This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master forces.

The scope
of this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language used
recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard
sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the

Science 8 Quarter 1 – Module 1:

textbook you are now using.
This module contains: Lesson 1 – Forces
Forces After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. Investigate the relationship between the amount of force applied and the mass of the object to the
amount of change in the object’s motion. (Week 1 S8FE-Ia-15)
What I Know

DIRECTIONS: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answers on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. Which of the following describes a force?

A. pull only B. push only C. push or pull or both D. Neither a push nor a pull
2. What is the unit of force in metric system?
A. Calorie B. Joules C. Newtons D. Pounds
3. How do forces occur?
A. in pairs B. in triplets C. by themselves D. as single quantity
4. When you move a chair across the floor, what force must your push be stronger than?
A. friction B. magnetic C. normal D. tension
5. A 500 N lady sits on the floor. How much force the floor exerts on her?
A. 50 N B. 250 N C. 500 N D. 1000 N
6. Which force always pulls the objects to the ground?
A. applied B. friction C. gravitational D. tension
7. A leaf falls from a tree. What force(s) are acting on it?
A. Air resistance only B. Gravitational force only
C. Applied force and air resistance D. Air resistance and gravitational forces
8. When a cabinet touches the floor, which type of forces exist?
A. Contact forces B. Balanced forces C. Non-contact forces D. Unbalanced forces
9. The Earth has a bigger mass than the Moon. If you were able to travel to the Moon, what happens to
your weight?
A. increases B. decreases C. stays the same D. varies with day and night
10. What is the net force in the figure below?

A. 1 N, to the left B. 1 N, to the right

C. 11 N, to the left D. 11 N, to the right
What I Need to Know
Lesson 1 Forces
Force can be operationally defined based on observed effects. This means that a force can be Examine the ball on top of the table (see figure 6). Choose the letter of your answer to the
described in terms of what it does. However, forces do not always cause motion. It does not given conditions below:
necessarily follow that forces acting on an object will always cause it to move. Figures below are
examples where forces have tendency of changing the motion of an object or not. Condition Answer

1. In letter A, is the ball A. Yes B. No

at rest?
2. How can you A. The ball has to be B. The ball has to be pulled only
make the ball pushed or pulled.
move?
3. In letter B, what A. The ball moves in B. The ball does not move.
What can forces do? Forces can produce changes in motion. What are these changes in motion? happens the
What’s In to the ball when you same direction as the force.
push it with enough
In Grade 7, you learned displacement, velocity, and acceleration. You conducted activities wherein you
force?
understood and made visual representations of the motion of objects such as motion graphs. The ideas
4. In letter C, while it is A. Exert a force opposite the motion of B. The ball has to be pushed in the
were arrived at by studying examples of uniform motion or objects moving in straight line at constant
moving, how can you the ball. same direction of its motion.
speed. Then you were introduced to non-uniform motion where the object covers unequal
make the ball stop?
displacements at equal intervals of time.
5. In letter D, how can A. The ball has to be pushed B. The ball has to be pushed in the
we make the ball sideways. same direction of its motion.
change its direction?
What is It
You have observed that the ball moves once you push or pull it. This is called force. Consider a ball on
top of a table as shown in Figure 6. The ball will not move when there is no force applied to it (Figure
Figure 4. A moving car Figure 5. A car slowing down 6A). If you push the ball, it will move or roll across the surface of the table (Figure 6B). And when it is
again pushed in the direction of its motion, it moves faster and even farther (Figure 6B). But when you
When a car starts moving, it speeds up. When a car nears a stop sign, it slows down. The car is push it on the other side instead, opposite to the direction of its motion, the ball may slow down and
eventually stop (Figure 6C). Lastly, when you push it in a direction different from its original direction of
covering different displacements at equal time intervals, hence is not moving in constant velocity. This
motion, the ball also changes its direction (Figure 6D). In conclusion, force can make the ball, or any
means the car is accelerating. What’s New
object move, move faster, stop, or change its direction of motion. But, does this occur always? Can
Most of the motions we come across in our daily life are caused primarily by FORCE. To better force always effect change in the state of motion of an object?
understand the topic, perform the simple activities that follow: To accurately describe the forces acting on an object, let us examine the figure below:

