Scicent TE U11 e

Force and Motion
e-aristo.hk/r/
isfcu11.e
In this Unit, we will learn about:
motion and distance-time graphs Learning Science in English

(U11: Describing force and motion)
force and its effect on motion
force of gravity, weight and mass Foundation Worksheets (U11)
friction and air resistance Quick Revision Notes (U11)

action-and-reaction pairs
space flight E Answers to Textbooks (U11)
Teaching PowerPoint (U11, by sections)
e-Companion
Do you know the speed record of land vehicles? It is 1228 kilometres per hour
set by a supersonic car in 1997. This record might be broken in the next
few years. A new supersonic car Bloodhound SSC is under
development. It will move faster than 1600 kilometres per hour.
Let’s see the design of such an extremely fast car. Rocket and jet engine
produce a very large force
to push the car
Streamlined body
reduces the air resistance
acting on the car
Parachute (not yet open)

brakes the fast moving car safely
and protects the driver
Aluminium alloy wheel
withstands huge forces acting on the
wheel when the car is moving fast
In this Unit, you will learn about force and its effect on the
motion of objects. Then, you may understand the reasons
behind the design of the Bloodhound SSC.
Let's think... 1. When a jet engine ejects hot gases backwards, a forward pushing force acts on
the engine at the same time. Aeroplanes also rely on jet engines to move.
1. How does a rocket or a jet engine produce pushing forces? Besides
Bloodhound SSC, what vehicles also rely on jet engines to move?
2. What is air resistance? Why do engineers need to think about
air resistance when designing the Bloodhound SSC?
3. How does a parachute help brake the fast-moving
Bloodhound SSC?
2. Air resistance acts on an object that moves in air to
oppose its motion. Air resistance hinders the car from supersonic 超音速
reaching high speeds. jet engine 噴射引擎
158 3. The parachute increases the air resistance, which helps aluminium alloy 鋁合金
brake the car.
11
Force and Motion

Section objectives
Students should be able to
• recognize the relationship
between average speed,
11.1 Motion
distance and time.
• state that metre per second
(m s−1) is a unit of speed.
A Distance, time and speed
Do you know what the fastest object in

sports is? The answer is a shuttlecock.
Teaching notes
Up to 2017, the fastest Do you know how fast it can move?
shuttlecock on record has
a speed of 493 km h−1
(137 m s−1), which was set
by Malaysia’s Tan Boon
Heong（陳文宏）during a
test of a new racket
technology in 2013. The
fastest shuttlecock during a
competition has a speed of Fig. 11.1 How fast can a shuttlecock move?
408 km h−1 (113 m s−1),
which was set by Malaysia’s
Lee Chong Wei（李宗偉） To answer the question above, we need to learn about speed first.
during 2015 Hong Kong
Open. Speed describes how fast an object moves. The speed of an object is
The unit symbols m s−1 and the distance travelled by the object per unit time. The unit of speed
km h−1 can be presented as is metre per second (m s−1) or kilometre per hour (km h−1). For
m/s and km/h respectively.
example, our walking speed is about 1.1 m s−1 or 4.0 km h−1. The
faster an object moves, the higher its speed.
Teaching notes
• The speed of sound in air is about 340 m s−1.
• The speed of bullets may vary from 120 m s−1 to over 1200 m s−1.
Snail Tsing Ma uttlecock in g r o u nd Light

on Sh ov
E ar t h m
th
Br
Vehicles
e
idge
Sun
1 30 −1 3 −1
0.01 m s− 1 ×1
20 m s− 89 m s−1 00 0 m s 08 m s
0.01 0.1 1 10 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 speed (m s–1)
Walking Cheetah o pl a n e
Aer
−1
1.1 m s−1 33 m s−1 250 m s Fig. 11.2 Some typical speeds
speed 速率 shuttlecock 羽毛球
159
11 Force and Motion
Teaching notes An object’s speed may change while it is travelling. If we know the
Remind students to bring
their calculators to class. distance travelled by an object during a period of time, we can find
the average speed of the object using the formula:
distance (m)
average speed (m s−1) =
time (s)
Let us see how to use this formula in the following example.
Example
An MTR train takes 4 minutes to travel a distance of 4 km
from Admiralty Station to Ocean Park Station. Find the
average speed of the MTR train.
Admiralty
Station
Ocean Park
Station
Solution
Distance = 4 km = 4000 m
Time = 4 min = 4 × 60 s = 240 s

distance
Average speed =
time
4000 m
=
240 s
= 16.7 m s−1
average speed 平均速率
160
11
SPS: IF
Force and Motion

Activity 11.1
Calculating the average speeds of runners

1. The world record for the 100 m race is 9.58 s, which has
been held by athlete Usain Bolt since 2009. Find the
average speed of Bolt in units of m s –1.
distance
Average speed =
time
100 m
=
9.58 s
= 10.4 m s−1
2. The world record for the marathon is 2 hours 2 minutes

57 seconds, which has been held by athlete Dennis
Kimetto since 2014. Find the average speed of Kimetto
in units of m s –1. (Given: the distance of the marathon
is 42.2 km.)
Distance = 42.2 km = 42.2 × 1000 m = 42 200 m
Time = 2 h 2 min 57 s = (2 × 60 × 60 + 2 × 60 + 57) s = 7377 s

distance 42 200 m
Average speed = =
time 7377 s
= 5.72 m s–1
Learn more
Instantaneous speed
The speed shown on the speed display unit in a minibus
is not the average speed of the minibus but its
instantaneous speed. The instantaneous speed is the
speed at an instant. It can be estimated from the
average speed for an extremely short time.
Speed is the distance travelled by an object per unit time.

It can be measured in metre per second ( m s ) or
−1
kilometres per hour (km h–1).
instantaneous speed 瞬時速率
161
11 Force and Motion
Section objectives
B Distance-time graphs
• represent a motion using
a distance-time graph. To represent the motion of an object, we can draw a distance-time
• interpret a distance-time graph for the object. Let us learn how to draw one below.
graph.
SPS: CM
Skills Practice
Activity 11.2 (Drawing distance-time graphs)
SPS: CM
Drawing the distance-time graph for a moving object

Some students were doing a project to study the motion of a bus. They were at different
positions between bus stops A and B, and recorded the distances travelled by the bus at
different times. They found that:
• At time = 0 s, the bus was at bus stop A and started to move.
• At time = 10 s, the bus had travelled 150 m.
• At time = 20 s, the bus had travelled 300 m.
• At time = 30 s, the bus stopped at bus stop B that is 450 m from bus stop A.
• At time = 40 s, the bus was still at bus stop B.
bus stop A bus stop B

bus
time = 0 s
time = 10 s
150 m
time = 20 s
300 m

time = 30 s
and
time = 40 s
450 m
Cont'd
distance-time graph 距離—時間關係線圖
162
11
Force and Motion

1. Fill in the table below to record the distances travelled by the bus at different times from
0 to 40 s.
Time (s) 0 10 20 30 40
Distance (m) 0 150 300 450 450
2. Draw a graph to represent the data in the table above. The time should be placed in the
horizontal axis while the distance should be placed in the vertical axis. Join the data
points with straight lines.
Distance-time graph of the bus

Teaching notes
distance (m) Remind students to
draw the axes and
mark the scales first,
and then draw the
400 data points
accordingly. If this
sequence is reversed,
some of them will get
300 a wrong graph.
200
p.234
Drawing a distance-
time graph
100
Quick Spreadsheet
time (s)
0 10 20 30 40
3. Suppose that the students use one of the methods below to represent the motion
of the bus:
Method I: writing a description (similar to the beginning of this activity)
Method II: using a table as in Step 1
Method III: drawing a graph as in Step 2
Discuss with your classmates the advantages and disadvantages of using each method to
represent the motion.
Advantage Disadvantage
Method I It is hard to visualize the motion.
Method II We can directly read the distances travelled It is harder to find whether the bus is
as they are presented in a table. moving or not (or moving fast or slow).
Method III We can see if the bus is moving more We need to read the graph in more
easily. The distances at different times can details to find the distance travelled.
also be found. 163
11 Force and Motion
Classroom question The motion of an object can be represented using a distance-time

Q: Is it possible to have the
distance-time graph graph. A distance-time graph shows the distance that an object has
shown below? Why? travelled at different times (from time = 0 s). For example, from the
distance distance-time graph of a car in Fig. 11.3, we can find that the car
has travelled 160 m at time = 10 s. Similarly, the distance the car
has travelled at 25 s is 400 m.
distance (m)
time
500
A: No, because, from the 400 m
graph, the object has
multiple values of 400
distance travelled at a
particular time, which is 300
not possible.
160 m
200
100
10 s 25 s
0 time (s)
5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Fig. 11.3 Distance-time graph of a car
Besides the distance travelled, we can obtain other information

about the motion from a distance-time graph. Let us investigate this
further in the experiment below.
SPS: OB, IN
Experiment 11.1 Experiment video

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i01.e
Interpreting the distance-time graph of an object

Material and apparatus
motion sensor 1 data-logger 1 trolley 1 stand and clamp 1
Procedure
1. Your teacher will set up the apparatus

shown on the right. The motion sensor
data-logger
can detect the trolley’s distance from the
sensor and the trolley’s distance-time motion sensor
graph can be shown on the computer.
Experiment preparation
• May attach a card to the trolley so that it can be
detected by the motion sensor more accurately.
• May use the app introduced on p.165 (STEM
connection) to analyse the motion of the trolley.
trolley
• The motion sensor can be purchased from
PASCO.
motion 運動 Cont'd
distance-time graph 距離—時間關係線圖
164
11
Force and Motion

2. What do you think is the trolley’s motion in order to distance
obtain the distance-time graph shown on the right?

(Answers may vary.)
3. Now, your teacher will invite a student to control the

trolley’s motion and try to obtain the graph in Step 2.
time
Observe the trolley’s motion.
What is the trolley’s motion in order to obtain the graph?

The trolley is at rest.
distance
4. The student now controls the trolley’s motion and tries I
to obtain the distance-time graph I shown on the right.
What is the trolley’s motion in order to obtain graph I?

The trolley moves at a steady speed.
time
5. The student repeats Step 4 and try to obtain a distance
distance-time graph II, which has a flatter slope than I
graph I.
Compared to Step 4, how should the trolley move to II

obtain graph II?
The trolley moves at a lower steady speed. time
connec t i o n 11.1 e-aristo.hk/r/

isstemu11i01.e
Using an app to plot distance-time graphs of motions on

Sports Day Y
Have you ever thought of analysing your running motion in

X
a 100 m race? In this activity, you will use an app to plot the
distance-time graphs for some motions in daily life.
slope 斜度
165
11 Force and Motion
From Experiment 11.1, we see that the distance-time graph of

p.235
an object has different shapes if it is in different motions. When
Interpreting a the object
distance-time graph
• is at rest, the distance-time graph is a horizontal line.
Skills Practice • moves at a steady speed, the distance-time graph is a straight

(Interpreting distance-time
line with a slope. The higher the speed, the steeper the slope.
graphs)
SPS: IF
distance (m) distance (m)
moving at
Classroom question a steady speed at rest
moving faster
Q: What is the distance-time 300 300
graph of a car that moves
at an increasing speed? 200 200
A: A graph that curves
moving slower
upwards 100 100
distance
0 time (s) 0 time (s)
5 10 15 20 5 10 15 20
Fig. 11.4 (left) Distance-time graph of a car moving at a steady speed and then
coming to stop; (right) Distance-time graphs of cars moving at different steady speeds
time
A distance-time graph of an object shows

the distance travelled by the object over time.
11.1 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i01.e
1. Write ‘T’ for a true statement and ‘F’ for a false statement.
(a) One unit of speed is s m –1. F
(b) The distance-time graph of an object is a horizontal line if the object is at rest. T
2. The graph on the right represents the motion distance (m)

of a car from time = 0 to 25 s.
150
(a) What is the distance travelled by the car
in the first 10 s? 100
100 m 50
(b) Describe the motion of the car from 0 time (s)

5 10 15 20 25
time = 0 to 25 s.
It moves at a steady speed from time = 0 to 15 s. It stops from time = 15 s to 25 s.
5-minute Quiz
(Quiz 1: Distance-time graphs)
166
11
Force and Motion

