Year 5 Science: Free Printable Forces and Air Resistance Worksheets With Answers

In Year 5, children begin to explore how forces affect the way objects move. Forces such as gravity, friction and air resistance are part of everyday life, from a bicycle slowing down to a parachute floating towards the ground. Printable forces and air resistance worksheets can help pupils make sense of these familiar experiences, practise using scientific vocabulary and prepare for lessons and assessments. With answers included, adults can check understanding together and talk through any misconceptions.

The activities are designed for pupils working within Key Stage 2 in England. They can support classroom teaching, home learning or revision, while giving children a chance to connect scientific ideas with practical investigations. The most effective practice combines short written tasks with observation and discussion: a worksheet is a useful starting point, not a replacement for seeing forces in action.

What the National Curriculum expects in Year 5

The England National Curriculum for science states that Year 5 pupils should learn about forces, including gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction. They should recognise that these forces can act between moving surfaces or between objects and fluids, such as air and water. Pupils are also expected to identify the effects of these forces, for example by observing how they slow down or change the movement of an object.

Children should learn that unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of gravity. They should also investigate the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, and recognise that some mechanisms, including levers, pulleys and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect. These ideas are set out for lower Key Stage 2, so pupils should build on earlier learning about pushes and pulls and develop their explanations using increasingly precise language.

Year 5 is not about mastering complex equations or calculating forces. The focus is on noticing what happens, comparing results fairly and explaining observations in simple scientific terms. Worksheets can reinforce this learning with labelled diagrams, matching activities, short explanations and questions about investigations.

Understanding air resistance

Air resistance is a force that acts against an object as it moves through air. It is a type of friction. As an object moves, it pushes air out of the way; the air pushes back against it. The effect can be small or large depending on factors such as the object’s shape, surface area and speed.

A useful example is a falling piece of paper. A flat sheet usually falls more slowly than the same sheet scrunched into a tight ball. The paper has the same mass, but its shape changes how much air it meets as it falls. The flat sheet has a larger surface area facing the air, so air resistance has a greater effect on its movement. This is a helpful comparison, but encourage children to describe what they observe rather than memorise a rule without evidence.

Parachutes provide another familiar example. A parachute’s broad canopy catches a large amount of air, increasing air resistance and helping the person or object beneath it descend more slowly. The force of gravity still pulls the parachute downwards. The two forces act in opposite directions, and a steady fall can occur when they balance. For Year 5, it is enough to explain that the parachute increases air resistance and slows the fall.

What a good worksheet can help children practise

A well-designed worksheet gives pupils opportunities to distinguish between forces and describe their effects. Children might identify gravity as the force pulling an object towards Earth, friction as a force between surfaces that can slow movement, and air resistance as a force acting against movement through air. They can then apply these ideas to examples such as a cyclist, a falling feather, a paper aeroplane or a parachute.

Look for activities that ask pupils to explain, not just label. For example, a question might ask why a cyclist may find it harder to travel quickly when riding into a strong wind. A suitable Year 5 answer would explain that the air pushes against the cyclist and bike, creating air resistance that makes forward movement harder. Questions about fair testing are also valuable. Children should be encouraged to identify what they will change, what they will measure and what they will keep the same.

Answer sheets are particularly useful when adults use them as a guide for discussion rather than simply marking responses right or wrong. Scientific explanations can be phrased in different ways. If a child understands that air resistance acts against movement through air, they may express the idea in their own words and still show secure understanding. Invite them to improve an answer by adding a scientific term or explaining the cause of an effect.

A simple investigation to try at home or in class

To explore air resistance, make two paper shapes using sheets of the same size and type: leave one flat and scrunch the other into a ball. Hold them at the same height and drop them at the same time, where it is safe to do so. Ask children to predict which will reach the ground first, observe what happens and repeat the test to check whether the result is consistent.

For a more structured investigation, pupils can create simple parachutes from identical pieces of lightweight material and attach the same small weight to each. They might change the size of the canopy while keeping the material, string length and weight the same. Time how long each parachute takes to fall from a safe, fixed height. Adult supervision is important, particularly when using scissors or testing anything above ground level.

Encourage children to record results in a table and write a brief conclusion. They should say what they found and refer to evidence from their test. For instance, they might note that the larger canopy took longer to fall in repeated trials, then explain that it experienced more air resistance. Avoid presenting one result as proof on its own: gentle reminders about repeating tests and keeping conditions similar help pupils develop good scientific habits.

Common misconceptions to address

Children sometimes think that air resistance pushes an object upwards. It acts against the object’s movement through the air; for a falling object, that means it acts upwards while gravity acts downwards. They may also think that heavier objects always fall faster. In real life, shape and air resistance can affect how objects fall, so a simple comparison using objects with different sizes or shapes may not test weight alone.

Another common confusion is that gravity only acts when an object is falling. Explain that gravity pulls objects towards Earth whether they are moving, resting on a surface or being held. A table provides an upward support force on a book, while gravity pulls the book downwards. Year 5 pupils do not need a detailed account of every force acting on the book, but noticing that forces can act even when an object is stationary can deepen understanding.

When correcting misconceptions, start with a prediction and an observation. Ask, “What do you think will happen?” and then, “What did you notice?” A practical test followed by a short worksheet question often helps children revise their first idea more effectively than simply being told the answer.

Making revision manageable

Short, regular practice is usually more useful than completing a large number of questions in one sitting. A ten-minute worksheet activity can recap key vocabulary, while a quick demonstration or discussion helps connect that language to everyday experience. Ask children to explain one example in their own words, draw arrows to show the direction of a force, or compare two objects that move differently.

For parents, keep revision relaxed and curious. Everyday journeys offer plenty to discuss: why a bike slows when the rider stops pedalling, why a streamlined helmet can help reduce air resistance, or why a parachute falls more slowly than a small object without one. Teachers can use printable worksheets before an investigation to gather predictions, then return to them afterwards so pupils can review and improve their explanations.

A practical next step

Use forces and air resistance worksheets with answers to support the Year 5 National Curriculum, but pair written practice with simple demonstrations and careful questioning. Help children name the force, describe what it does and refer to evidence when explaining a result. With regular opportunities to observe, discuss, practise and revise, pupils can build a clear understanding of how forces shape movement in the world around them.