Activity 1. Effect of force on a

Figure 7.
Figure 6. Effect of force on a Physical concepts illustrated on a ball
Figure 7 shows how force acts on a ball, but you need to be familiar with the following terms:

magnitude – refers to the size or strength of the force. It is commonly expressed in Newton (N) for
Meter-Kilogram-Second (MKS) system, Dyne (dyn) for Centimeter–Gram–Second (CGS) system and
pounds (lbs) for Foot– Pound– Second (FPS) system. In the International System of Units (SI),Newton
is commonly used which is named after Sir Isaac Newton, an English physicist and mathematician.
direction – points to where the object goes. The direction of the arrowhead indicates the direction of the
force. The length of the arrow represents the amount of force (relative magnitude).
point of application – the location of where the force is applied.
line of action – is the straight line passing through the point of application and is parallel to the direction
of force.
There are two types of force, namely:
Contact forces – forces where objects touch or contact with each other.
Examples of contact forces:
1. Applied – a force given to a person or object by another person or object. Its symbol is F Figure 10. Normal force (FN) acts perpendicular to the surface
depending on who or what applies force to the object. If a boy applies a force to a wall, we 4. Tension – is the force applied to string, rope, chain or cable. Its symbol is T.
denote it with FBOY. Refer to the figure below.

Figure 11. Tensional force or simply tension (T) that acts on

2. the rope of a hanging ball
3. Figure 8. Applied force of a boy (FBOY ) towards the wall Non-contact forces – forces where objects do not touch or contact with each other. These forces
2. Friction – is the force acting against or opposite an object in contact with which makes the act over a zone or area called field.
movement of the object slow down. Friction always opposes the motion of an object. Its symbol is Examples of non-contact forces:
written as Ff. Air resistance denoted by FAIR is an example of frictional force of the air against a flying Gravitational (Fg) – is the force of attraction between two objects. In the case of the Earth, this
kite, airplanes, parachutes or those in gravitational force causes objects to fall down to the ground. It makes satellites and smaller objects
skydiving sports. For free-falling objects, this force is always considered negligible, meaning the stay in orbit near the more massive planets. Mass and distance of the two objects affect the
magnitude is unnoticeable. gravitational force that holds them. The bigger the masses of the objects are, the bigger is the
gravitational force between them. The closer the objects are, the greater is the gravitational force
between them. The figure below illustrates gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon. Earth
has bigger gravitational force over the Moon.

Figure 9. Frictional force (Ff ) acts opposite to the force applied

3. Normal – is the force that acts perpendicular to the surface of the object in contact with. Its
symbol is FN.
Figure 12. Gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon. Unbalanced Forces
The weight of an object, denoted by W, is an example of the gravitational force of the Earth towards the When you push a table and then it moves, unbalanced forces are present. Forces that cause a change
object. In figure 13, the weight of a book (WBOOK) is illustrated. in the motion of an object are unbalanced forces. Unbalanced forces are not equal and in opposite
direction. Suppose that one of the teams in tug-of-war, as shown in figure 16, exerts greater magnitude
of force, FB, on the ground than the other team, the forces applied on the ground would no longer be
equal. One team would be able to pull the other team in the direction of the larger force.

Figure 13. Illustration of the weight of a book (WBOOK) on the table with normal force (FN) Figure 16. A representation of unbalanced force in a tug-of-war game
Net or Resultant Force
However, the weight of an object depends on the mass of the celestial body where the object is In an object, there may be several forces acting on it. Net force or resultant force is the sum of all
attracted to. Meaning, we seem to be lighter when we are on the moon than on the Earth. forces acting on an object. Two or more forces in the same line of action exerted on an object are
Magnetic– are forces exerted on a field of attraction or repulsion as in the case of magnets and other balanced if their effects cancel each other.
magnetic materials. Magnets and magnetic materials have two poles – the north and south poles. When an object is at rest, a zero net force would make the object remains at rest. Moreover, when the
Attraction may occur when two poles are not the same, a positive and a negative while repulsion takes object is moving, a zero net force would make the object maintain its velocity at a given time interval.
place with the same poles, positivepositive and negative-negative. On the other hand, when the net force is not zero, the object’s velocity will change. A net force exerted
to an object at rest may cause the object to move. In a moving object, a net force will increase its
velocity when the force is in the same direction of its motion. If the net force is in the opposite direction
of the object’s motion, the force will reduce the object’s velocity. When the net force acts sideways on a
Figure 14. Opposite poles attract Like poles repel moving object, the direction of the object’s velocity changes.