Section objective
Students should be able to C Uniform motion and non-uniform motion
identify uniform motion and
non-uniform motion. In previous sections, you learned some concepts about the motion
of objects. Let us now look at a type of motion called uniform motion
in the experiment below.
SPS: OB
Experiment 11.2 Demonstration Experiment video

e-aristo.hk/r/
Experiment preparation isexptu11i02.e
• May attach a card to the glider so that it can be detected by the
Observing uniform motion motion sensor more accurately. In some cases, the motion
sensor and the card need to be set at a higher position.
Material and apparatus • Use a smaller card. Otherwise, the air resistance will be
significant and
air track with glider 1 set motion sensor 1 stand and clamp 1 the glider cannot
air pump 1 data-logger 1 perform uniform
motion.
• It is not easy to achieve uniform motion.
Procedure Several trials are probably required.
1. Your teacher will set up the apparatus shown

motion sensor
on the right. The motion sensor is connected
data-logger
to a data-logger and a computer.
2. Switch on the air pump. Give the glider a

short, gentle push. Observe the glider’s
motion.
Describe the motion of the glider. glider air track

(Hint: Does the speed of the glider change?)
It moves at a steady speed. Experiment preparation
The two-metre air track can be purchased from
The glider is now moving in uniform motion. PASCO.
3. Look at the distance-time graph of the glider

shown on the screen of the computer. Sketch distance
the graph in the space on the right.
4. From the result above, what is the shape of

the distance-time graph of an object in
uniform motion?
It is a straight line.
time
uniform motion 勻速運動
167
11 Force and Motion
Active learning In Experiment 11.2, you have studied the uniform motion of an
Simulation
(Uniform motion and object. An object is said to be in uniform motion when it is moving
non-uniform motion)
at a constant speed in a fixed direction, for example, the people
Teaching notes standing still on an escalator (Fig. 11.5a).
Some other examples of
uniform motion in daily life: a b
• lift moving at a steady
speed dish of sushi
• ice-skater moving along a
straight line (almost steady
speed)
conveyor belt
Misconception
Students may think that an
object moving at a steady
speed must be in uniform
motion. Emphasize that this is
correct only if it is moving in a
fixed direction. If the direction Fig. 11.5 Examples of uniform motion: (a) the people standing still on an escalator and
is changing, the object is in (b) the dish of sushi on a straight conveyor belt
non-uniform motion. May use
‘Think about’ below to
illustrate this point.
If an object is moving at a changing speed or changing direction,
the object is said to be in non-uniform motion. For example, when
Think about a car is braking, it is in non-uniform motion as its speed decreases.
a b
For a Ferris wheel rotating

at a steady speed, are the
riders of the Ferris wheel
in uniform motion or
Fig. 11.6 Examples of non-uniform motion: (a) a car that is braking, and (b) a child
non-uniform motion?
playing on a swing with direction and speed changing
Non-uniform motion
SPS: CM
Activity 11.3
Identifying the motion of a bus at different instants

bus
A bus is moving along part ABCDE on the road, as
shown on the right. The bus is speeding up when A B C
moving from A to B and braking when moving from B D
to C. It is moving at a steady speed from C to E.
uniform motion 勻速運動 Cont'd

non-uniform motion 非勻速運動
168
11
Force and Motion

1. In which part of the road is the bus in uniform motion? In which part is the bus in
non-uniform motion?
Uniform motion: D to E Non-uniform motion: A to D
2. Describe the motion of the bus using the terms ‘uniform motion’, ‘non-uniform motion’,
‘speed’, etc.
When the bus is moving along AB, it is in non-uniform motion as its speed
increases (increases / remains constant / decreases).
When the bus is moving along BC, it is in non-uniform motion as its speed decreases
.
When the bus is moving along CD, it is in non-uniform motion as its direction is changing
.
When the bus is moving along DE, it is in uniform motion as it is moving at a steady speed along
a straight road .
• An object in uniform motion moves at

a constant speed in a fixed direction.
• An object in non-uniform motion moves at
a changing speed or changing direction.
11.2 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i02.e
In which of the following situations is/are the object(s) in uniform motion? Which of them
is/are in non-uniform motion? Write i, ii and iii in the space provided.
i. People standing still on ii. Racers starting to run iii. Ping-pong ball being
a travelator hit by a player
travelator
Uniform motion: i Non-uniform motion: ii, iii
travelator 行人輸送帶 5-minute Quiz

(Quiz 2: Motion)
169
11 Force and Motion
11.2 Force
I have tried windsurfing recently.

This sport involves force a lot.
I have to apply force to change
the speed of sailing. I also have to
apply force to change my sailing
direction on my way to the
destination.
Fig. 11.7 We apply force to control our motion during windsurfing.
In this section, we will learn about force and how force affects the
motion of an object.
Section objectives
A Basic ideas of force
• be aware that a force is a
push or a pull on an object. A force is a push or a pull on an object. Also, we apply a force when
• use an arrow to represent
a force. turning an object. Some examples of forces are shown below.
the force applied

to turn the tap
the force applied to
pull open a door
pull the paper towel
the force applied to press

a light switch
the force applied to turn

the switch of a fan

shoot a basketball
Misconception
Fig. 11.8 Examples of forces Students may think that only living things can apply forces. Remind them
that there are also forces exerted by non-living things, for example the
force 力 magnetic forces between magnets.
170
Teaching notes
11
To be more precise, the arrow
Force and Motion

is drawn at the point where We usually represent forces by drawing arrows.
the force acts on the object. The arrow is drawn from where the force acts
Active learning
Simulation
and it points in the direction of the force.
(Representing forces A longer arrow is used to represent a
with arrows)
larger force.
force applied
Fig. 11.9 Using an arrow to
by the man
represent a force
SPS: CM
Activity 11.4 Skills Practice

(Drawing arrows to represent forces)
SPS: CM p.236
Drawing arrows to
Drawing arrows to represent forces represent forces
1. A student has drawn an arrow to represent each of the forces below, but he has made
some mistakes. Discuss with your classmates what the mistakes are.
(a) The force applied to kick the football (b) The force applied to pull up the zip
The arrow should be drawn at the point

where the foot touches the football. The arrow should point upwards.
2. Draw arrows to represent the following forces.
(a) The force applied to push the trolley (b) The force applied to hold the bag
bag
A force is a push or a pull on an object.
171
11 Force and Motion
Section objective Prior knowledge

describe the effect of force B Effect of force In primary level, students
have learned that the motion
on changing the speed and of an object can be changed
direction of motion of an How do forces affect the motion of objects? by applying a force to it.
object.
SPS: OB, CS
Activity 11.5
Studying the effect of force on the motion of objects

1. Study the following situations that involve forces. Discuss with your classmates how the
forces affect the motion of the objects.
cord
swing
a b c d
shoot a basketball give an extra push to hit the tennis ball the cord stretches and
the swing pulls the falling man
disc
moving
scooter
f g
e give an extra push to a hit a moving disc from one
catch a softball moving scooter side of its path
2. From your discussion, write the effects of force on the motion of objects. Match these
effects with the situations above by writing a, b, etc.
Effect of force Situation above
Cause an object to start moving a
Cause a moving object to stop e
Cause an object to move faster or slower b, d, f
Cause an object to change direction c, g
172
11
Force and Motion

i�ea� � S��n�� In Activity 11.5, you learned about the effect of force on the motion
of objects. Forces can
Change and constancy of • change the speeds of objects, i.e. causing
motion
When an object is moving  moving objects to move faster or slower.
at a steady speed in a
fixed direction, we say  objects at rest to start moving.
that the object’s motion
is unchanged. An object’s  moving objects to stop.
motion is unchanged if
no force acts on it. • change the moving direction of objects.
Teaching notes
• Forces can change the
speed and direction of an
object simultaneously.
• Forces can be in a
different direction as the
object’s motion.
• Forces can also change
the shape of an object. The force can
cause the volleyball
to move faster. It
can also cause the
Fig. 11.10 Can you state some effects of force
volleyball to change
on the volleyball’s motion in a volleyball game? direction.
Forces can change the speed and direction of

motion of an object.
Section objectives
Learn more C Measuring forces • state that newton (N) is a unit of force.
• use a spring balance to measure forces.
Forces can be measured using a spring balance. The unit of force is
newton (N). It takes about 1 N of force to lift an apple.
Isaac Newton
Scientist Isaac Newton
(1643–1727) made many
discoveries about force and
motion. He developed Teaching notes
concepts about forces and Remind students
how forces affect the to take the reading
motion of objects. In under ‘N’.
recognition of his
contributions, the unit of Fig. 11.11 We can use a spring balance to measure the force used to open
force is named after him. a door. What is the force here, based on the reading on the spring balance?
The force is 2.5 N/2.6 N.
spring balance 彈簧秤
newton 牛頓
173
11 Force and Motion
force
Forces can also be measured using a force sensor connected to
sensor a data-logger. The data-logger can transmit the signal measured by
the force sensor into a computer for further analysis. A force sensor
can measure both pulling forces and pushing forces, while a spring
balance can measure pulling forces only.
data-logger
Let us learn how to use a spring balance to measure forces in the
experiment below.
Fig. 11.12 Using a force
sensor to measure the force of
pushing a button
SPS: OB, PA, CM

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i03.e
Using a spring balance to measure the force on a spring

spring 1 spring balance 1 ruler 1
Procedure
zero
1. Check that the reading on the spring balance is zero. If not, use adjuster
the zero adjuster to adjust the position of the scale so that the
reading is zero (This is called zero adjustment).
scale
2. Attach a spring to the hook of the spring balance. Then stretch the spring by 5 cm.
Measure the applied force and record it in the table in Step 3.
spring hook spring balance

Tip
Take the reading of the
pull spring balance under ‘N’
rather than ‘g’.
stretch by 5 cm
Cont'd
zero adjuster 零標度校正
174
11
Force and Motion

3. Repeat Step 2 by stretching the spring by 6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm and 10 cm. Record your
results in the table below.
Stretched length (cm) 5 6 7 8 9 10
Applied force (N) (Answers may vary.)
4. Plot a graph to show the relationship between the applied force on the spring and the
stretched length of the spring.
A graph of the stretched length of the spring against
the applied force
stretched Tip
length (cm)
What are the independent
variable and dependent
variable in the experiment?
They should lie on the
horizontal axis and vertical
axis respectively.
Quick Spreadsheet
(Answers may vary but

a straight line is seen.) p.239
applied force (N) Plotting graphs
Discussion
What is the relationship between the applied force on the spring and the stretched length of
the spring?
The larger the applied force, the larger the stretched length of the spring.
(Or: The stretched length of the spring is proportional to the applied force.)
Learn more
Magnitudes (sizes) of some forces
force to lift a burger force to kick a football by force to launch the Saturn V
~1N an average youth player rocket (the most powerful
~ 150 N rocket) ~ 34 000 000 N
magnitude 量值
175
11 Force and Motion
• Forces can be measured using a spring balance or

a force sensor connected to a data-logger.
• The unit of force is newton ( N ).
11.3 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i03.e
(a) When we use an arrow to represent a force, a longer arrow represents a larger
force. T
(b) Pushing and pulling forces can both be measured with a spring balance. F
2. Draw arrows to represent the forces below. Also, write the effects of the forces on the
objects in the space provided.
(a) (b)
The force on the shuttlecock by the racket The force on the football by the net
shuttlecock
Change the shuttlecock’s direction Cause the football to stop
Section objectives
D Contact forces and non-contact forces
• state that forces can act at loudspeaker
a distance. Have you seen a loudspeaker that can
• give examples of contact float mid-air like the one shown on
forces and non-contact
forces. the right before? It seems to be
supported by a force even though
base
it is not touching the base. In this
section, you will learn about the
forces that ‘require no contact’.
Fig. 11.13 A loudspeaker that can float mid-air
176
11
SPS: OB, PA
Force and Motion

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i04.e
Studying a force that can act on an object without contact

ring magnet 2 cardboard 1

pencil 1 plasticine 1 lump
Procedure
1. Place two ring magnets on the bench. Both magnets should

ring magnets
have their south poles facing up.
2. Use one magnet to push the other away.
Do the magnets need to come into contact?

