Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1: Explain why, snow shoes stop you from sinking into snow.

Answer: The snow shoes have large, flat soles so they exert less on the soft
snow and stop the wearer from sinking into it.

Question 2: What happens to the springs fixed to the seat of a bicycle

when we sit on it?

Answer: When we sit on the seat of a bicycle, the force exerted by the body
weight compresses the spring and changes its shape.

Question 3: Why do balloons expand when filled with air?

Or
Why does the balloon get inflated?
Or
What makes a balloon get inflated when air is filled in it?

Answer: Air exerts pressure on the inner walls of balloon causes it to

expand and get inflated.

Question 4: Explain why, a wide steel belt is provided over the wheels of
an army tank.

Answer: The wide belts increase the area and reduce the pressure. This
avoids sinking of the tank into the ground.

Question 5: Which force makes a rolling ball stop on its own?

Or
Why is a ball rolling along the ground gradually slows down and finally
comes to rest?
Or
What makes a ball to stop when it is rolling?
Or
Why does a moving ball stop?
Answer: It is the force of friction between the surface of the ball and the
ground that brings the moving ball to rest.

Question 6: What is muscular force? Give one example.

Answer: The force resulting due to the action of muscles is known as the
muscular force. Example: lifting a bucket of water.

Question 7: What is described as a change in its state of motion?

Answer: A change in either the speed of an object, or its direction of

motion, or both, is described as a change in its state of motion.

Question 8: What is meant by a contact force? Give an example.

Answer: Force that can be applied only when it is in contact with an object,
it is also called a contact force. Example: lifting a bucket of water.

Question 9: Explain, why magnetic force is said to be a non-contact force.

Answer: A magnet can exert a force on another magnet without being in

contact with it. The force exerted by a magnet is an example of a non-
contact force.

Question 10: Why do the shape and size of balloon change when filled
with air or water?

Answer: The high pressure produced by the gas or water molecules on the
walls of balloon causes it to expand and get inflated.

Question 11: Why water comes out more slowly from an upstairs tap than
from a similar tap downstairs?

Answer: This is so because water pressure is less in the upstairs tap due to
lesser depth.
Question 12: Why are we not crushed by atmospheric pressure?
Or
If the pressure due to the atmosphere is so great, then why are we not
crushed by it?

Answer: We do not get crushed because the atmospheric pressure acting

on our body from outside is balanced by the blood pressure acting from
inside.

Question 13: What is frictional force?

Or
What is friction?

Answer: The force that always acts on all the moving object and its
direction is always opposite to the direction of motion is called frictional
force (or friction).

Question 14: Why does a sharp knife cut better than a blunt knife?

Ans. Lesser the area, larger the pressure for the same force applied.
Therefore, it is easier to cut with sharp knives than blunt ones, with same
force.

Question 15: What is meant by atmospheric pressure?

Answer: The atmospheric air extends up to many kilometres above the

surface of the earth. The pressure exerted by this air is known as
atmospheric pressure.

Question 16: Give two examples of contact forces.

Answer: The examples of contact forces are:

• Muscular force
• Frictional force
Question 17: A blacksmith hammers a hot piece of iron while making a
tool. How does the force due to hammering affect the piece of iron?
Answer: When a blacksmith hammers a hot piece of iron, he uses his
muscular force. This muscular force changes the shape of the iron.

Question 18: What is meant by a non-contact force? Give an example.

Answer: A force that can be exerted by an object even from a distance is

called a non-contact force. The force exerted by a magnet is an example of
a non-contact force.

Question 19: What do you understand by state of Motion?

Ans. The state of motion of an object is described by its speed and the
direction of motion. The state of rest is considered to be the state of zero
speed. An object may be at rest or in motion; both are its states of motion.

Question 20: Why the tools meant for cutting and piercing always have
sharp edges?

Answer: The cutting edges of tools like blades, knives etc., are provided
with sharp edges to cut the things easily because the smaller the area,
larger the pressure on a surface for the same force.

Question 22: Explain why, the tip of a sewing needle is sharp.

Answer: The tip of the sewing needle is sharp so that due to its sharp tip,
the needle may put the force on a very small area of the cloth, producing a
large pressure sufficient to pierce the cloth being stitched.

Question 23: “When a ball is dropped from a height, its speed increases
gradually.” Name the force which causes this change in speed.

Answer: The force of gravity causes all the objects to fall towards the earth.
Thus, when a ball is dropped from a height, its speed increases gradually
because of the force of gravity acting on it.

Question 24: Explain why, porters place a thick, round piece of cloth on
their heads when they have to carry heavy loads.
Answer: By this they increase the area of contact of the load with their
head. So, the pressure on their head is reduced and they find it easier to
carry the load.

Question 25: Explain now why shoulder bags are provided with broad
straps and not thin straps?
Or
Why the straps of school bags are made broader?
Or
Why is it comfortable to lift a school bag with broad straps than thin
straps?

Answer: Shoulder bags are provided with broad straps and not thin strap
so that the weight of the bag may fall over a large area of the shoulder of
the child producing less pressure on the shoulder.

Question 26: A small device pulls iron nails from a distance. Which type of
force is involved in this process?

Answer: Magnetic force is involved in this process. The magnetic force acts
even from a distance. The magnet exerts a magnetic force on objects made
of iron, steel, nickel and cobalt.

