Mississippi Science PHY.2.3
The Standard
- PHY.2
- Students will develop an understanding of concepts related to Newtonian dynamics.
Use mathematical and graphical techniques to solve vector problems and find net forces acting on a body using free-body diagrams and/or online simulations.
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Newton’s Laws
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students draw force arrows on one object, then add them to find the net force. They use a scale drawing or horizontal and vertical components when forces point in different directions.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a cart pulled at an angle, students draw the forces acting on the cart and find the net force. They can use both components and a scale drawing to show its size and direction.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may add opposing forces instead of subtracting them, or think a moving object must have a net force in its direction of travel. They may put a force exerted by the object on its own free-body diagram.
How to Assess It
- A puck on a frictionless table feels a 4 N push east and a 3 N push north. Have students draw its free-body diagram and find the net force's size and direction.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Pull a ring with two spring scales, record both readings, then draw the force arrows to scale on graph paper and find their resultant.
Show an 8 N push right and 8 N friction left, then ask: Can the box still move right? Explain.
Give pairs cards with labeled force arrows; have them draw one object's free-body diagram and calculate its horizontal and vertical net forces.
Model a sled pulled with 10 N at 30° above level ground against 3 N friction; calculate its horizontal net force.
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Printable PHY.2.3 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- PHY.2.5
Use mathematical and computational analysis to derive simple equations of motion for various systems using Newton’s second law (e.g., net force equations).
- PHY.2.1
Identify forces acting on a system by applying Newton’s laws mathematically and graphically (e.g., vector and scalar quantities).
- PHY.2.6
Use mathematical and computational analysis to explore forces (e.g., friction, force applied, normal, and tension).
- P.6.6.2
Use mathematical computation and diagrams to calculate the sum of forces acting on various objects.
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