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Forces & Engineering

Grade 4 · Building confidence · 8 questions · Version PG-UC3RWN-1BAP

Children investigate a leaf and a frog with a caregiver beside a pond.
1.

Explain “mechanical advantage” in your own words.

2.

Explain “Newton's third law” in your own words.

3.

Explain “constraint” in your own words.

4.

Explain “unbalanced forces” in your own words.

5.

Explain “balanced forces” in your own words.

6.

Explain “magnet” in your own words.

7.

Explain “potential energy” in your own words.

8.

Explain “prototype” in your own words.

Answers and teaching notes

Use the answers to check the work after the learner finishes. For writing prompts, the guide describes what a strong response should include.

Show answers for version 7
  1. Explain “mechanical advantage” in your own words.the factor by which a machine multiplies force
  2. Explain “Newton's third law” in your own words.forces occur in equal and opposite pairs
  3. Explain “constraint” in your own words.a limit a design must satisfy
  4. Explain “unbalanced forces” in your own words.forces producing a nonzero net force
  5. Explain “balanced forces” in your own words.forces with zero net effect on motion
  6. Explain “magnet” in your own words.an object producing a field that attracts or repels certain materials
  7. Explain “potential energy” in your own words.stored energy based on position or condition
  8. Explain “prototype” in your own words.an early model used to test a design

Worked example

Identify forces, constraints, and evidence from a test before revising a design.

Common mistake

Changing several variables at once and losing a fair comparison.

Helpful hint

Change one feature and measure the result.