Original Project
Force and Motion
A moving object will maintain the same speed and direction of motion unless a force acts on it.
Item FM100001: It is possible for an object to be moving at constant speed without a force pushing or pulling it.
Is it possible for an object to move at constant speed without a force pulling or pushing it?
- No, a constant force is needed to keep an object moving at constant speed.
- No, a force is needed to keep an object moving at constant speed, but it doesn’t have to be a constant force.
- Yes, an object will move at constant speed unless a force acts to change its motion.
- Yes, an object will move at constant speed as long as the force inside the object doesn’t run out.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1026 | 3514 | 29% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 579 | 2225 | 26% |
| 9–12 | 442 | 1280 | 35% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 486 | 1674 | 29% |
| Female | 518 | 1770 | 29% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 925 | 3170 | 29% |
| Other | 78 | 273 | 29% |
- 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.