Texas TEKS 5.7

5.7 is a TEKS knowledge and skills statement. These are the student expectations under it.

• 5.7.A

  investigate and explain how equal and unequal forces acting on an object cause patterns of motion and transfer of energy

• 5.7.B

  design a simple experimental investigation that tests the effect of force on an object in a system such as a car on a ramp or a balloon rocket on a string.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students compare the size and direction of forces on an object, then predict changes in its motion. They plan a fair test, measure motion across repeated trials, and explain how a push or pull transfers energy.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Students identify when opposite forces balance and when one force is stronger. They use repeated trial data to connect the net force with changes in speed or direction. They explain that a push or pull transfers energy when it changes an object's motion.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may think equal forces always balance, even when they point in the same direction. They may think balanced forces mean an object must be stopped, rather than moving at constant speed. They often change several variables together, so their test cannot show what caused the change.

04

How to Assess It

Give students a diagram of a cart at rest, pulled with 4 newtons left and 7 newtons right. Ask which way it will begin moving, then have them name what to change, measure, and keep the same in a test.

1. 01

   Build balloon rockets on string, test three balloon circumferences, and measure travel time while keeping string length, straw, and balloon type constant.

2. 02

   Show two cart diagrams with equal opposite pulls and unequal opposite pulls; students explain each motion pattern using force size and direction.

3. 03

   Play Force Match: teams pair force arrow cards with cards showing stopped, constant speed, speeding up, slowing down, or turning motion.

4. 04

   Give students a bicycle photo to label pedaling force, braking friction, motion changes, and energy transfers.

• 6.7

  Force, motion, and energy. The student knows the nature of forces and their role in systems that experience stability or change. The student is expected to:

• 3.8

  Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that energy is everywhere and can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems. The student is expected to:

• 3.7

  The 3rd Grade version of this standard.

• 4.8

  Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that energy is everywhere and can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems. The student is expected to: