or turn the handlebars. Which actions make the bike accelerate?
- Turning the handlebars alone
- All three of the actions
- Pedaling and braking, not turning
- Pedaling harder alone
Pia pushes a scooter faster, drags a foot to slow it, then leans into a turn. During which actions is the scooter accelerating?
- Pushing and slowing, not turning
- All three of the actions
- Pushing faster alone
- None of them
Car A cruises at a steady 30 m/s on a straight road. Car B speeds up from 0 to 10 m/s. Which car is accelerating, Ren?
- Car A, as it is faster
- Both, as both are moving
- Neither
- Car B
A plane cruises at a steady 250 m/s in a straight line. A bus pulls away from a stop. Which is accelerating, Tala?
- Neither
- The plane, as it is much faster
- Both, as both are moving
- The bus