No
3. Arrange the set-up shown on the right. The north poles of

pencil
the magnets are facing each other.
4. Let the upper magnet rest above the lower one. Then, press
the upper magnet down a little bit and release it.
(a) What happens to the upper magnet? north poles
It moves up back to its original position.
plasticine
(b) Do the magnets make contact?
No
5. Arrange the set-up shown on the right. The north poles of

north poles
both magnets are facing up. The lower magnet is around cardboard
1 cm below the cardboard.
6. Move the lower magnet to the right slowly.
(a) What happens to the upper magnet?

It moves to the right with the lower magnet.
(b) Do the magnets need to make contact?

No
177
11 Force and Motion
In Experiment 11.4, we have observed that a magnet can exert a

force on another magnet even if they do not contact each other.
Forces can be classified into contact forces and non-contact forces.

Contact forces act on objects only when the objects are in contact.
We can find many examples of contact forces in daily life
(Fig. 11.14). Teaching notes
In Fig.11.14b, strictly speaking, it is the leash, rather than the
person, that ‘pulls’ the dog. The force applied on the dog is the
tension on the leash.
a b c
pulling force
by the leash
force to hold
and lift the
dumbbell
supporting force
dumbbell
Fig. 11.14 Examples of contact forces in daily life: (a) the force to hold and lift a dumbbell, (b) the force to pull the dog by
the leash and (c) the force of the sofa supporting the girl who is sitting on it
Teaching notes On the other hand, there are forces that can act at a distance, i.e.
Electrostatic force (靜電力)
is another example of
acting on objects even when they are not in contact. These forces
non-contact force. are called non-contact forces. For example, the magnetic force and
the force of gravity (You will learn about the force of gravity in
Section 11.3) are non-contact forces.
force of gravity
magnetic force magnets

magnetic force bookmark
Fig. 11.15 Examples of non-contact forces: (left) magnetic forces causing the magnets
of the bookmark to attract each other and (right) the force of gravity pulling the ball down
Learn more
‘Floating’ loudspeaker • Forces that can exist only between objects in contact are
The loudspeaker on p.176 contact forces
can float mid-air because a
called .
magnetic force acts on it.
The force is produced by
• Forces that exist between objects without any contact
the electromagnets in the between them are called non-contact forces .
loudspeaker and the base.
5-minute Quiz
contact force 接觸力 gravity 重力
non-contact force 非接觸力 (Quiz 3: Concepts of forces)
178
11
Force and Motion

Section objectives
Students should be able to E Balanced forces and unbalanced forces
• use a free-body diagram
to show the direction of Have you ever seen a scrum in
forces acting on an object.
• recognize that an object rugby? In a scrum, the rugby
will stay at rest or in players push hard and apply
uniform motion when the
forces acting on it are large forces, but none of them
balanced. can move. This is related to a
concept you will learn about in
this section: balanced forces.
Fig. 11.16 A scrum in a rugby match
1. Free-body diagrams
We can draw a free-body diagram to show all the forces acting on
an object. In this diagram, all the forces are shown by labelled
arrows. From the free-body diagram, we can study the overall effect
of the forces more easily.
Teaching notes a b
• Only the object and the force applied
forces acting on it are by the person
drawn in a free-body
diagram. Other objects are
not drawn in the diagram.
• The arrow for the force of
gravity is drawn from the
centre of the object. (see
p.185) force of
gravity
Fig. 11.17 (a) A paper bag held by a person and (b) a free-body diagram of the bag
SPS: CM
Activity 11.6 Skills Practice

(Drawing free-body diagrams)
SPS: CM p.237
Drawing a free-body
Drawing a free-body diagram diagram
The photo below shows a goalkeeper applying a horizontal force to stop a moving football.
Draw a free-body diagram of the football in the space provided.
force applied
by the
goalkeeper
goalkeeper
force of
gravity
free-body diagram 孤立物體圖 scrum 爭球
179
11 Force and Motion
2. Motion of objects under balanced forces and that

under unbalanced forces
SPS: OB, PA, CM

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i05.e
Studying the overall effect of forces on the motion of an object

trolley 1 air track with glider 1 pulley 2

spring balance 3 air pump 1 motion sensor 1
string 5 weight 2 data-logger 1
Procedure Tip
The spring balance should
Part A: Keeping a trolley at rest be set to zero before use.
1. Place a trolley on the bench and hook two spring balances to the trolley horizontally via
strings as shown below.
spring balance strings spring balance
student A
student B
trolley
force applied force applied
2. Students A and B are going to apply forces by A by B
on the trolley. Complete the free-body
diagram of the trolley shown on the right.
(The force of gravity and the supporting
force of the bench may be omitted here.)
3. Now, with student A applying a force on the trolley, student B also applies a force on it
to keep it at rest. Measure the forces and record your results in the table in Step 4.
4. Repeat Step 3 with student A applying a larger force. Record your results below.
Force applied by student A Force applied by student B
(Answers may vary.)
The force applied by student B is equal to (larger than/equal to/

smaller than) the force applied by student A.
Cont'd
180
11
Force and Motion

5. Hook one more spring balance to the trolley horizontally as shown below.
student B
student A
student C
force applied
force applied
by B
6. Students A, B and C are going to apply forces by A
on the trolley. Complete the free-body

force applied
diagram of the trolley shown on the right.
by C
7. Now, students A, B and C apply forces on the trolley to keep it at rest. Measure the forces
and record your results in the table in Step 8.
8. Repeat Step 7 with student A applying the same force but students B and C applying
different forces from the above. Measure the forces and record results in the table below.
Force applied by student A Force applied by student B Force applied by student C
(Answers may vary.)
The sum of the forces applied by students B and C is equal to
(larger than/equal to/smaller than) the force applied by student A.
Part B: Keeping a trolley moving at a constant speed (Demonstration)

9. Your teacher will set up the apparatus as shown below. The weights P and Q have the
same mass and the forces exerted by the strings on the glider are equal.
Experiment preparation string string
• May attach a card to pulley pulley
the glider so that it can
• Use a smaller card.
be detected by the
Otherwise, the air
motion sensor more
resistance will be
accurately. In some
significant and the
cases, the motion glider air track glider cannot perform
sensor and the card
uniform motion.
need to be set at a
higher position. weight P motion sensor (connected bench
to a data-logger) weight Q
10. Turn on the air pump and give the glider a short gentle push. Look at the distance-time
graph of the glider shown on the computer screen.
(a) What is the shape of the distance-time graph? It is a straight line.
(b) Does the speed of the glider change when it moves? No
181
11 Force and Motion
Supplementary notes In Experiment 11.5, we learned that the force acting on the trolley
Newton’s first law of motion can be perfectly balanced by another force of the same magnitude
(See p.T25)
in the opposite direction. We say that the forces are balanced or
Teaching notes
balanced forces act on the trolley.
Students may find it difficult
to understand how balanced
forces result in uniform When balanced forces act on an object at rest, the object will stay
motion. This example may
at rest. When balanced forces act on a moving object, the object’s
help: When we are riding a
bicycle at the top speed, our speed and direction of motion will remain the same. In other words,
driving force and the air
resistance are balanced,
the object will be in uniform motion.
and the speed is steady. applied force applied force
Active learning
Simulation
(Balanced forces and
unbalanced forces)
Fig. 11.18 When the leftward applied force is equal to the rightward applied force, the
forces are balanced and the trolley stays at rest.
On the other hand, when unbalanced forces act on an object,

the motion of the object will change. For example, its speed will
change. Fig. 11.20 shows two more examples of unbalanced forces
in daily life.
Misconception start moving
Students may think that an
object’s motion must change
applied force applied force
whenever a force acts on it.
Remind them that the motion
changes only if the forces
acting on it are unbalanced.
i�ea� � S��n�� Fig. 11.19 When the leftward applied force is not equal to the rightward applied force,
the forces are unbalanced and the trolley starts moving.
Balanced forces, a
unbalanced forces and b
motion
An object’s motion pushing force
force acting on the
depends on the overall player by the cord
falling bungee
effect of all the forces jump player
acting on it. If the forces
are balanced, its motion
remains unchanged, for
example the trolley in force of gravity
Fig. 11.18. The object’s friction*
motion changes only if
unbalanced forces act Fig. 11.20 (a) Unbalanced forces act on the sofa, causing the sofa to start moving;
on it. (b) Unbalanced forces acting on the falling bungee jump player will slow down his falling
speed. (*You will learn about friction in Section 11.4A)
balanced forces 平衡力 plank 木板

unbalanced forces 不平衡力
182
11
Force and Motion

Think about
Think about the rugby free-body diagram
players in a scrum on • A shows all the forces
p.179. Can you explain acting on an object.
why they do not move
even if they are applying • If balanced forces act on an object, it stays at rest or
large forces?
in uniform motion.
The forces acting on the unbalanced forces
rugby players, e.g. the forces • If act on an object, the motion of
they apply and the friction the object changes.
on the ground, are balanced.
11.4 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i04.e
(a) No force can act on an object that is not in contact with any other objects. F
(For example, a basketball in the air is attracted to the Earth with the force of gravity, which is
(b) A non-contact force must be a pushing force. a non-contact force.) F
(c) Magnetic force can act at a distance. T
(d) An object experiencing balanced forces will remain at rest or in uniform

motion. T
2. Study the situations below.
(a) A tram moving at (b) A weight held at rest (c) A lift slowing down
a steady speed in in weightlifting
a fixed direction
In which of the above situations do unbalanced forces act?

c
5-minute Quiz
(Quiz 4: Balanced forces and unbalanced forces)
183
11 Force and Motion
Prior knowledge
In primary level, students have
learned that every object in the 11.3 Gravity
Universe exerts a force of attraction
on other objects, and this force is
called the gravitational force.
Have you taken a photo like the one on the
left? When you jump up, you will soon fall
to the ground due to the force of gravity. In
this section, you will learn about the force
of gravity.
Fig. 11.21 Jumping friends at the beach
Section objectives
• state that gravity is the force
that causes two objects to A Gravity and its effect
attract each other.
• be aware that the gravity Let us read the story below to understand how the force of gravity
exerted by the Earth on an
object pulls it towards the was discovered by scientist Isaac Newton.
centre of the Earth. • recognize that the force of gravity experienced by an object increases
with its mass.
Why do apples always fall to The Earth attracts the apples.
1 2
the ground rather than going There must be an attractive force
sideways or upwards? existing between two objects. This
force causes apples to fall.
One day in 1666, Newton sat under an apple tree. Newton suggested that two objects attracted each other.
I think this same attractive An object attracts any

3 4
force between objects causes other object in the universe
the motion of the planets. with the force of gravity.
Newton succeeded. He could use the same concept of

Newton tried to use the same concept of ‘two objects the force of gravity to explain both the falling of apples
attract each other’ to explain the motion of planets. and the motion of planets.
Teaching notes
Fig. 11.22 The discovery of the force of gravity From the story above, students may learn more about the nature of
science: Explaining different phenomena (e.g. falling of apples and
planetary motion) that seem to be unrelated using the same theory.
184
11
Force and Motion

Newton discovered that any two objects attract each other with a
The force of gravity between your force called the force of gravity. For example, there is a force of
classmate and you is so small that
you cannot notice it.
gravity between an apple and the Earth. There is a force of gravity
even between your classmate and you.
Teaching notes The Earth attracts objects with the force of gravity. The force of
• When two 60 kg students
are 1 m apart, the force of gravity exerted by the Earth on an object pulls the object towards
gravity existing between the Earth’s centre. For example, a person jumping up will fall back
them is about 2 × 10–7 N.
• Objects on Earth also to the ground due to the force of gravity. The Earth also exerts the
exert the force of gravity force of gravity on objects in space such as the Moon.
on the Earth, but the effect
of the force is negligible
due to the huge mass of
the Earth.
• The arrow that represents
the force of gravity acting it makes objects fall
on an object is drawn from
the centre of the object.
Misconception skydiver
Students may think that the
Earth does not exert the
it keeps the
force of gravity on the
Moon moving
objects in space. Remind
around the Earth
them that the Earth does it pulls down
(e.g. on the Moon). the objects in
the sky
it keeps us on
the ground Moon
Fig. 11.23 Effects of the force of gravity (represented by red arrows)
The force of gravity can act on an object at a distance. It is a

non-contact force. The magnitude of the force of gravity acting on
an object depends on the object’s mass. The greater the mass of the
object, the larger the force of gravity.
a b
Think about
In the atmosphere of the
Earth, the air particles are
moving at all times.
However, most of them do
not escape into space but
remain on the Earth. Do force of gravity force of gravity
you know why? (larger) (smaller)
The air particles are attracted
by the force of gravity of the
Fig. 11.24 An aeroplane of a greater mass experiences a larger force of gravity.
Earth.
force of gravity 重力 skydiver 跳傘者
185
11 Force and Motion
Let us observe the motion of an object falling freely under gravity in

the experiment below.
SPS: OB

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i06.e
Observing the motion of an object falling freely under gravity

volleyball 1 data-logger 1
motion sensor 1 stand and clamp 1
motion sensor
Procedure volleyball
1. Your teacher will set up the apparatus as shown on the

right. The motion sensor faces downwards.
2. Hold a volleyball directly below the motion sensor. Then,

release the volleyball to let it fall. data-logger
3. The computer screen shows the distance-time graph of the

volleyball. distance
(a) Sketch the graph in the space on the right.
(b) What can you observe about the volleyball’s speed

when it falls?
time
The speed increases.
4. (a) What force causes the volleyball to fall? The force of gravity
(b) Is this force a contact force or a non-contact force? Non-contact force
• Any two objects attract each other with the

force of gravity .
• The force of gravity exerted by the Earth acts towards the
centre of the Earth.
• The force of gravity acting on an object increases
with the object’s mass.
186
11
Force and Motion

Section objectives
Students should be able to B Weight and mass
• recognize weight as a
measure of the force of
gravity on an object.
1. Basic ideas of weight
• distinguish between
weight and mass. The weight of an object on Earth is the force of gravity of the Earth
• recognize the relationship
acting on the object. Weight can be measured using a spring balance
between weight and mass.
[E] and the unit of weight is newton. The larger the force of gravity
acting on an object, the greater its weight.
Teaching notes
The spring balance, in fact,
measures the force to hold
the object in air, which is
equal to the object’s weight.
Fig. 11.25 We can use a spring balance to measure the weight of an object. The
weight of the bottle of drink above is 5.1 N.
Activity preparation SPS: OB, PA

May provide students with two spring
Activity 11.7 balances, one for measuring lighter
objects’ weights and the other for
measuring heavier objects’ weights. Tip
The spring balance should
Measuring the weights of different objects be set to zero before use.
1. Your teacher will give you a spring balance and a string.
2. Measure the weights of different objects around you using the spring balance. Record
your results in the table below.
Object Weight (N)
(Answers depend on the objects chosen.)
weight 重量
187
11 Force and Motion
2. Comparing weight with mass
My weight is 40 kg.
Joe, this is mass,
not weight.
Fig. 11.26 Joe is measuring his mass,

not his weight.
Have you noticed that the ‘weight’ you measure in a P.E. lesson is in
units of kilograms rather than newtons? It is because the ‘weight’
that you measure in a P.E. lesson is in fact your mass.
Classroom question
Q: On Earth, Peter’s mass
The mass of an object measures the amount of matter the object
and weight are contains. The unit of mass is kilogram (kg) or gram (g).
60 kg and 590 N
respectively. What are his
mass and weight in deep Mass and weight are two different concepts. The mass of an object
space (far from all stars is the same in different places because the amount of matter
and planets)?
A: His mass and weight are contained in the object is always the same.
60 kg and 0 N respectively.
On the other hand, the weight of an object may change from place
Active learning
Useful video
to place. For example, an object’s weight on the Moon is about
(Weight and mass) one-sixth of its weight on the Earth. It is because the Moon exerts
a force of gravity on an object about one-sixth what the Earth does.
Learn more On the Earth On the Moon
Weights on different planets

The weights of the same
object are different on
different planets in the
solar system. Search the
Internet to find out the
weights of a 1 kg object on
different planets. weight weight
On Mercury: ~ 3.7 N
On Venus: ~ 8.9 N
On Mars: ~ 3.7 N
On Jupiter: ~24.9 N
mass = 180 kg mass = 180 kg
weight = 1766 N weight = 294 N
Fig. 11.27 When the astronaut goes from the Earth to the Moon, the mass (of the
astronaut and spacesuit) remains the same but the weight decreases.
mass 質量 planet 行星
188
11
Force and Motion

3. Relationship between weight and mass
SPS: OB, CS, PA

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i07.e
Finding out the relationship between weight and mass

Tip
EXTENSION
weight (100 g) 5 spring balance 1 string 1 The spring balance should
be set zero before use.
Procedure
1. You are given several weights, each of mass 100 g. Pick up weight
one weight (with a hook) and measure its weight using a
spring balance. Record your result in the table in Step 4.
weight (with a hook)
2. Add another weight to the one in Step 1. Measure the weight of them. Record your result
in the table in Step 4.
3. Repeat Step 2 to measure the weights of different numbers of weights.

weight (N)
4. Complete the table below by calculating the ratios: .
mass (kg)
Number of weights 1 2 3 4 5
measured in g 100 200 300 400 500
Mass
measured in kg 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
Weight (N) 0.98 1.96 2.94 3.92 4.9
Weight (N)
9.8 9.8 9.8 9.8 9.8
Mass (kg)
(The data is for reference only.)
Discussion
1. How is the weight of an object related to its mass?

The weight of an object increases with (or: is proportional to) its mass.
2. Is the ratio of weight to mass the same for different objects? Yes
3. What is the ratio of weight to mass of an object? 9.8 N kg

–1
189
11 Force and Motion
Teaching notes In Experiment 11.7, we found that the weight of an object increases
EXTENSION
The ratio of weight to mass

is a constant (for different with its mass. It is because an object of a greater mass experiences
objects) on one planet, and a larger force of gravity and thus has a greater weight.
is another constant on
another planet, for example
On Earth: ~ 9.8 N kg–1 The ratio of weight to mass is a constant for any object. This ratio is
On Mars: ~ 3.7 N kg–1 equal to 9.8 N kg–1 on Earth.
On Jupiter: ~24.9 N kg–1
The value depends on the
strength of the gravity of the
planet.
•
Mass Weight
the amount of matter the force of gravity

What is it?
an object contains acting on an object
Unit kilogram (kg) / gram (g) newton (N)
The same
in different yes no
places?
E • The greater the mass of an object, the greater its

weight.
11.5 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i05.e
(a) The force of gravity exerted by the Earth points towards the Earth’s centre. T
(b) The force of gravity exists between different objects on Earth. T
(c) The unit of weight can be newton or gram. F
2. In 1971, an astronaut brought a golf ball to the

Moon. The golf ball has a mass of 45 g and a weight
of 0.44 N on Earth. What are the golf ball’s mass and
weight on the Moon?
Mass: 45 g
Weight: 0.44/6 N = 0.073 N
5-minute Quiz
(Quiz 5: Gravity)
190
11
Force and Motion

11.4
Prior knowledge
In primary level, students Friction and air resistance
have learned that friction is
a force that resists motion
when two objects are in I can hardly walk on the ice
contact. as the friction is so low.
I enjoy ice-skating. On
the ice, I can move fast
due to the low friction of
the surface.
Fig. 11.28 Experience in an ice rink, where friction is very small
Active learning In this section, we will learn about friction and understand the
Simulation
(Friction) experiences we might have had in an ice rink as noted above.
Section objective
SPS: OB
A Basic ideas of friction recognize that friction is a force
that opposes the motion between
contact surfaces.
Teaching notes
Activity 11.8 An experiment similar to the one in Step 2 was done by
making every page of two phone books overlap. Two tanks
are required to separate them apart.
Observing the effect of friction e-aristo.hk/r/isteu11i01.e
1. Arrange five pages of two textbooks to overlap with one another as shown below. More
than two-thirds of each page should be overlapped. Then try to pull the books apart.
2. Repeat Step 1 by making 15 pages overlap.
Compared to Step 1, is it easier or harder to pull the books apart? Harder
3. Place a coin on your desk. Give a short push to the coin

so that the coin starts to slide across the desk.
coin
What do you observe about the coin’s motion?
The coin slows down and stops.
move
ice rink 溜冰場
191
11 Force and Motion
Teaching notes
The arrow that represents friction is moving
drawn at the bottom of the object, friction
i.e. the contact surface.
In Activity 11.8, we have observed the effect of
friction. When an object slides or tends to slide
over a surface, friction acts on the object and
sliding opposes the object’s sliding motion. For example,
direction friction when your finger slides over a smartphone’s screen,
the friction acting on your finger by the screen
opposes the sliding. Friction is a contact force and
Fig. 11.29 When your finger is sliding over
a smartphone screen, you can experience the exists only between the surfaces in contact.
friction opposing your finger’s motion. Teaching notes
The direction of friction is opposite to the sliding direction /
the direction that the object tends to slide.
a b
tends to slide
in this direction
sliding direction
friction
friction friction
Fig. 11.30 Examples of friction in daily life: (a) opposing the tendency for the car to slide down the
slope and (b) opposing the sliding motion of a baseball player and slowing him down.
Misconception
Students may think that friction only acts on sliding objects. Remind
them that friction also acts on a stationary object if it tends to slide.
SPS: OB, PA, CM

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i08.e
Measuring friction
Tip
weight (1 kg) 1 spring balance 1 string 1
• The spring balance should be
set to zero before use.
• The spring balance should be
Procedure pulled horizontally.
1. Set up the apparatus shown below. Pull the spring balance slightly.
weight
pull
Does the weight start to move? No

Cont'd
friction 摩擦力
192
11
Force and Motion

2. Gradually increase your pulling force until the weight starts to move.
What is the pulling force just before the weight starts to move? (Answers may vary.)
3. (a) In the diagram on the right, draw arrows to Teaching notes

show the pulling force and the friction acting The friction and the pulling
force are balanced.
on the weight just before it starts to move.
pulling force
(b) From the above results, what is the friction
between the weight and the bench?
(Answers may vary.) friction
Friction opposes the sliding motion of an object over a

surface it is in contact with.
Section objective
recognize that air resistance
is a force that opposes the
motion of an object moving B Basic ideas of air resistance
in air.
SPS: OB
Activity 11.9
Observing the effect of air resistance

1. Your teacher will give you a card. Hold it vertical and then
flap
flap it side-to-side, as shown on the right.
card
2. Hold the card horizontal. Then, flap it side-to-side again, as

flap
shown on the right.
Compared to Step 1, is it easier or harder to flap the card?

Easier card
193
11 Force and Motion
Teaching notes In Activity 11.9, you experienced the effect of air resistance.
May encourage students to
feel the air resistance and
also how it varies with their When an object moves in air, an opposing force acts on the object.
speeds, when they go This opposing force is called air resistance. For example, when you
cycling next time.
ride a bicycle, air resistance acts on you and opposes your motion.
The air resistance acting on an object depends on the object’s speed.

The higher the speed, the larger the air resistance.
Learn more
air resistance air resistance
parachute
Drafting in cycling
In team bicycle racing, the Fig. 11.31 Air resistance acts on the Fig. 11.32 In training, the athlete
whole team of cyclists bicycle rider and opposes his motion. works against added air resistance by
usually aligns in a straight using a parachute. This can help him
line. This allows the cyclists build stronger muscles.
behind the first one in the
line to face smaller air
resistance. This tactic is
known as drafting.
Air resistance opposes the motion of an
object moving in air.
11.6 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i06.e
(a) Friction is a contact force. T
(b) Friction acts on moving objects only. F
(c) The air resistance experienced by a moving object increases with its speed. T
2. Amy is trying to push the sofa shown on the right.

