Grade 8 · Science

8th grade Speeding up, slowing down and turning worksheet

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Speeding up, slowing down and turning

Grade 8 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.
Ari's sled slides right across flat snow and slows down. Which pair of arrows fits the sled?
- Velocity left, net force right
- Velocity right, net force left
- Velocity right, net force up the page
- Velocity right, net force right
2.
A puck slides north on ice and curves to the west at a steady speed. Which pair of arrows fits the puck at the start of the curve, Bo?
- Velocity west, net force north
- Velocity north, net force west
- Velocity north, no net force
- Velocity north, net force north
3.
A car drives once around a circular track at a steady 15 m/s and stops where it started. Did it accelerate while circling, Kira?
- Yes, but just at the start
- No: its speed stayed 15 m/s
- Yes, the whole time it turned
- No: it ended where it began
4.
Luz's bus slows down, turns a corner, then speeds up. During which parts is the bus accelerating?
- All three parts
- While slowing and speeding up, not turning
- Only while speeding up
- None: a bus is too big
5.
Milo says a car braking hard is not accelerating, because it is losing speed. Agree or disagree?
- Disagree: slowing down is acceleration
- Agree: speeding up is the one that counts
- Disagree: it is speeding up
- Agree: losing speed is the opposite
6.
Noah says a fast train cruising straight at 80 m/s has a huge acceleration. Agree or disagree?
- Disagree: trains can't accelerate
- Disagree: its velocity is not changing
- Agree: a long train has more acceleration
- Agree: faster means more acceleration
7.
Pia says a ball rolling at a steady speed around a curved track has zero acceleration. Agree or disagree?
- Disagree: its direction changes
- Disagree: it is slowing down
- Agree: the speed stays the same
- Agree: curves don't count
8.
Ren's distance-time line is straight and rising. Is the object accelerating?
- Yes: its distance keeps growing
- Yes: it is slowing down
- No: it is stopped
- No: it moves at a steady speed
9.
Tala's distance-time line curves upward, getting steeper each second. What is the object doing?
- Speeding up
- Moving at a steady speed
- Moving back toward the start
- Slowing down, as the line bends
10.
Zee's distance-time line rises but bends flatter each second. What is the object doing?
- Speeding up: its distance still grows
- Moving back toward the start
- Slowing down
- Moving at a steady speed

8th grade Speeding up, slowing down and turning worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Speeding up, slowing down and turning. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can tell whether something is accelerating: its speed or its direction changes.
I can read a box diagram: force along the velocity speeds it up, against it slows it, sideways turns it.
I can say that slowing down and turning at a steady speed are both acceleration, and that a steady straight motion is not.

Standard: supports MS-PS2-2

Words to know

acceleration: Any change in velocity: speeding up, slowing down or turning

velocity: Speed together with direction

net force: The overall push or pull on an object

velocity arrow: Shows which way the object is moving

net-force arrow: Shows which way the motion is being changed

Common mistakes

Your child counted only changes in speed. Turning at a steady speed is acceleration too, because the direction changes.

Your child thought anything moving, or moving fast, is accelerating. A steady speed in a straight line is not acceleration.

Your child thought only speeding up counts. In science, slowing down is acceleration too, opposite to the motion.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with speeding up, slowing down and turning?

Your child counted only changes in speed. Turning at a steady speed is acceleration too, because the direction changes.

Are these 8th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 8 science

See all grade 8 science

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