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8th grade Motion (kinetic) energy, and how mass and speed change it worksheet

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Motion (kinetic) energy, and how mass and speed change it

Grade 8 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. Ari's cart has 20 J of motion energy at 2 m/s. Its speed rises to 6 m/s. What is its motion energy now?

  2. Bo's scooter has 10 J of motion energy at 1 m/s. Then it speeds up to 4 m/s. What is its motion energy now?

  3. Jun kicks a ball along the grass; it rolls, slows and stops. Which describes the energy?

    • The ball makes new energy as it rolls
    • Kick to ball motion, then it is destroyed
    • The heavier the ball, the less energy it takes
    • Kick to ball motion, then to thermal energy and sound
  4. Luz rubs both hands together fast, and they feel warm. What happened to the motion energy?

    • It stayed as motion energy
    • It turned into thermal energy
    • It was used up by the rubbing
    • Bigger hands lose it faster
  5. Milo says riding twice as fast doubles a bike's motion energy. Agree or disagree?

    • Agree: double the speed gives double the energy
    • Disagree: speed doesn't change it
    • Agree: energy and speed match
    • Disagree: it becomes four times as much
  6. Noah says a 2 kg cart at 3 m/s and a 3 kg cart at 2 m/s have equal motion energy. Agree or disagree?

    • Disagree: the faster cart has more
    • Agree: speed and mass count the same
    • Agree: 2 × 3 equals 3 × 2
    • Disagree: the heavier cart has more
  7. Pia says a twice-as-heavy wagon at the same speed has four times the motion energy. Agree or disagree?

    • Disagree: it has twice as much
    • Agree: heavier means four times
    • Agree: mass is squared too
    • Disagree: mass doesn't matter
  8. To cut a cart's motion energy the most, should Ren halve its speed or halve its mass?

    • Either: both give half
    • Neither changes the energy
    • Halve the speed: energy drops to a quarter
    • Halve the mass: mass counts more
  9. A school sign says to ride bikes at 3 m/s, not 6 m/s, near the gate. How much less motion energy is that, Tala?

    • The same, with the same rider
    • Half as much
    • A quarter as much
    • A third as much
  10. Zee unloads a cart from 60 kg to 40 kg, at the same speed. How does its motion energy change?

    • It does not change at the same speed
    • It doubles
    • It drops by a third
    • It drops by more, since mass is squared
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8th grade Motion (kinetic) energy, and how mass and speed change it worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Motion (kinetic) energy, and how mass and speed change it. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can find motion energy with KE = ½ × m × v², with units.
  • I can predict: double the mass, double the energy; double the speed, four times the energy.
  • I can follow motion energy into other objects, stored energy and heat, with the total kept.

Standard: MS-PS3-1, MS-PS3-5

Words to know

kinetic (motion) energy: Energy an object has because it is moving

KE = ½ × m × v²: Half the mass times the speed times the speed

squared: A number times itself: 3² = 9

transfer: Energy moving from one object or store to another

thermal energy: Energy of particle motion; warming

Common mistakes

Your child left the ½ out of the motion-energy rule. Say it together: motion energy is one half times mass times speed squared.

Your child forgot to square the speed.

Your child thought doubling speed doubles motion energy. Make a table together: 1, 2, 3 m/s gives 1, 4, 9 times the energy.

What to say

Ask: what is the speed times itself? That number goes into the rule.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with motion (kinetic) energy, and how mass and speed change it?

Your child left the ½ out of the motion-energy rule. Say it together: motion energy is one half times mass times speed squared.

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.

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