Year 5 Forces Worksheet - Intermediate

Year 5 Forces worksheet for Year 5 (Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)). Intermediate level science practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

Science•Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)•Forcesintermediate

30 views

Forces at Work: Push, Pull and Power

Year 5 Science | Ages 9–10 | Intermediate

Name:

Date:

Score:

Instructions: Explore how forces affect moving objects and how simple mechanisms make work easier. Read each question carefully, use the information given, and explain your thinking where asked.

Gravity: Mass and Weight

Gravity is a non-contact force that pulls objects towards Earth. Mass is the amount of matter in an object; weight is the force of gravity acting on it. Use the facts in each question to give a clear answer.

1. A rucksack has a mass of 2 kg on Earth. If it is taken to the Moon, will its mass change? Explain why.

2. An astronaut weighs less on the Moon than on Earth. What does this tell you about the Moon’s gravitational pull compared with Earth’s?

3. A ball is released from a hand and falls to the ground. Which force causes it to fall?

4. A book rests on a table. Is Earth’s gravitational pull still acting on the book? Explain your answer.

5. Two objects have the same mass. One is on Earth and one is on the Moon. Which object has the greater weight?

Resistance and Friction

Air resistance and water resistance act against movement through air and water. Friction acts between surfaces that touch. For each situation, identify the force and explain how it affects the movement.

1. A cyclist rides downhill and feels the air pushing against their body. Name this force and say which way it acts compared with the cyclist’s movement.

2. A swimmer moves through a pool. What resistance acts against the swimmer’s movement?

3. A toy car rolls across a carpet and slows down. Which force between the car and carpet helps slow it?

4. A parachute opens as a skydiver falls. How does the larger parachute affect air resistance?

5. A boat has a smooth, pointed front. Explain how this shape can help reduce water resistance.

Forces in Action

Use the observations to identify the force or forces involved. Include a reason in your answer when asked to explain or compare.

1. A football rolls across grass and gradually stops. Name the force that acts between the ball and the grass, and describe its effect.

2. A paper parachute falls more slowly than the same paper scrunched into a ball. Which force explains the difference?

3. A swimmer pushes water backwards with their hands and moves forwards. What resistance acts as the swimmer travels through the water?

4. A heavy object and a light object are dropped on Earth. What force pulls both towards the ground?

5. A skateboard rolls more easily over smooth paving than over rough ground. Explain how friction differs between the two surfaces.

Levers and Pulleys

A lever turns around a pivot, while a pulley uses a wheel and rope to help lift a load. For each example, identify the mechanism or explain how it helps.

1. A seesaw turns around a central support. What is the central support called?

2. A child presses down on one end of a lever to lift a heavy stone at the other end. How does the lever help the child?

3. A flag is raised by pulling a rope that passes over a wheel at the top of a pole. Name the mechanism.

4. A builder uses a pulley to lift a bucket to a high platform. What does the pulley change about the direction of the pulling force?

5. A longer lever is used with the same pivot and load. Explain how this can make lifting easier.

Gears: Changing Movement

Gears are toothed wheels that mesh together. When one gear turns, it makes the connected gear turn too. Use the gear facts in each question; assume the gears mesh directly unless stated otherwise.

1. Two meshed gears turn in which directions compared with each other: the same direction or opposite directions?

2. A small gear turns clockwise and meshes with a larger gear. Which direction does the larger gear turn?

3. A small driving gear turns a larger driven gear. Does the larger gear turn faster or more slowly?

4. A large driving gear turns a smaller driven gear. Does the smaller gear turn faster or more slowly?

5. A bicycle’s gears help the rider change how easily the pedals turn and how the wheels move. Name the mechanism that makes this possible.

Choose the Best Explanation

Choose the best answer for each question. Think about what each force or mechanism does before selecting an option.

1. Which force pulls a dropped apple towards Earth?

2. Which force acts against a swimmer moving through water?

3. What is the fixed turning point of a lever called?

4. What does a parachute mainly increase to slow a falling person?

5. What happens to the direction of rotation when two meshed gears turn?

Answer Key

Activity 1: 1. No; mass stays the same because the amount of matter does not change. ; 2. The Moon’s gravitational pull is weaker than Earth’s. ; 3. Gravity. ; 4. Yes; gravity still pulls the book towards Earth. ; 5. The object on Earth.

Activity 2: 1. Air resistance; it acts against the cyclist’s movement. ; 2. Water resistance. ; 3. Friction. ; 4. It increases air resistance, slowing the skydiver’s fall. ; 5. Its streamlined shape pushes water aside more easily, reducing water resistance.

Activity 3: 1. Friction; it acts against the ball’s movement and slows it. ; 2. Air resistance. ; 3. Water resistance. ; 4. Gravity. ; 5. Rough ground creates more friction than smooth paving, so the skateboard slows more.

Activity 4: 1. Pivot. ; 2. It can multiply the effect of the child’s force, making the load easier to lift. ; 3. Pulley. ; 4. It changes the direction of the pulling force, allowing the person to pull down to raise the bucket. ; 5. A longer lever gives the applied force a greater turning effect, so less force is needed.

Activity 5: 1. Opposite directions. ; 2. Anticlockwise. ; 3. More slowly. ; 4. More quickly. ; 5. Gears.

Activity 6: 1. gravity ; 2. water resistance ; 3. pivot ; 4. air resistance ; 5. they turn in opposite directions