Draw an arrow to show the friction acting on the sofa.
friction
5-minute Quiz
air resistance 空氣阻力 tactic 策略 (Quiz 6: Basic ideas of friction and air resistance)
drafting 破風
194
11
Force and Motion

Section objective
C Reducing friction and air resistance
describe ways for reducing
friction and air resistance.
In daily life, we sometimes need to reduce friction or air resistance.
Let us find out how to reduce these two forces in the following
experiment and activity.
SPS: OB, PA, IF

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i09.e
Reducing friction
puck 1 balloon 1 tray 1 marble ~30 soapy water
Procedure
Part A: Adding a lubricant

1. Put a puck in a tray. Give the puck a short gentle push and let it go. Observe its motion.
move
puck
2. Add a layer of soapy water to the tray and repeat Step 1.
soapy water
(a) Compared with Step 1, does the puck move more smoothly now?
Yes
(b) How does the friction change after the soapy water is added?
The friction is reduced.
Cont'd
195
11 Force and Motion
Part B: Adding a layer of air (an air cushion)

3. Put a puck on the bench. Give the puck a short gentle
puck
push and let it go. Observe its motion.
Tip
You may reuse the puck from Part A
after cleaning and drying it.
move
4. (a) Blow up a balloon. Hold its neck and insert it into the hole of the puck.
(b) Put the ‘balloon puck’ on the bench. Release its neck and give it a short gentle push.
hole
puck move
(i) Compared with Step 3, does the puck move more smoothly now?
Yes
(ii) Compared with Step 3, how does the friction change?
5. How can we explain the change in friction after the balloon is attached to the puck?
Air blows out from the bottom of the puck. This forms a layer of air
under the puck, which separates the puck from the bench. Thus, the friction
is reduced .
Part C: Using marbles

6. Put a puck in a tray. Give the puck a short gentle push
and let it go. Observe its motion.
move
puck
Tip
You may reuse the tray and the puck from
Part A after cleaning and drying it.
Cont'd
196
11
Force and Motion

7. Add marbles to the tray and repeat Step 6.
(a) Compared with Step 6, does the puck move more marble
smoothly now?
Yes
(b) How does the friction change after the marbles are move
added?
SPS: OB
Activity 11.10
Reducing air resistance

1. Prepare two identical sheets of paper. Fold one sheet
into a rectangular paper box and the other into
a paper aeroplane.
2. Hold the paper box and the paper aeroplane at the

same height (~ 1 m) and release them at the same time. paper
aeroplane
(a) Which one reaches the ground first?
The paper aeroplane
rectangular paper box
(b) Which one is affected by smaller air resistance?

The paper aeroplane
3. Prepare another two identical sheets of paper. Fold

them into two identical paper cones.
4. Hold the cones at the same height (~ 1 m). One of them

has its vertex pointing down and the other has its vertex vertex
pointing up. Release them at the same time.
paper cones
(a) Which one reaches the ground first?
The paper cone whose vertex points down
(b) Which one is affected by smaller air resistance? vertex
The paper cone whose vertex points down Teaching notes

Not only the shape, but also the
orientation of an object affects the
air resistance acting on it (Step 4).
197
11 Force and Motion
We have just investigated several methods of reducing friction or

air resistance. They are summarized below.
Method 1 Using lubricants
Classroom question The friction between two surfaces can be reduced by applying
Q: State another example of
lubricants between the surfaces. Examples of lubricants include
using lubricants to
reduce friction. soapy water or lubricating oil.
A: Adding lubricating oil to
the hinges of doors or
windows ring
Fig. 11.33 The soapy water reduces the Fig. 11.34 Lubricating oil is added to
friction between the ring and the finger. the gears and chains of a bicycle to
The ring can then be removed more easily. reduce the friction between them.
Method 2 Separating surfaces using an air cushion
The friction between two surfaces can be reduced by separating

maglev train
them using a layer of air. This layer of air is called an air cushion.
Maglev trains and jetfoils are designed on this principle to reduce
friction so that they can move at high speeds.
maglev train air
rail
electromagnets
Fig. 11.35 A maglev train is separated from its rails by Fig. 11.36 A jetfoil can move at a high speed as
magnetic forces. Thus, the friction between them is greatly it is raised above the water surface and the friction
reduced and the train can move at a very high speed. between the water surface and jetfoil is reduced.
Teaching notes
The bottom of a jetfoil has a structure in the
water, which is similar to the wings of
aeroplanes. When the jetfoil moves, a lifting
force is produced at this structure and the
jetfoil is raised above the water surface.
198
11
Force and Motion

Teaching notes
Similar to the table of air
holes
hockey, the air track used in disc air cushion
Experiments 11.2 and 11.5
has little friction as there is
an air cushion on its surface.
disc
table
hole
Fig. 11.37 In air hockey, the disc can move fast because it is separated from the table
by an air cushion.
Method 3 Using rolling objects
Friction can also be reduced with the use of rolling objects, for
example rollers and ball bearings. This method is sometimes used in
daily life, as shown below.
a b
box
rollers
ball bearing
Fig. 11.38 Examples of using rolling objects to reduce friction: (a) rollers to allow the box
to slide more smoothly and (b) ball bearings to allow bicycle wheels to turn more smoothly.
Teaching notes
Examples of streamlining in
Nature: Method 4 Streamlining the shapes of objects
• sharks, which have
streamlined bodies The shape of an object affects the air resistance acting on it.
• running leopards, which
have streamlined postures The air resistance is reduced if the object has a streamlined shape.
Thus, high-speed vehicles usually have streamlined shapes.
Think about
a b
Swimmers experience an
opposing force in water
called water resistance. Do
you know how swimmers Fig. 11.39 To reduce air resistance, (a) aeroplanes and trains are usually designed to
reduce the water resistance
have streamlined shapes; (b) cyclists wear streamlined helmets and crouch down to have
acting against them?
a streamlined posture.
To reduce water resistance, some swimmers
shave their legs and chests. Some also wear water resistance 水阻力
full-body swimsuits and swimming caps. crouch 俯身
199
11 Force and Motion
• Friction can be reduced using lubricants ,

separating surfaces with an air cushion
and using rolling objects .

• Air resistance can be reduced by designing objects with
streamlined shapes.
Hyperloop—A new form of transportation faster than aeroplanes
12 May 2016
Land vehicles faster than aeroplanes no longer a dream
 A Hyperloop system (part of its tube not drawn)  The tubes of a Hyperloop system ready to be
installed
A company in the U.S. is developing a new form of high-speed transportation system
called Hyperloop. In this system, a vehicle carrying passengers or cargos moves in a
near-vacuum tube. Also, the vehicle is levitated inside the tube by electromagnets,
similarly to a maglev train levitated above its rail. With these designs, it is expected
that the Hyperloop vehicle can travel at speeds over 1200 km h–1, which are higher
than the speeds of aeroplanes.
The Hyperloop system has been actively tested in recent years and it is hoped that a
fully operational system will be in service by 2020.
(Source: Summary of various newspaper reports)
Questions 1. The Hyperloop tube is near-vacuum so that very little air resistance acts on the vehicles
inside. Also, the vehicles are levitated above the rails so that friction is greatly reduced.
1. How do the designs of the Hyperloop enable its vehicles to travel at high speeds?
2. If a Hyperloop vehicle travels at 1200 km h –1, how long will it take to travel the–1
2. Time = 175 km / 1200 km h
distance between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, which is 175 km? = 0.146 h = 8.75 min
3. How is the development of the Hyperloop beneficial to society? 3. It saves time for
transporting goods between different places.
4. Suggest some disadvantages of the Hyperloop.
It also saves the travelling time of people.
4. It requires a high cost to build this system.
Also, the risk of serious accidents is higher.
levitate 懸浮
200
11
Force and Motion

Section objective
Students should be able to D Making use of friction and air resistance
give examples of situations
where friction or air Although friction and air resistance are sometimes unwanted and
resistance is useful.
need to be reduced, they are useful in many cases. We make use of
them a lot in daily life. The following are some examples.
Teaching notes Walking

May ask students to imagine
what our life would be if
there was no friction.
Holding objects The friction between our shoes and

in position the ground enables us to walk.
We can hold the food because

of the friction between it and
the chopsticks.
The air resistance acting on the

parachute slows the skydiver
The friction between the climber down and helps him land safely.
and the rock helps her stay
safely in position on the rock.
Preventing
slipping
Slowing down
moving objects
anti-slip strip
The anti-slip strips on the stairs

increase friction to prevent slipping. The brake slows down the wheel
of the bicycle by making use of
brake wheel the friction between them.
201
11 Force and Motion
Activity 11.11
How is friction important in a bathroom?

The picture below shows Leo’s bathroom. Discuss with your classmates how we make use of
friction in the situations below.
a mop leaning against a wall
b hanging a towel with clips

b
c rubber mat placed near d
a shower cubicle
a
d twisting a towel
e grooves on the handles

of toothbrushes e
a. Without friction, the mop would slide down. c
b. Friction allows the clips to hold the towel firmly.
c. The rubber mat has a larger friction to prevent us from slipping even when our feet are wet (after bathing).
d. Friction allows us to hold the towel firmly so that we can twist it.
e. The grooves increase the friction so that we can hold the toothbrush securely even our hands are wet.
connec t i o n 11.2
Testing the effect of air resistance on objects with different shapes

The air resistance acting on a moving object is related to its shape. In this project, you are
going to use a 3D printer to make some objects with different shapes. You will test the
effect of air resistance on the motion of these objects.
e-aristo.hk/r/
isstemu11i02.e
In some daily life situations, friction and air resistance are

important and we need to make use of them.
groove 坑紋
202
11
Force and Motion

11.7 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i07.e
(a) Friction is always unwanted and should be reduced. F
(b) Friction can be reduced only by adding lubricants. F
(c) In order for runners to run faster, the friction between their shoes and the
ground should be reduced. F
2. In each of the following cases, between which two surfaces does friction exist? Is the
friction useful or unwanted?
(a) Holding food with chopsticks (b) Walking on the ground
The two surfaces: The two surfaces:

food shoe
chopsticks ground
Useful or unwanted? Useful Useful or unwanted? Useful
(c) Pushing a box on a table (d) Turning the cap of the bottle
cap
The two surfaces: The two surfaces:

box hand
table cap
Useful or unwanted? Unwanted Useful or unwanted? Useful
5-minute Quiz
(Quiz 7: Reducing friction and air resistance;
Making use of friction and air resistance)
203
11 Force and Motion
11.5 Action and reaction

board
Fig. 11.40 shows an extreme sport called hydroflight. The player

rides a board that is lifted by ejected water. This allows the player to
stay in the air and ‘fly’. What is the principle behind? We may
understand more after this section.
Section objectives
Teaching notes Students should be able to
• The first competition of hydroflight • recognize that forces always work in
was held in 2012. Fig. 11.40 Hydroflight action-and-reaction pairs.
• May show what hydroflight is from • understand that action-and-reaction pairs are
the link below: equal in magnitude, opposite in direction and
act on different objects.
e-aristo.hk/r/isteu11i02.e
A Basic ideas of action-and-reaction pairs
SPS: OB, CS, PA, IF

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i10.e
Realizing that forces occur in pairs

wooden trolley 2 small trolley 2 Experiment preparation

Remind students to be very careful when they
rope (~ 5 m) 1 small hammer 1 sit down on the wooden trolley or stand up
after the experiment.
Procedure
student A student B
Part A: Students sitting on wooden trolleys
1. Your teacher will invite two students A and B to
sit on two wooden trolleys. Student A faces the
back of student B as shown.
2. Student A pushes student B.
Frame Student A Student B
(a) Does the student move? yes yes
(b) Is there any force acting on the student?

left right
If yes, in which direction does the force act?
Teaching notes
Remind students that the question asks Cont'd
hydroflight 水上飛行
about the force acting on student A (or B), eject 噴射
204 not the force applied by student A.
11
Force and Motion

student A student B
3. Now, students A and B sit on the trolleys,
facing each other. They are about 2 m
apart and hold the ends of a rope as
shown.
4. Student A pulls the rope while student B just holds the rope without pulling.
Frame Student A Student B
(a) Does the student move? yes yes
(b) Is there any force acting on the student?

