Original Project
Force and Motion
Item FM093002: A cart that is being pushed with constant force can move faster than the person pushing it if the force of the push is greater than the force of friction on the cart.
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the motion of a cart that is being pushed on a level surface?
- The cart is moving at constant speed if the force of the push is constant and less than the force of friction on the cart.
- The cart is moving at constant speed if the force of the push is constant and is greater than the force of friction on the cart.
- The cart is moving faster and faster if the force of the push is constant and is greater than the force of friction on the cart.
- The cart is moving faster and faster if the force of the push is constant and the same strength as the force of friction on the cart.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 556 | 3537 | 16% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 373 | 2242 | 17% |
| 9–12 | 181 | 1285 | 14% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 271 | 1689 | 16% |
| Female | 274 | 1775 | 15% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 494 | 3187 | 16% |
| Other | 50 | 279 | 18% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- PS2.A The motion of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, its motion will change. The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion. For any given object, a larger force causes a larger change in motion.
PS2.A Newton's second law accurately predicts changes in the motion of macroscopic objects.