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Investigate and describe that the greater the force applied to it, the greater the change in motion of a given object.
Standard #: SC.5.P.13.2
Standard Information
General Information
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 5
Body of Knowledge: Physical Science
Idea: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
Big Idea: Forces and Changes in Motion - A. It takes energy to change the motion of objects.

B. Energy change is understood in terms of forces--pushes or pulls.

C. Some forces act through physical contact, while others act at a distance.

Clarification for grades K-5: The target understanding for students in the elementary grades should focus on Big Ideas A, B, and C.

Clarification for grades 6-8: The target understanding for students in grades 6-8 should begin to transition the focus to a more specific definition of forces and changes in motion. Net forces create a change in motion. A change in momentum occurs when a net force is applied to an object over a time interval.

Grades 9-12, Standard 12: Motion - A. Motion can be measured and described qualitatively and quantitatively. Net forces create a change in motion. B. Momentum is conserved under well-defined conditions. A change in momentum occurs when a net force is applied to an object over a time interval.
Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08
Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 05/08
Status: State Board Approved
Assessed: Yes
Related Courses
Related Access Points
  • SC.5.P.13.Pa.1 # Recognize that pushing or pulling makes an object move.
  • SC.5.P.13.In.2 # Identify that heavier objects take more force to move than lighter ones.
  • SC.5.P.13.Su.2 # Recognize that a heavier object is harder to move than a light one.
Related Resources
Lesson Plans
  • Paying for Payloads # Students will investigate the relationship between mass and the force required to lift an object, as well as the impact of forces on the object’s motion. Using payload data and rocket specs, they will develop a plan with a budget to launch five modules of a new spaceport into low Earth orbit.
  • Bottling Rockets # In this lesson, students will explore the concepts of force and motion as they use the engineering design process to create and test rockets. Students will demonstrate their understanding of familiar forces by creating and presenting a poster. Take students up, up, and away with this engaging lesson!
  • Pendulum Inquiry - Wrecking Balls # In this lesson, students will mimic a wrecking ball by manipulating the variables of a pendulum in order to move objects with different masses. It is recommended this lesson follow Pendulum Inquiry (see CPALMS Resource #28568), which will build students' content knowledge on pendulums. Students can apply their understanding of pendulums gained from the lesson Pendulum Inquiry to assist them in designing wrecking ball pendulums in this lesson.
  • Sail Away - An Engineering Design Challenge # This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of forces from SC.5.P.13.1 and SC.5.P.13.2 as well as energy and its ability to cause motion from SC.5.P.10.1 and SC.5.P.10.2 by designing a boat and racing it. It may also be used as introductory instruction of the content.
  • Blast Off - An Engineering Design Challenge # This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of forces from SC.5.P.13.1 and SC.5.P.13.2 by building and launching straw rockets. It may also be used as introductory instruction of the content.
  • We're Curious!—An Engineering Design Challenge # This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of forces as they build containers to protect their eggs in an egg drop. It is not intended as an initial introduction to this benchmark.
Original Student Tutorial
Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiasts
Video/Audio/Animation
  • Why Can't Busses Fly? - How Airplanes Fly # Why can't busses fly like passenger jets? Students will explore the physics of flight in this automated PowerPoint eReader, learning about the main forces that influence airplanes in flight. Open the presentation in presenter view and the animations and music will take over!
Virtual Manipulatives
  • Explore the forces #
    Students can create an applied force and see how it makes objects move. They can also make changes in friction and see how it affects the motion of objects.
    • Identify when forces are balanced vs. unbalanced.
    • Determine the sum of forces (net force) on an object with more than one force on it.
    • Predict the motion of an object with zero net force.
    • Predict the direction of motion given a combination of forces.
  • Forces in 1 Dimension # This is a virtual manipulative which demonstrates the principles of force. Students can click on a man and push different objects of varying masses across the screen. The resulting forces (frictional and total force) are shown. Graphs show forces, position and acceleration as a function of time. Free body diagrams of all the forces can also be viewed.
Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades K-8
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