Force & Acceleration (F=ma)

REF STUDY GUIDE: Big Ideas Use to answer form questions

1.Newton's Second Law (F = ma): Force equals mass times acceleration, measured in Newtons (kg x m/s squared) — so a 2 kg ball hit with 10 N of force accelerates at 5 m/s squared.

2.Net Force: When multiple forces act on the same object, you add forces in the same direction and subtract forces in opposite directions — only the net (total) force determines whether the object accelerates.

3.Free-Body Diagrams: A free-body diagram is a sketch that shows every force acting on an object as labeled arrows — longer arrows mean larger forces, and the direction of each arrow shows which way that force pushes or pulls.

4.Mass and Acceleration: Heavier objects need more force to reach the same acceleration because mass resists changes in motion — pushing an empty cart is easy, but a loaded cart with five times the mass needs five times the force for the same speed-up.

DRAW KEY TERMS Google each → Images tab → sketch what you see

What is a Free-Body…

A visual representation of ALL for…

Mass (m)

Amount of matter; measured in kilograms (kg)

Force (F)

A push or pull; measured in Newtons (N)

Net Force

Sum of all forces acting on an object (add same direction, subtract opposite)

OTHER VOCAB: mass (m) · acceleration (a) · free-body diagram

WRITE FOCUS QUESTION Your initial thinking

You grab an empty shopping cart and glide it easily down the aisle. But after loading it with groceries, the same push barely gets it rolling — and turning corners feels like steering a truck.

Why does a shopping cart get harder to push when it's full?

I think...

WRITE AFTER HOOK FORM Reflect before continuing

I learned that...

Station 1 — Key Data (PhET)

I observed that...

This shows that...

The key concept is...

Station 2 — Net Force Examples

The data shows...

This connects to...

The main idea is...

This connects to what we learned because...

I can apply this by...

DRAW CONCEPT MODEL Show your understanding visually

Draw a model that shows the main concept. Include labels and arrows to explain relationships.

Labels included

Relationships shown

Key terms used

CHECK TEST YOUR THINKING Rate each: FALSE ← 1-2-3-4-5 → TRUE

1. A heavier object falls faster than a lighter object when dropped from the same height.

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2. If the net force on an object is zero, the object must be standing still.

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3. Doubling the force on an object always doubles its speed.

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4. Force and acceleration are the same thing — more force means more acceleration, always.

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5. An object with twice the mass needs twice the force to accelerate at the same rate.

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Pick any TWO statements — especially any you rated 2, 3, or 4. Justify your rating with evidence:

Statement #___ — I rated it ___ because:

THINK SCIENTIST CIRCLE DEBRIEF Reflect after your Scientist Circle discussion

AHA! Moment

The one I changed my thinking most about is...

Remaining Question

I still wonder...

WRITE FOCUS QUESTION REVISIT Final written response

Why does a shopping cart get harder to push when it's full?

Word Bank: force (f) · mass (m) · acceleration (a) · net force · free-body diagram · What is a Free-Body…