TEKS 5.7A: Forces and Motion Patterns
Equal & Unequal Forces
About this lesson
Learning Target: I can determine what causes equal and unequal forces and provide examples of each.
Focuses On:
- Equal forces
- Unequal forces
Builds On:
3.7B:
plan and conduct a descriptive investigation to demonstrate and explain how position and motion can be changed by pushing and pulling objects such as swings, balls, and wagons
Next Level:
6.7C:
identify simultaneous force pairs that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction that result from the interactions between objects using Newton's Third Law of Motion
Read More:
This lesson is designed to support student understanding of balanced and unbalanced forces.
The lesson begins with an introduction to balanced forces, focusing on how forces of equal strength acting in opposite directions result in no change in an object's motion. It then progresses to unbalanced forces, explaining how a net force in one direction causes a change in an object's motion.
This lesson builds upon 3rd-grade knowledge of pushes and pulls and prepares students for understanding Newton's Third Law of Motion in standard 6.7C.
Grade 5ScienceTEKS 5.7A