Balanced Forces What’s More

To describe a force, you must know two things. You must know the magnitude and the direction of the Forces can be applied to objects in different directions at the same time. It is important to identify all the
force. Suppose two teams are playing tug-of-war as shown in figure 15. Each team is pulling with equal forces acting on the object which cause change in the motion. In the succeeding activities, you are
magnitude of force, FA and FB , on the rope but in opposite directions. Neither team can make the other going to identify forces present in objects at rest.
team move. Forces that are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction are called balanced forces.
Balanced forces do not cause a change in motion. When balanced forces act on an object at rest, the Activity 1. Forces on objects at rest
object will not move. Objective:
After accomplishing this activity, you should be able to identify
what forces are acting on an object at rest.
Material: picture
Directions:
A. Look and study the picture below.

Figure 17 shows a block of wood lying on a table.

Questions:
1. Is the block of wood at rest or in motion?
_______________
2. Refer to the figure below. Draw the forces acting on the
Figure block of wood. Use the dot as the origin of the forces.
15. A representation of balanced forces in a tug-of-war game
 Activity 3. Unbalanced forces
Activity 2. Balance of forces Objectives:
Objectives: After performing this activity, you should be able to:
After performing this activity, you should be able to: Examine the situations when the forces are unbalanced; and
Examine the situation when the forces are balanced; and Explain the effect of unbalanced forces on the state of motion of an object. Materials: Pictures
Explain the effect of balanced forces on the state of motion of an object. Materials: Pictures Procedure:
Figure 17. A block of wood lying on a table. Examine the pictures below.
Procedure:
Examine the pictures below:

For
Fig 20. Unbalanced forces in a-tug
of-war Fig 21. A chandelier -hangs
https://pixabay.com/vectors/ceiling
on a chain.
chandelier
-decorative
-2028090/

question numbers 1-2, refer to figure 20.

1. If two groups in the game are exerting unequal and opposite forces on the ground, will the
rope move?
Figure 18. Balanced forces in a tug-of-war. Figure 19. A ball pushed on the ______________________________________________________________
floor 2. Will the net force be equal to zero?
______________________________________________________________
FA - applied force on the rope by Team A FN – force exerted by the floor on 3. To what direction does the rope move?
the ball ______________________________________________________________
FB - applied force on the rope by Team B Fg - force exerted by the Earth on For question numbers 4 – 6, refer to figure 21.
the ball 4. Are the forces acting on the chandelier unbalanced?
Ff - opposite force in the direction of the motion or frictional force ________________________________________________________
FAPPLIED – applied force on the ball 5. What force can cause the chandelier to fall?
______________________________________________________________
For question numbers 1-3, refer to Figure 18. 6. What type of force is your answer in number 4?
1. If two groups in the game are exerting equal and opposite forces on the rope, will the rope ______________________________________________________________
move? What I Have Learned
_________________________________________________________ DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with correct word/s. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
2. In the same condition, what happens to the net force acting on the rope?
_________________________________________________________ 1. Any push or pull is called ________________.
3. What are the forces present on the rope?
________________________________________________________
2. ________________ refers to the size or strength of the force while
4. Refer to Figure 19. If you place a ball on the floor then push it gently to one side, observe the motion ________________ points to where the object goes. The direction of the arrowhead indicates the
of the ball as it rolls down the floor. direction of the force. The length of the arrow represents the amount of force (relative magnitude).
A. What makes the ball stop rolling after sometime? 3. There are two types of forces, namely ________________ and ________________.
______________________________________________________ 4. Applied, friction, normal and tensional forces are examples of ________________ forces.
B. What are the forces that act on the ball? 5. Gravitational and magnetic forces are examples of ________________ forces.
______________________________________________________
6. ________________ are forces that are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction.
7. ________________ are forces that cause a change in the motion of an object. Team A Team B
8. The sum of all forces acting in an object is called ________________.
9. If the forces in an object are balanced, the net force is ________________.
10. If the forces in an object are unbalanced, the net force is ________________.
What I Can Do
When we combine or add forces to determine the net or resultant force, we will limit to those forces
which act along the same line of action. The algebraic signs + and – are used to indicate the direction
of forces. Unlike signs are used for forces acting in opposite directions, see figure 22 below.
Figure 23. Forces in opposite direction.
In figure 23, suppose one side in the tug-of-war, team A exerts 1,000 N while the other side, Team B
exerts 1300 N. To get the net force,
Fnet = FA + FB
= ( -1000 N) + 1300 N
= +300 N or 300 N, to the right
This means that Team B won the game, since the Fnet = 300 N in the direction of Team B (to the right).
The negative sign (-1000 N) in the solution means the force is exerted in the opposite side (to the left).
Always remember to write the magnitude and direction of the force.
Now, try to answer this concept check in the situations below.
Read and analyze each problem carefully. Write your answers and solutions in your answer sheet.
Figure 22. Forces in opposite direction Boys A and B, are pulling a heavy cabinet at the same time with 5 N of force each.
What is the net force acting on the cabinet? ______________________
The force of gravity (Fg) and the normal force (FN) are assigned opposite signs. FN is given a positive (+)
sign while Fg is given a negative (-) sign. If both Fg and FN are given a magnitude value of 3 N, then the
net force along this line (vertical) is represented by Σ .
To solve for the net force, you get the sum of all the forces exerted in the object.
The symbol sigma, Σ, means you add all the existing forces in the same line of action. You cannot add
a vertical force to a horizontal force. In Figure 20, we can add the two forces, normal and gravitational
force since they are in the same vertical line of action.
𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 = Σ 𝐹
F net = FN + Fg
= 3 N + ( -3 N ) What if boy A and boy B pull the heavy cabinet at the same time in opposite directions with 10 N and 5
=0N N of force respectively,
If the net force equates to zero, they are considered balanced. If the net force is not equal to zero, the what will be the net force on the cabinet? ______________________
forces are not balanced. This unbalanced force would cause a change in a body’s state of motion. will the cabinet move? ______________________
Refer to the figure 21. to what direction will it move? ______________________

