Forces Homework 1 - Sir Isaac Newton

Forces Homework 1 - Sir Isaac Newton

One of the greatest scientists of all time was Isaac Newton, a farmer’s son. Newton was born on Christmas Day, 1642, in Woolsthorpe.

Newton’s father had died before Newton was born. His mother re-married and sent the young Isaac to live with relatives. He developed a hatred of his mother and stepfather, and never forgave them for the way they treated him.

Although Newton didn’t do too well at school, he was always interested in science. He carried out many detailed experiments and became very skilled at making mechanical models. He kept careful notes on all his work – his notebooks are now kept in museums.

At the age of 18, Newton went to Cambridge University. Over the next few years, he carried out some of his greatest work. He discovered that white light is actually made up of different colours and invented the reflecting telescope.

In 1665, Britain was struck down by the Great Plague. Cambridge University was closed, and Newton went back home to Woolsthorpe. One day, he was working in his rooms when he looked out of the window. He saw an apple fall from a tree in the garden. This made him wonder why things fall, and what forces must be acting. From these simple beginnings, Newton was able to explain how the planets orbit the Sun – this was called the Law of Gravitation.

Newton was now the most important scientist in the world. However, he was not a very pleasant man and found it difficult to deal with people who were not as intelligent as he was. Other scientists found it very difficult to argue with him – even when Newton was wrong.

As well as all his scientific work, Newton was in charge of the Royal Mint (where coins were made) and was a Member of Parliament.

Newton’s health was poor in later life, and he had to give up his scientific work. He died in 1727 at the age of 84, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

“If I have seen further than most men, it is by standing on the
shoulders of giants.”

Read the information about Sir Isaac Newton carefully,

then copy Fact File shown below into your jotter and complete it.

Answer these questions, in sentences, in your jotter.

1. Why was Isaac Newton unhappy as a young child?

1. How did Isaac Newton get on at school?

1. How old was Isaac Newton when he went to University?

1. Where did Isaac Newton go during the Great Plague?

5.Did an apple really fall on Newton’s head? What was the true story?

6.Read the quote at the bottom of the passage. What do you think it means?

Forces Homework 2 – Friction

1.Copy and complete the following sentences.

Friction is a f______which tries to s______things moving.

Friction happens when two surfaces ______over each other.

2.What type of energy does friction always produce?

3.Name two surfaces that have a high force of friction.

4.Write down two ways that friction can be reduced. For each one, give an example of how it can be used in real life.

5.How can the force of friction between two surfaces be increased?

6.Write down two ways in which a car can be streamlined.

Forces Homework 3 – Weight and mass

1.What unit is used to measure forces?

2.Draw lines to match these situations to the right force.

Weight of an appleRocket motorCar engine

30,000,000 N8000 N1 N

3.Copy and complete these sentences

Weight is a f______caused by pull of the E______.

On Earth, there are t___ newtons of weight for every k______of mass.

4.On which planet in the Solar System would your weight be least?

5.If you travel to the moon, does your mass increase, decrease or stay the same?

6.Calculate the following. (remember to show your working!)

The weight of a man of mass 80 kg.

The weight of a bag of oranges of mass 2.5 kg.

The mass of a box of weight 60 N.

Forces Homework 4

• Find out about a mission into space that interests you – for example – it could be the first man in space or the first animal in space or the first man on the moon etc.
• Research the dates and the people who were involved in this mission.
• Did anything go wrong with the mission?
• Was anything discovered in the mission?

Be prepared to talk about your research with others in the class.