Original Project
Force and Motion
If a force acts on an object in the direction opposite to the direction of the object’s motion, the object’s…
Item FM056003: An object’s speed will decrease the entire time that a force is acting in the direction opposite its direction of motion.
A force is acting on a moving object that causes it to slow down. No other forces are acting on this object. The object does not stop or turn around.
Which statement describes what will happen to the object's motion while the force acts?
A. The object’s speed will decrease the entire time.
B. The object’s speed will stay the same the entire time.
C. The object’s speed will decrease for a while and then increase.
D. The object’s speed will decrease for a while and then stay the same.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1635 | 3518 | 47% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 1007 | 2232 | 45% |
| 9–12 | 621 | 1276 | 49% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 807 | 1675 | 48% |
| Female | 800 | 1770 | 45% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1508 | 3168 | 48% |
| Other | 97 | 279 | 35% |
- 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.