3. From problem 2, suppose another boy, Boy C pulls the heavy cabinet with 5 N of force in the same
direction with Boy A,
What will be the net force on the cabinet? ______________________ a. Will he able to move the wheelbarrow? ______________________________
Will the cabinet move? ______________________ b. Suppose another man tried to help him and exerted a force of 500N. Will they able to move
In what direction will the cabinet move? ______________________ the wheelbarrow? ______________________________
c. Another man saw their struggle in pushing the wheelbarrow. He tried to help them.
He exerted a force of 400 N. Will the three of them move the wheelbarrow?
______________________________
2. A box is at rest and a force of 250 N is applied to it. If the frictional force is 200 N, determine the net
force.

Assessment ANSWER KEY

DIRECTIONS: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answers on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. Which is NOT a unit of force?
A. Dyne B. Joules C. Newton D. Pound
2. What refers to how large or strong is the force?
A. magnitude B. line of action C. velocity of the object D. direction of the force
3. What force is always directed opposite to the motion of an object?
A. Friction B. Gravitational C. Magnetic D. Tension
4. What force pulls an object back to the Earth?
A. Applied B. Gravitational C. Magnetic D. Tension
5. Which surface would be easiest for a bicycle to move?
A. Sand B. Grass B. Muddy road D. Concrete road
6. What type of forces holds between two celestial bodies like the Sun and Earth?
A. Applied B. Gravitational C. Magnetic D. Tension
7. What force acts perpendicular to the surface of the object in contact with?
A. Applied B. Gravitational C. Normal D. Tension
8. Two people pull on a rope in a tug-of-war. Each pull with a 300 N force. What is the net force?
A. 0 N B. 300 N C. 600 N D. 900 N
9. Planet Jupiter has a bigger mass than the Earth. If you were able to travel to planet Jupiter, what
happens to your weight?
A. increases B. decreases C. stays the same D. varies with day and night
10. What is the net force in the figure below?

A. 25 N, to the left B. 25 N, to the right

C. 195 N, to the left D. 195 N, to the right
Additional Activities
DIRECTIONS: Analyze and answer the problems below. Write your answers on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. The wheelbarrow at rest containing stones has a force of 1000 N. A man exerted a push of 500 N.