right left
Part B: Small trolleys

5. Press in the plunger of small trolley A as shown. Leave
plunger
the plunger of small trolley B not pressed.
The plunger can be accidentally triggered and shoot out
strongly. Remind students not to point the trolley towards
anybody. small trolley A
6. Put the small trolleys on the bench with their plungers

hammer
facing one another end-to-end. Then, gently hit the
trigger of small trolley A with a hammer. plungers
trigger
small trolley A small trolley B
Frame Small trolley A Small trolley B
(a) Does the small trolley move? yes yes
(b) Is there any force acting on the small trolley?

left right
Conclusion
When an object A exerts a force on another object B, a force exerts on object A
at the same time. These two forces

are in opposite directions.
205
11 Force and Motion
Teaching notes In Experiment 11.10, you found that forces occur in pairs.
• Remind students that all
forces occur in pairs, For example, when the plunger of trolley A (in the experiment)
including magnetic forces, pushes trolley B, trolley B exerts a force on trolley A at the
friction and the force of
gravity. same time. These two forces are in opposite directions. As a result,
• Remind students that the both trolleys move in opposite directions.
action and reaction act on
different objects.
trolley A trolley B
Classroom question
Q: Think about the students force on trolley A force on trolley B
in Experiment 11.10. As by trolley B by trolley A
the action and reaction
are in opposite direction,
they seem to be
balanced. Then, why did
the students still move?
Fig. 11.41 Forces occur in pairs: When trolley A exerts a force on trolley B, trolley B
A: The action and reaction
do not act on the same exerts another force on trolley A at the same time, and the trolleys are pushed apart.
student. Each student is
affected by only one of
the forces.
As mentioned above, forces occur in pairs and these pairs of forces
are called action-and-reaction pairs. The action and reaction act on
different objects and in opposite directions. For example, when you
It is the force acting on your kick a football, the force acting on the football and the force acting
foot that makes you feel pain on your foot form an action-and-reaction pair. These two forces are
when you kick the football.
in opposite directions.
b
a
force on the football force on the hammer force on the nail
by the foot by the nail by the hammer
nail
hammer
force on the foot
by the football
Fig. 11.42 The action and reaction act on different objects and in opposite directions.
How are the magnitudes of action and reaction related? Are they
equal? Let us find out in Experiment 11.11.
action 作用力
reaction 反作用力
206
11
SPS: OB, CS, PA
Force and Motion

e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i11.e
Are the magnitudes of action and reaction equal?

Material and apparatus Experiment preparation
The force sensors can be purchased
trolley 2 force sensor 2 data-logger 1 from PASCO.
Procedure
1. Your teacher will set up the apparatus as shown below. Trolleys P and Q are placed with
their force sensors facing each other.
data-logger
trolley P trolley Q
force sensors
2. Hold trolley Q in position and push trolley P to make it hit trolley Q.
3. Look at the graph in the computer screen. It

Tip
shows how the forces acting on the trolleys
The way to read the graph here is similar
change over time. to the way to read a distance-time graph,
with force in place of distance.
(a) Sketch the graphs of trolleys P and Q in the space provided.
force force
time time
Graph of trolley P Graph of trolley Q
(b) Are the forces acting on trolleys P and Q equal? Yes
4. Repeat Step 2, but make the trolleys hit each other in other ways.
Are the forces acting on trolleys P and Q equal? Yes

Teaching notes
In Step 4, students may try to push both trolleys towards each other.
They may also try to push P towards Q, without holding Q in position.
207
11 Force and Motion
Misconception In Experiment 11.11, you found that action and reaction always
Students may think that
when a heavier car crashes have the same magnitude. For example, when a moving minibus
into a lighter car, the impact crashes into a car, the forces acting on both vehicles are an action-
force acting on the latter is
larger. Remind them that the and-reaction pair, and they have the same magnitude.
impact forces acting on both
cars are equal in magnitude, toy minibus moving
no matter whether they have
the same mass or not. toy car
force on the toy minibus force on the toy car

by the toy car by the toy minibus
Fig. 11.43 The force acting on the toy minibus and the force acting on the toy car are
an action-and-reaction pair. Both forces have the same magnitude.
Forces occur in pairs called action-and-reaction pairs.

They act on different objects. They have equal
magnitude but they are opposite in direction.
Section objective B Daily examples of action-and-reaction

identify some action-and- pairs
reaction pairs of forces in
daily examples. In daily life, we come across action-and-reaction pairs a lot and
make use of them.
For example, when we jump, our feet exert a downward force on

the ground. At the same time, there is an upward force exerted by
a
the ground on our feet. These two forces are an action-and-reaction
pair. The upward force enables us to jump.
b c
force on the water

by the hand
force on the foot

by the ground force on the foot force on the hand
force on the force on the
by the ground by the water
ground by the foot ground by the foot
Fig. 11.44 We make use of action-and-reaction pairs when we (a) jump, (b) walk and (c) swim.
Teaching notes
Emphasize that, when we jump (or: walk, swim), it is not the
208 force applied by the foot, but its reaction causing us to jump.
11
SPS: OB, CM
Force and Motion

Activity 11.12
Identifying action-and-reaction pairs in daily life

In each situation below, identify the action-and-reaction pair involved. Draw arrows to show
them in the photos and label them clearly.
(a) Jumping on a diving board (b) Canoeing
paddle
force on the foot

by the board
force on the force on the

force on the board water by the paddle by the
by the foot paddle water
SPS: OB, IN, PA, IF, CM
Activity 11.13
Which group’s ‘balloon car’ can move the fastest?

Part A: Making a ’balloon car’
1. Your teacher will divide your class into different groups and give each group the
following material and apparatus.
cardboard two sticks (~ 10 cm) adhesive tape clip scissors

balloon straw rubber band glue
2. Use the material and apparatus above to make a ‘balloon car’. Some hints are given below.
Making axle-and-wheels:
glue
rubber band
straw
stick
wheel (cut out from
cardboard)
straw cardboard Cont'd
209
11 Force and Motion
3. Place the ‘balloon car’ on the bench. You will remove the clip and allow the air inside
the balloon to be ejected.
clip
When the air inside the balloon is ejected, what do you think is the direction in which
the ‘balloon car’ moves?
(Answers may vary.)
4. Now, remove the clip.
(a) In which direction does the ‘balloon car’ move? To the right
(b) In which direction is the air inside the balloon ejected? To the left
5. The ‘balloon car’ moves by making use of an action-and-reaction pair. Draw arrows in
the diagram below to show the pair and label them clearly.
force on the air force on the balloon

by the balloon by the air
Part B: ‘Balloon car’ race

6. Each of your group will now design a ‘balloon car’ and then compete in a race. Think
about the following when designing your own ‘balloon car’.
• How can you increase the force causing the ‘balloon car’ to move?
May try to blow a larger balloon, or use a thinner drinking straw
• How can you make the ‘balloon car’ lighter?
May use less dense material to make the ‘car’
• How can you reduce the friction and air resistance acting on the ‘balloon car’?
May add lubricants to the axles of the wheels and make a streamlined ‘car’ body using plastic
• How can you make the ‘balloon car’ move more smoothly? bottles of soft drinks
May make axle-and-wheels that can work more smoothly
Cont'd
210
11
Force and Motion

7. Draw your group’s design in the box below. Label different parts of your ‘balloon car’
and the materials used to make each of the parts.
(Answers may vary.)
8. With your teacher’s approval, make your ‘balloon car’. Then, it is time to race.
Think about
The hydroflight sport
mentioned on p.204 works
by making use of an We make use of action-and-reaction pairs a lot in daily life.
action-and-reaction pair.
Can you name it? The force acting on the board by
the ejected water and the force
acting on the water by the board
11.8 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i08.e
(a) Action and reaction act on the same object. F
(b) If a bus crashes into a car, the force acting on the bus is smaller than that on the
equal to
car during the crash. F
2. The runner in the photo moves forwards by

pushing on the starting block. Explain this by
identifying the action-and-reaction pair
involved.
When the runner’s foot exerts a
(a) backward force on the starting starting blocks
block, (b) the block exerts a forward force on the

foot at the same time .
These two forces are an action-and-reaction
pair. The forward force makes the runner
move forwards.
5-minute Quiz
(Quiz 8: Action and reaction)
211
11 Force and Motion
Prior knowledge
Teaching notes
• Pluto is 5.8 × 109 km from the In primary level, students have learned
11.6
Earth (when they are on the about the journey of a spacecraft; and
same side of the Sun). Space flight how a rocket is launched into space.
• The New Horizons (新視野號)
took about nine years to
travel from the Earth to Pluto.
Have you seen the photo of Pluto shown on the left before? It was
taken by spacecraft New Horizons in 2015. It is the first-ever photo
of Pluto, which allows us to see how this far planetary body looks
like for the first time.
EXTENSION
Exploring space was only a dream in the ancient time. However, it

has become possible since the last century, with the use of the
knowledge of force and motion. Basically, a space flight has three
Fig. 11.45 Pluto with the stages: (1) launching, (2) travelling in space and (3) returning to the
famous heart shape visible
Earth. Let us look at the space flight of Shenzhou 11 in 2016 to have
clearly on its surface
an overview of a space flight.
1
17/10, 7:30 am
The rocket Long March 2F carrying
Shenzhou 11 was launched.
5
The return module of
Shenzhou 11 entered
the atmosphere.
6
18/11, 1:59 pm
The return module
landed safely.
4
17/11, 12:41 pm
Shenzhou 11 detached
from Tiangong 2 and was
set to return to the Earth.
3
19/10, 3:31 am
Shenzhou 11 together with
Tiangong 2 started to travel
round the Earth for 30 days
at about 390 km above the 2
Earth’s surface. 19/10, 3:24 am
Shenzhou 11 reached space laboratory
Tiangong 2, and docked with it.
Fig. 11.46 The space flight of Shenzhou 11 in 2016
Pluto 冥王星
212
11
Force and Motion

Section objectives
Students should be able to A Launching
• be aware that rockets have
to escape from gravity when When a spacecraft is launched, a huge force is needed to push it so
launched to outer space. [E]
• be aware that rockets are that it can overcome the force of gravity of the Earth. This is done by
pushed upwards because using rockets.
exhaust gases are pushed
downwards. [E] • recognize the streamlined shape of a rocket
minimizes air resistance when launching. [E]
SPS: OB, PA
EXTENSION
e-aristo.hk/r/
isexptu11i12.e
Launching a water rocket

Caution
• Carry out this experiment in open
space outside the laboratory.
water rocket with a trigger 1 pump 1
• Do not stand too close to the water
rocket when it is launched.
Procedure Wear safety goggles. • Make sure the water rocket is
launched vertically.
1. Fill the water rocket with water to about one-third full.
2. Pump air into the rocket. Then, push the trigger.

water
(a) What happens to the water rocket? rocket
pump
The water rocket moves upwards
(upwards / downwards).
(b) What happens to the water inside the rocket?
The water is pushed downwards

trigger
(upwards / downwards).
3. In the diagram on the right, draw arrows to represent

the action-and-reaction pair involved when the water
rocket launches.
For an optimum result, the water rocket should
be filled with one-third to one-half full of water.
force on the rocket
If there is too much water, it will be too heavy by the water
for liftoff. If there is too little water, the pushing
force acting on the rocket will only last for a
short time. force on the water
by the rocket
213
11 Force and Motion
In Experiment 11.12, we have seen how a water

rocket works.
A rocket for a space flight also works by making

use of an action-and-reaction pair. When the fuel
inside a rocket burns, a large quantity of hot gases
is produced. When these hot gases are ejected
the force on the rocket
downwards, an upward pushing force is exerted
by the gases on the rocket. As a result, the rocket is pushed up
EXTENSION
into the atmosphere and then into space.

Teaching notes
• The fuel that the rocket (the longest middle structure in
Fig. 11.47) carries is usually hydrogen (liquid fuel).
Liquid oxygen is also carried in the rocket.
• The fuel that the rocket boosters (the structures on both
sides of the rocket in Fig. 11.47) carry can be carbon or
aluminium powder (solid fuel). The oxidant can be
ammonium perchlorate.
the force on the gases
by the rocket The spacecraft carried by the
rocket is at the top of the rocket.
Fig. 11.47 The action and reaction pair involved in the

launching of a rocket
SPS: OB
Activity 11.14 e-aristo.hk/r/

isactu11i01.e
Studying the use of rocket engines

Scan the QR code to play a video about the use of rocket
engines in a space flight. Watch the video closely and discuss
with your classmates the questions below.
1. How does the fuel of a rocket burn inside the rocket

engine? 1. The liquid hydrogen (the fuel) is mixed with oxygen and
burned in the combustion chamber of the rocket.
2. How does the rocket engine work to change the direction
of the rocket’s movement?
2. The nozzle of the rocket can change direction to adjust the
direction in which the hot gases are ejected. The direction of the
rocket’s movement can then be changed.
214
11
Force and Motion

e-Explore While a rocket is moving in air, it is affected by huge air resistance.
The air resistance opposes the motion of the rocket. In order to
11.1 Design of rockets
reduce the air resistance, rockets are usually designed to have
Besides having streamlined
shapes, rockets have other streamlined shapes.
features that allow them
to be launched and travel
into space successfully.
Explore more on our Web.
e-aristo.hk/r/
isexploreu11i01.e
EXTENSION
Fig. 11.48 Rockets are designed to have
streamlined shapes to reduce the air resistance.
• A rocket requires a huge pushing force to overcome

the force of gravity of the Earth.
This upward pushing force is produced by ejecting
hot gases downwards (upwards/downwards).
• Rockets usually have streamlined shapes to reduce
the air resistance.
Section objective
Students should be able to B Travelling in space
recognize the frictionless
motion and micro-gravity After a spacecraft has left the atmosphere and entered space,
motion of spacecrafts in
space. [E] it begins the second stage of a space flight—travelling in space.
Let us take a closer look at it.
1. Frictionless motion
In Section 11.4C, you learned that the

friction is greatly reduced in air hockey.
The puck almost does not slow down
What happens to the puck’s
when it moves across the air-hockey
motion if no friction acts on it?
table.
It will not slow down, but
keep on moving at the same
speed. puck
Fig. 11.49 Air hockey
215
11 Force and Motion
From the case of air hockey, we can understand the motion of

spacecrafts in space. In space, there is no air and thus no air
resistance slowing down spacecrafts. As a result, spacecrafts can
continue moving even when their engines are turned off. This kind
of motion is called frictionless motion.
EXTENSION
Fig. 11.50 There is no need for a spacecraft in space to

have a streamlined shape. Do you know why?
There is no air resistance in space so the spacecraft needs
not to have a streamlined shape to reduce air resistance.
2. Micro-gravity motion
SPS: OB

isactu11i02.e
Observing the motion of the astronauts and objects in space

Scan the QR code to play a video about the astronauts inside a spacecraft in space.
From the video, what do you notice about the motion of astronauts in space? Are the other
objects also in the same kind of motion? The astronauts and other objects in the spacecraft ‘float’
around as if they have no weight.
frictionless motion 無摩擦運動
216
Teaching notes 11
The state of the astronauts (and
Force and Motion

other objects) under micro- When a spacecraft is moving in space, the astronauts and objects
gravity condition is sometimes
called weightlessness. However,inside ‘float’ around. This is known as micro-gravity motion. Under
they are not truly weightless.
micro-gravity motion, astronauts cannot feel their own weight.
They have weight but they just
cannot feel it.
a b c
tomato
EXTENSION
water drop
Fig. 11.51 Micro-gravity motion of astronauts and objects in space
Teaching notes
When astronauts are in
micro-gravity motion, they
still have weight. They ‘float’ • In space, a spacecraft travels in frictionless motion
around as if they have no
weight because no because there is no air resistance acting on it.
supporting force acts on
them. The reason behind will
• The objects and astronauts inside a spacecraft moving in
be taught in HKDSE Physics space ‘float’ around. They are in micro-gravity
(Part VI (Elective part):
Astronomy and Space motion.
Science).
SPS: OB, IN

isactu11i03.e
Experiments performed under the micro-gravity condition in space

Part A: Experiments designed by scientists
Scan the QR code to play a video about an experiment
performed under the micro-gravity condition in space.
Watch the video closely and discuss with your classmates
the questions below.
1. To study the accumulation of long protein fibres in the brain,
which is believed to be a cause of the Alzheimer's disease
1. What is the aim of the experiment? (認知障礙症，
俗稱老人痴呆症)
2. Why does the experiment need to be performed
under the micro-gravity condition?
2. Under the micro-gravity condition, the protein fibres will not collapse due to their own weight.
Thus, scientists can observe and study the accumulation of them more easily. Cont'd
micro-gravity motion 微重力運動
217
11 Force and Motion
Part B: Experiments designed by students

In the space mission of Shenzhou 11 in 2016, three experiments designed by Hong Kong
students were performed in the Tiangong 2 space laboratory.
a b c
EXTENSION
 The apparatus and set-ups of the experiments designed by Hong Kong students
Search the newspaper articles about the experiments. Choose an article about one of the
experiments and paste it in the space below. Discuss with your classmates the questions
below.
3. What is the aim of the experiment?
4. Why does the experiment need to be performed under the micro-gravity condition?
5. Suppose that you are also designing an experiment to be performed in space.
(a) What experiment would you perform?
(b) How is the experiment performed?
(c) Why is it valuable to perform the experiment under the micro-gravity condition?
218
11
Force and Motion

11.9 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i09.e
(a) A spacecraft moving in space does not need to have a streamlined
(The spacecraft is not slow, e.g. the F
shape because it is moving very slowly. international space station moves at 8 km s–1!)
(b) Inside a spacecraft in space, astronauts can move around as if they have no
weight. T
EXTENSION
2. The diagrams below show the pushing force required for a rocket to change direction.
In which diagram is the hot gas ejected from the rocket in the correct direction?
A. B. C.
rocket rocket rocket

pushing pushing pushing
force force force
hot gas hot gas hot gas
Section objective
Students should be aware of
C Returning to the Earth
the design of spacecrafts for
returning to the Earth safely 1. Entering the atmosphere
(e.g. heat insulation,
reducing speed). [E] In 2013, there was a meteorite crash in Russia. When the meteorite
was falling through the atmosphere, it burned like a fireball and
shone brightly even in daytime.
Active learning
Useful video
(Meteorite crash in 2013)
Fig. 11.52 The meteorite crash in Russia in 2013
meteorite 隕石
219
11 Force and Motion
Teaching notes Similarly, when a spacecraft is entering the atmosphere, it is

The spacecrafts from the ‘rubbing against’ the air at high speeds and a large amount of heat
International Space Station
(or Low-Earth Orbit) can is produced. The temperature of the outer surface of the spacecraft
re-enter the atmosphere at may reach as high as 1500 °C.
a typical speed of around
28 000 km h–1.
To protect the spacecraft and the astronauts inside, the spacecraft
has some designs of heat insulation. For example, the surface of the
spacecraft is covered with a heat shield
or insulating tiles.
EXTENSION
burn
mark
Fig. 11.53 The outer surface of a spacecraft can Fig. 11.54 The burn marks left on the
heat up to as high as 1500 °C when entering the surface of the return module of Shenzhou 11
atmosphere in its return journey to the Earth. after the space mission
A spacecraft has a heat shield or

insulating tiles to protect it from the heat
produced when it enters the atmosphere.
2. Landing
Before landing, a spacecraft is parachutes

still moving at high speeds. In
order to have a safe landing,
the speed of the spacecraft
needs to be reduced. This can
be done by using parachutes to
increase air resistance to slow
down the spacecraft.
spacecraft
Fig. 11.55 Large parachutes are used to

slow down a spacecraft before landing.
heat shield 隔熱罩
insulating tile 隔熱磚
220
11
SPS: OB, IN, PA, IF, CM
Force and Motion

Activity 11.17
Finding out the factors affecting the speed of a falling parachute

Parachutes are used to reduce the speed of spacecrafts returning to the Earth. What are the
factors that affect the speed of a falling parachute? Design and conduct an investigation to
find out. You may consider the following:
EXTENSION
• surface area of the parachute
• shape of the parachute
• material used to make the parachute
For each factor, design different parachutes and perform experiments to measure their
falling speeds.
material of the parachute adhesive tape
string
rubber stopper
After the experiments, write a report on your investigation. The report should be divided into
several sections and each should cover one factor. Each section needs to include:
• a variable table
• a table showing the results
• a conclusion
221
11 Force and Motion
Parachutes are used to reduce the speed of a spacecraft

so that it will have a safer landing.
Before we end this section, let us watch a video clip about the return
journey of a spacecraft in Activity 11.18.
EXTENSION
SPS: OB

isactu11i04.e
Watching a spacecraft‘s return journey to the Earth

Scan the QR code to play a video about the return journey
of a spacecraft. Watch the video closely and discuss with
your classmates the questions below.
1. What happens to the spacecraft as soon as it enters the atmosphere?

1. A large amount of heat is produced around the spacecraft.
2. Before landing, the spacecraft opens its parachute. Why is a parachute needed?
2. The parachute helps slow down the spacecraft.
3. Before it lands, the engines of the spacecraft are switched on. In which direction are
the hot gases ejected from the engines? Why are the gases ejected in this direction?
3. The hot gases are ejected downwards. An upward pushing force will then be produced to slow
down the spacecraft.
11.10 e-Checkpoint
e-aristo.hk/r/
iscpu11i10.e
Write ‘T’ for a true statement and ‘F’ for a false statement.
(a) With the use of heat shields, no heat will be produced when a spacecraft is
returning to the Earth. F
(b) Air resistance is always unwanted for a spacecraft returning to the Earth. F
5-minute Quiz
(Quiz 9: Space flight)
222
Learn from
scientists
With his car models, he can rebuild the scenes of traffic accidents. eung
Lo Kok K IMarEST)
,F
At times, he has even proved the innocence of some drivers in court. IMechE
(CEng F
He is scientist Lo Kok Keung.
In court, Lo usually uses his car models to carry out experiments to

show how traffic accidents have occurred. Together with
his explanation based on data, evidence, and
knowledge of force and motion, he helps
the court see what is true. He also
helps prove some wrongly charged
drivers are guiltless.
Now, Lo has retired. Yet, he

hopes his experience will
help students learn that
studying science allows
us to help others. It
also allows us to make
contributions to the
society we live in.
Think about
1. What science skills does Lo Kok Keung use to rebuild the scenes of traffic
accidents in court? Why is it so important to use these skills in court?
2. You may have heard the news of the traffic accidents which Lo Kok Keung
helped investigate. Search the Internet to find one of these news reports.
What experiments did he perform as part of his investigation?
1. He designs investigations and carries out experiments. By analysing the results

obtained, he draws conclusions. It is important to use these skills in court
because the conclusions are more objective and reliable, helping the
court find the truth.
innocence 無辜
223
11 Force and Motion
Concept map
Force
affects unit
can be measured
motion newton
with
can be
represented by
spring force sensor
two types balance connected to
distance-time
graph a data-logger
constant speed changing speed

and or force of gravity
fixed direction changing direction
uniform non-uniform
motion motion
increases acting on an object
with by the Earth
when the object when the object mass weight

is affected by is affected by
unit unit
balanced forces unbalanced forces kilogram / gram newton
224
11
Force and Motion

occurs in pairs
action-and-reaction pairs
examples
properties
are used to launch

• act on different bodies
• opposite directions
• same magnitude
E rocket
friction air resistance

carries a
spacecraft to
E space
can be reduced by
in space
• using lubricants
• separating surfaces astronauts and
using an air cushion spacecrafts travel
objects inside a
in
• using rolling objects spacecraft move in
• streamlining the
shapes of objects frictionless micro-gravity
E E
motion motion
225
11 Force and Motion
Unit summary
11.1 Motion
1. Speed is the distance travelled by an object per unit time. It can be measured in metre per second
(m s−1) or kilometre per hour (km h−1).
2. The average speed of an object can be calculated using the formula below.
distance (m)
average speed (m s–1) =
time (s)
3. The distance-time graph of an object shows the distance travelled by the object at different times.
4. The distance-time graph of an object has different shapes when the object is in different motions.
The graph is
• a horizontal line if the object is at rest.
• a straight line with a slope if the object moves at a steady speed. The higher the speed, the
steeper the slope of the graph.
distance (m) distance (m)

moving at
a steady speed at rest
moving faster
300 300
200 200
moving slower
100 100
time (s) time (s)

