Newton's Laws is one of 9 topics in the Grade 10 Physical Sciences CAPS syllabus, covered across 3 lessons on Study Vault. Below are real practice questions from this topic with full worked answers.
Sample practice questions
Easy
1. A force is best defined as:
A push or a pull that can change an object's state of motion or shape
Only a push, never a pull
A quantity that has no direction
The same thing as mass
Answer: A push or a pull that can change an object's state of motion or shape — A force is a push or pull, a vector quantity, that can change an object's speed, direction, or shape.
Easy
2. The normal force is best described as:
The perpendicular contact force a surface exerts on an object resting on it
The force of gravity on an object
A force that only acts on moving objects
The force exerted by a stretched rope
Answer: The perpendicular contact force a surface exerts on an object resting on it — The normal force acts perpendicular to a surface, preventing an object resting on it from passing through the surface.
Medium
3. Name the force that opposes relative motion or attempted motion between two surfaces in contact, acting parallel to the surface.
Answer: friction — Friction opposes relative motion (or attempted motion) between two contacting surfaces, acting parallel to the surface.
