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8th grade Force, mass and acceleration worksheet

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Force, mass and acceleration

Grade 8 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

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

  1. Ari pushes a loaded wagon with 96 N against 16 N of friction. It speeds up at 4 m/s². What is its mass?

  2. Bo pushes a box with 90 N against 30 N of friction. It speeds up at 5 m/s². What is its mass?

  3. Esme pushes a shopping cart with 56 N against 20 N of friction. It speeds up at 2 m/s². What is its mass?

  4. Kira's sled gets half the push but carries twice the mass. What happens to its acceleration?

    • It doubles: more mass speeds it
    • It halves: the push matters most
    • It is one quarter as much
    • It moves at a slower steady speed

  5. Read this first

    Use this

    Force arrow diagram, one dimension, arrows drawn to scale by size. Box A labeled 10 kg: push 30 N pointing right; friction 10 N pointing left. Box B labeled 20 kg: push 30 N pointing right; friction 0 N pointing left.

  6. Milo compares two carts. Which has the greater acceleration?

    • Cart B, since it has more mass
    • Cart A
    • The same, since both get 30 N pushes
    • Cart B, since it has no friction

  7. Noah compares two sleds. Which has the greater acceleration?

    • Sled A, since it is heavier
    • Sled A, since its pull is bigger
    • Sled B
    • They are equal

  8. Pia compares two boxes pushed with 25 N each. How do their accelerations compare?

    • They are equal
    • Box B's is bigger, since it is heavier
    • Box B's is bigger, since its friction is less
    • Box A's is bigger: 25 ÷ 5 beats 25 ÷ 10

  9. Use this

    Investigation card (test results). Question: does more force give more acceleration? Trial 1: 2 kg cart, 4 N pull, 2 m/s². Trial 2: 4 kg cart, 8 N pull, 2 m/s². Conclusion written: force does not change acceleration.

  10. Ren checks a classmate's test. What is wrong with the conclusion?

    • The track should have been longer
    • The pulls were too small to matter
    • Speed, not acceleration, should be measured
    • Two things changed at once: force and mass

  11. Use this

    Investigation card (test results). Question: how does pulling force change a 3 kg cart's motion? Changed: pull (3 N, 6 N). Measured: the cart's speed after 1 s, starting from rest. Results: 1 m/s, 2 m/s. Conclusion written: each force gives the cart one fixed speed.

  12. Tala reads this conclusion. What is the best correction?

    • The mass changed between trials
    • The cart should be lighter
    • The force changed how fast speed grows
    • Each force gives a fixed speed, as written

  13. Use this

    Investigation card (test results). Question: does mass change acceleration with the same pull? One trial each: 1 kg cart, 2 m/s²; 2 kg cart, 1 m/s². The pulls were not measured. Conclusion written: more mass gives less acceleration.

  14. Zee checks this test. What makes the conclusion weak?

    • More mass should give more acceleration
    • The carts were too light
    • The pulls were not measured or repeated
    • Speed should be measured instead
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8th grade Force, mass and acceleration worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Force, mass and acceleration. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can use F = m × a to find a force, an acceleration or a mass, with units.
  • I can find the net force first when friction pushes back.
  • I can predict: same force on more mass gives less acceleration; more force on the same mass gives more.

Standard: MS-PS2-2

Words to know

acceleration: How quickly speed changes, in meters per second each second (m/s²)

mass: How much matter an object has, in kilograms (kg)

net force: All the forces on one object combined, in newtons (N)

F = m × a: Net force equals mass times acceleration

newton (N): The force that speeds up 1 kg by 1 m/s each second

Common mistakes

Your child divided where F = m × a needs multiplying (or the other way). Write F = m × a together and cover the letter you want to find.

Your child used one force instead of the net force.

Your child added forces that point opposite ways. Push a box while a friend pushes back: the box moves only with what is left over.

What to say

Ask: which way is each arrow pointing, and what is left after they cancel?

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with force, mass and acceleration?

Your child divided where F = m × a needs multiplying (or the other way). Write F = m × a together and cover the letter you want to find.

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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