0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
5. An object in uniform motion moves at a constant speed in a fixed direction. An object in

non-uniform motion moves at a changing speed or in changing direction.
11.2 Force
6. A force is a push or a pull on an object.
7. Forces can change the speed and direction of motion of an object.
8. Forces can be measured using a spring balance or a force sensor connected to a data-logger.
The unit of force is newton (N).
9. Forces that can exist only between objects in contact are called contact forces. Forces that exist
between objects without any contact are called non-contact forces.
10. A free-body diagram shows all the forces acting on an object.
11. If balanced forces act on an object, it stays at rest or in uniform motion. If unbalanced forces act on
an object, the motion of the object changes.
226
11
Force and Motion

11.3 Gravity
12. Any two objects attract each other with the force of gravity.
13. The force of gravity exerted by the Earth acts towards the Earth’s centre.
14. The force of gravity acting on an object increases with its mass.
15. The concepts of mass and weight are compared in the table below:
Mass Weight
What is it? the amount of matter an object contains the force of gravity acting on an object
Unit kilogram (kg) / gram (g) newton (N)
The same in yes no

different places?
E 16. The greater the mass of an object, the greater its weight.
11.4 Friction and air resistance

17. Friction opposes the sliding motion of an object over a contact surface it is in contact with.
18. Air resistance opposes the motion of an object moving in air.
19. Friction can be reduced using lubricants, air cushion and rolling objects.
20. Air resistance can be reduced by making objects in streamlined shapes.
21. In some daily life situations, friction and air resistance are important and we need to make use of
them.
11.5 Action and reaction

22. Forces occur in pairs, which are called action-and-reaction pairs. They act on different objects. They
are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction.
E 11.6 Space flight

23. A rocket requires a huge pushing force to overcome the force of gravity of the Earth. This upward
pushing force is produced by ejecting hot gases downwards.
24. Rockets usually have streamlined shapes to reduce the air resistance.
25. In space, a spacecraft travels in frictionless motion as there is no air resistance acting on it. When a
spacecraft moves in space, the objects and astronauts inside ‘float’ around. They are in micro-
gravity motion.
26. A spacecraft has a heat shield or insulating tiles to protect it against the heat produced when it is
entering the atmosphere. Parachutes are used to reduce the speed of a spacecraft for a safer landing.
227
11 Force and Motion
Key terms e-Dictionary

e-aristo.hk/r/
isedict.e
11.1 11.3
average speed (平均速率) p.160 force of gravity (重力) p.185
distance-time graph mass (質量) p.188

(距離—時間關係線圖) p.164
weight (重量) p.187
motion (運動) p.164
non-uniform motion (非勻速運動) p.168
speed (速率) p.159 11.4

air resistance (空氣阻力) p.194
uniform motion (勻速運動) p.168
friction (摩擦力) p.192
11.2
balanced forces (平衡力) p.182 11.5
action (作用力) p.206
contact force (接觸力) p.178
reaction (反作用力) p.206
force (力) p.170
free-body diagram (孤立物體圖) p.179
newton (牛頓) p.173 E 11.6
non-contact force (非接觸力) p.178 frictionless motion (無摩擦運動) p.216
spring balance (彈簧秤) p.173 micro-gravity motion

(微重力運動) p.217
unbalanced forces (不平衡力) p.182
228
11
Force and Motion

Unit exercise Unit Test (U11) Online Test (U11)
A. True or false (1 mark each)
Write ‘T’ for a true statement and ‘F’ for a false statement.
1. Forces can change the direction of motion of moving objects. T

2. The force of gravity is a contact force. F
3. The air resistance acting on a car decreases if the speed of the car increases. F
4. When a car crashes into a lorry, the force acting on the car is larger than that on the lorry. F
E 5. Spacecrafts need to have streamlined shapes so that they can travel with their engines turned
off in space. F
B. Multiple-choice (1 mark each)
Choose the correct answer for each question. Which of the following statements about the
motions of cars P and Q is/are correct?
1. The total distance of MTR’s South Island Line
(1) Car P has travelled a shorter distance
is 7 km. If an MTR train takes 11 minutes to
than car Q at time = 15 s.
travel between Admiralty station and South
(2) Both cars are at rest after time = 15 s.
Horizons station, what is the average speed
(3) From time = 0 to 15 s, the average speed
of the train?
of car P is 20 m s−1.
A. (1) only
Admiralty B. (2) only
C. (1) and (3) only
D. (2) and (3) only D
South 3. Which of the following objects is in uniform

Horizons motion?
A. A car at a roundabout
A. 10.6 m s−1
B. A runner starting to run
B. 63.6 m s−1
C. A train slowing down
C. 77.0 m s−1
D. A person standing still on an escalator
D. 94.3 m s−1 A
D
2. The motions of cars P and Q are represented

4. A race car is gaining speed. Which of the
by the distance-time graphs below.
following statements about the car is/are
distance (m)
correct?
(1) Balanced forces act on the car.
300 P
(2) Air resistance acts on the car.
200 Q (3) The car is in non-uniform motion.
100
A. (1) only
B. (3) only
time (s) C. (1) and (2) only
0 5 10 15 20 D. (2) and (3) only D
roundabout 迴旋處
229
11 Force and Motion
5. The figure shows a parachute jumper in four 7. Which of the following statements about
positions. friction are correct?
(1) It acts on moving objects only.
1
In the aircraft before (2) It opposes the sliding motion of an
the jump
object.
(3) It can be reduced by separating the
2
In free-fall immediately contact surfaces with an air cushion.
after jumping before A. (1) and (2) only
the parachute opens
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3) C
3
Falling to the ground
after the parachute 8. Which of the following forces belong(s) to
opens non-contact forces?
(1) Air resistance
(2) Magnetic force
(3) Force of gravity
4
On the ground just A. (2) only
after landing
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
In which of the positions does the force of D. (1), (2) and (3) C
gravity act on the jumper?
9. Which of the following statements about
A. Position 2 only
action and reaction are correct?
B. Positions 2 and 3 only
(1) They act on the same object.
C. Positions 1, 2 and 3 only
(2) They have the same magnitude.
D. Positions 1, 2, 3 and 4 D (3) They act in opposite directions.
(TIMSS 2011) A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
6. As shown below, some oranges are hung on C. (2) and (3) only
a spring balance. D. (1), (2) and (3) C
E 10. Which of the following statements about the

pushing force acting on rockets during
launching is/are correct?
(1) The force is produced by making use of
an action-and-reaction pair.
(2) The force is in the same direction as the
hot gases ejected.
(3) The force helps the rockets escape the
Which of the following statements about the force of gravity of the Earth.
oranges is correct? A. (1) only
B. (2) only
A. Their total weight is 7.0 N.
C. (1) and (3) only
B. Their total weight is 715 N.
D. (2) and (3) only C
C. Their total mass is 7.0 N.
D. Their total mass is 715 N. A
230
11
Force and Motion

E 11. An astronaut travels from the Earth to the E 12. Which of the following can protect a
Moon in a space journey. Which of the spacecraft against heat when it is entering
following statements is correct? the atmosphere?
A. The mass of the astronaut remains the (1) Heat shields
same throughout the journey. (2) Insulating tiles
B. The astronaut experiences a larger force (3) Parachutes
of gravity on the Moon than on the Earth. A. (1) and (2) only
C. The spacecraft is no longer in frictionless B. (1) and (3) only
motion when reaching the Moon. C. (2) and (3) only
D. The spacecraft can be slowed down D. (1), (2) and (3) A
using parachutes when it reaches the
Moon.(There is no air resistance on A
the Moon so parachutes cannot
be used to slow the spacecraft.)
C. Questions (12 marks)
1. In the photo below, a volleyball falls and Elaine wants to apply a force to push it up.
force applied
by Elaine
force of gravity
(2m)
(a) At the moment Elaine applies the force, is the volleyball in uniform or non-uniform motion?
Are balanced or unbalanced forces acting on the volleyball? (2 marks)
The volleyball is in non-uniform motion. (1m) Unbalanced forces are acting on it. (1m)
(b) In the box above, draw the free-body diagram of the volleyball at the moment Elaine applies
the force. (2 marks)
2. The figure shows two carts, each holding a magnet. The carts are moved close together and then let
go. Describe what will happen to the carts. (You may draw a picture to help explain your answer.)
(3 marks)
magnetic force magnetic force
(1m)
The north poles of the magnets repel (1m) so the carts spread apart. (1m)
(TIMSS 2011)
231
11 Force and Motion
3. The photo below shows an aeroplane flying in the sky.
engine
(a) A forward pushing force acts on the aeroplane for it to fly. This pushing force is produced by
ejecting gases from its engines.
(i) To which direction, the forward or backward direction of the aeroplane, are the gases
ejected? (1 mark)
Backward direction (1m)
(ii) Explain how the pushing force is produced by ejecting gases. (2 marks)
When the engine exerts a force to eject the gases in the backward direction, a forward pushing
force is exerted on the engine at the same time. (1m) These two forces are an action-and-reaction
pair. (1m)
(b) When the aeroplane is flying, a force acts against it and opposes its motion.
(i) Name this opposing force. (1 mark)
Air resistance (1m)
(ii) State how the aeroplane is designed to reduce this opposing force. (1 mark)
The aeroplane is designed to have a streamlined shape. (1m)
Score: /29
232

Scicent TE U11 e

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Scicent TE U11 e

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Force and Motion

In this Unit, we will learn about:

motion and distance-time graphs Learning Science in English

friction and air resistance Quick Revision Notes (U11)

Teaching PowerPoint (U11, by sections)

Parachute (not yet open)

Force and Motion

Do you know what the fastest object in

Snail Tsing Ma uttlecock in g r o u nd Light

speed 速率 shuttlecock 羽毛球

Let us see how to use this formula in the following example.

Time = 4 min = 4 × 60 s = 240 s

average speed 平均速率

Force and Motion

Calculating the average speeds of runners

2. The world record for the marathon is 2 hours 2 minutes

Time = 2 h 2 min 57 s = (2 × 60 × 60 + 2 × 60 + 57) s = 7377 s

Speed is the distance travelled by an object per unit time.

kilometres per hour (km h–1).

instantaneous speed 瞬時速率

Drawing the distance-time graph for a moving object

bus stop A bus stop B

bus stop A bus stop B

bus stop A bus stop B

bus stop A bus stop B

Force and Motion

Distance (m) 0 150 300 450 450

Distance-time graph of the bus

Method I: writing a description (similar to the beginning of this activity)

Method II: using a table as in Step 1

Method III: drawing a graph as in Step 2

Classroom question The motion of an object can be represented using a distance-time

Fig. 11.3 Distance-time graph of a car

Besides the distance travelled, we can obtain other information

Experiment 11.1 Experiment video

Interpreting the distance-time graph of an object

motion sensor 1 data-logger 1 trolley 1 stand and clamp 1

1. Your teacher will set up the apparatus

Force and Motion

obtain the distance-time graph shown on the right?

3. Now, your teacher will invite a student to control the

What is the trolley’s motion in order to obtain the graph?

What is the trolley’s motion in order to obtain graph I?

Compared to Step 4, how should the trolley move to II

connec t i o n 11.1 e-aristo.hk/r/

Using an app to plot distance-time graphs of motions on

Have you ever thought of analysing your running motion in

From Experiment 11.1, we see that the distance-time graph of

Skills Practice • moves at a steady speed, the distance-time graph is a straight

A distance-time graph of an object shows

2. The graph on the right represents the motion distance (m)

(b) Describe the motion of the car from 0 time (s)

Force and Motion

Experiment 11.2 Demonstration Experiment video

1. Your teacher will set up the apparatus shown

2. Switch on the air pump. Give the glider a

Describe the motion of the glider. glider air track

3. Look at the distance-time graph of the glider

4. From the result above, what is the shape of

uniform motion 勻速運動

For a Ferris wheel rotating

Identifying the motion of a bus at different instants

uniform motion 勻速運動 Cont'd