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Grade 8 · Science

8th grade Speeding up, slowing down and turning worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

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Speeding up, slowing down and turning

Grade 8 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. A toy car starts from rest and goes faster and faster down a ramp. Is it accelerating, Ari?

    • No: it started at rest
    • No: a ramp does the moving, not the car
    • Yes: its speed is changing
  2. Bo rides a bike at a steady 5 m/s along a straight, flat path. Is the bike accelerating?

    • No: same speed, same direction
    • Yes: 5 m/s is fast
    • Yes: it is moving
  3. Esme's toy train goes around a circular track at a steady speed. Is the train accelerating?

    • No: its speed stays the same
    • Yes: its direction is changing
    • No: toy trains are too slow
  4. Now the cart's velocity arrow points right and its net-force arrow points left. What is the cart doing, Kira?

    • Speeding up, since a force acts
    • Standing still
    • Slowing down
    • Moving left, the way the force points
  5. In Luz's top view, the velocity arrow points right and the net-force arrow points toward the top of the page. What is the cart doing?

    • Speeding up, since a force acts
    • Moving straight up the page
    • Slowing to a stop
    • Turning
  6. Milo watches things in the gym. Which one is accelerating?

    • A book resting on the bleachers
    • A ball slowing as it rolls to a stop
    • A cart rolling at a steady 2 m/s in a straight line
    • A mat lying on the floor
  7. Noah lists four moving things. Which one has no acceleration?

    • A bike braking at a red light
    • A car going around a bend at a steady speed
    • A puck sliding at a steady speed in a straight line
    • A ball dropped from a desk
  8. Pia rides the Ferris wheel (snack in hand). Which of these is accelerating?

    • An escalator step going up a straight slope at steady speed
    • An empty Ferris wheel stopped for the night
    • A Ferris wheel seat turning at a steady speed
    • A parked bus by the gate
  9. Ren's glossary has a blank by acceleration. Which meaning fits there?

    • Moving very fast
    • Any change in velocity: speed or direction
    • Speeding up, and nothing else
    • Moving in a straight line
  10. A car slows from 20 m/s to 10 m/s on a straight road. Is it accelerating, Tala?

    • No: it is still moving forward
    • No: speeding up is the one that counts
    • Yes, but just at the end
    • Yes: its velocity changed
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8th grade Speeding up, slowing down and turning worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

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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