Science·Forces & Motion·representational
Drawing Force Diagrams
Draw and interpret force diagrams showing forces as labelled arrows — where the arrow's length represents the force's magnitude and its direction shows which way the force acts; show multiple forces on one object; identify from the diagram whether forces are balanced (equal arrows in opposite directions, no resultant) or unbalanced (arrows of different sizes, producing a resultant); represent the resultant with a single arrow
Suggested ages 7–12
Learning journey
Your child is exploring forces around them — discovering how magnets work, understanding that some forces need contact while others work at a distance, and investigating how different surfaces affect how things move.
Evidence of understanding
- Draw a force diagram with labelled arrows showing direction and relative size for at least two forces acting on an object
- Use their diagram to explain whether forces are balanced or unbalanced and what will happen to the object
- Add a resultant force arrow to a diagram and explain how they calculated it
Assessment prompt
If Drawing Force Diagrams is asked to draw a diagram of all the forces acting on a stationary book on a table, can they draw two arrows — one pointing down for gravity and one pointing up from the table — and explain why, if they're balanced, the book doesn't move?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.