Science·Forces & Motion·procedural
Balanced & Unbalanced Forces
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object
Suggested ages 8–9
Learning journey
Your child is investigating how forces affect movement — observing patterns in how objects move and conducting experiments to understand how balanced and unbalanced forces change an object's motion.
Evidence of understanding
- Define balanced forces (equal in size, opposite in direction — no change in motion) and unbalanced forces (cause motion to change)
- Plan a fair test investigating how different force sizes affect an object's motion
- Use results as evidence to explain when forces are balanced versus unbalanced
Assessment prompt
Can Balanced & Unbalanced Forces explain why a book sitting on a table doesn't move (balanced forces) but slides when you push it (unbalanced forces)?
Standards alignment
3-PS2-1US · ngss-k5
3-PS2-1
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5