Science.8.7.A

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The student is expected to calculate and analyze how the acceleration of an object is dependent upon the net force acting on the object and the mass of the object using Newton's Second Law of Motion; and
1666 TEKS header image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Force, motion, and energy. The student understands the relationship between force and motion within systems.

In Grade 6, students calculated net force in the horizontal and vertical directions. In Grade 8, students will use the net force to calculate acceleration. In high school Physics, students will calculate the net force when there are forces acting on an object at angles other than 90 degrees.

a vector quantity (magnitude and direction) that is a measurement of the change in motion of an object (speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction); the result of an unbalanced force; calculated as the rate of change in the velocity over time or by dividing the force applied by the mass of the object

a push or pull between two objects

the amount of matter in a substance, measured in grams or kilograms

an act, process, or instance of changing position or location

the sum of all the forces acting on an object within a system; includes both magnitude and direction

regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole

Research

Robertson, Bill. “Science 101.” Science and Children 49, no. 9 (2012):68–71. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43747387. https://digital.nsta.org/publication/?m=13899&i=328065&view=articleBrowser&article_id=2556398&ver=html5

Summary: Acceleration is often paired with misunderstandings.  In "Science 101: Q: What Exactly Is Acceleration?" the details of acceleration are explained, and various examples are provided for demonstration. This article supports teacher understanding beyond this grade level.