Question 27: Write one example where force changes the direction of a
moving object.

Answer: In cricket, a batsman plays his or her shot by applying a force on

the ball with the bat. In this example the speed and the direction of the
moving ball change due to the application of a force.

Question 28: In a tug of war; when the two teams are pulling the rope, a
stage comes when the rope does not move to either side at all. What can
you say about the magnitudes and directions of the forces being applied to
the rope by the two teams at this stage?

Answer: If there is no movement on either side, the force applied from

both side is equal in magnitude.
Question 29: Give three examples of non-contact forces.

Answer: The examples of non-contact forces are:

• Magnetic force
• Electrostatic force
• Gravitational force

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1: Explain why, frictional force is said to be a contact force.

Answer: The force of friction always acts on all the moving objects and its
direction is always opposite to the direction of motion. Since the force of
friction arises due to contact between surfaces, it is an example of a contact
force.

Question 2: Explain why the walls of a dam are thicker near the bottom
than at the top.

Ans. The walls of a dam are much thicker at the bottom than it is at the top.
This is because the pressure of the water is much greater deeper down and
the dam needs to be thick at the bottom so that it is strong enough to
withstand this larger pressure.

Question 3: A rocket has been fired upwards to launch a satellite in its

orbit. Name the two forces acting on the rocket immediately after leaving
the launching pad.

Answer: The two forces acting on the rocket are the force of gravity, which
pulls the rocket towards the ground, and the force of friction due to earth’s
atmosphere, which opposes its motion.

Question 4: What is meant by gravitational force (or force of gravity)? Give

its one example.
Answer: Every object in the universe, whether small or large, exerts a force
on every other object. This force is known as the gravitational force.
Example: Water begins to flow towards the ground as soon as we open a
tap.

Question 5: Give two examples of situations in which applied force causes

a change in the shape of an object.

Answer: Two examples in which applied force causes a change in the shape
of an object are:

• The shape of dough changes on pressing with rolling pin to make

chapatis.
• The shape of a toothpaste tube changes when we squeeze it.
Question 6: What are the various effects of force?

Answer: Effects of force are:

• It may make an object move from rest.

• It may change the speed of an object if it is moving.
• It may change the direction of motion of an object.
• It may bring about a change in the shape of an object.
Question 7: Why a fountain of water is created at the leaking joints or
holes of pipes of the main water supply line?

Answer: Many times we see a fountain of water rushing out of the leaking
joints (or holes) in the pipes of main water supply line. It is due to the very
high pressure exerted by water on the sides (or walls) of the pipes that such
a fountain of water is formed.

Question 8: Why does the liquid rise in a syringe when its piston is pulled
up?
Or
How does a liquid medicine enter a syringe?

Answer: When the nozzle of a syringe is dipped in a liquid and its piston is
withdrawn, the pressure inside the syringe is lowered. The greater
atmospheric pressure acting on the surface of the liquid pushes the liquid
up into the syringe.

Question 9: Why nose bleeding occurs at high altitudes?

Or
Why do mountaineers suffer from nose bleeding at high altitudes?

Answer: At high altitudes, the atmospheric pressure becomes much less

than our blood pressure. Since, our blood is at higher pressure than outside
pressure, therefore, some of the blood vessels in our body burst and nose
bleeding takes place at high altitudes.

Question 10: Does application of a force would always result in a change in

the state of motion of the object?

Answer: No. Many a time application of force does not result in a change
in the state of motion. For example, a heavy box may not move at all even if
you apply the maximum force that you can exert. Again, no effect of force is
observed when you try to push a wall.

Question 11: Name the forces acting on a plastic bucket containing water
held above ground level in your hand. Discuss why the forces acting on the
bucket do not bring a change in its state of motion.

Answer: In this case, muscular force is acting in upward direction and the
force of gravity is acting in downward direction. The two forces are equal in
magnitude but opposite in direction. Therefore, the net force on the bucket
is zero. Hence, there is no change in its state of motion.

Question 12: Why atmospheric pressure decreases as we go higher up

above the earth’s surface?

Answer: The pressure at any level in the atmosphere may be interpreted as

the total weight of the air above a unit area at any elevation. Since most of
the atmosphere’s molecules are held close to the earth’s surface by the
force of gravity, air pressure decreases as we go higher up above the
earth’s surface.
Question 13: What happens when a charged plastic straw is brought near
another uncharged plastic straw?

Answer: A straw is said to have acquired electrostatic charge after it has

been rubbed with a sheet of paper. Such a straw is an example of a charged
body. A straw rubbed with paper attracts another straw but repels it if it has
also been rubbed with a sheet of paper.

Question 14: Why does a plastic comb rubbed with dry hair attract tiny
pieces of paper?

Answer: When a plastic comb is rubbed in dry hair, the comb gets electric
charges by friction. And when this electrically charged comb is brought
near tiny pieces of paper, it exerts an electrostatic force of attraction on
them. Due to this electrostatic force, the tiny pieces of paper move towards
the comb and stick to it.

Question 15: What is meant by saying that force is due to interaction?

Answer: Example: Suppose a man is standing behind a stationary car. The

car will not move just due to his presence. Suppose the man now begins to
push the car, that is, he applies a force on it. The car may begin to move in
the direction of the applied force.

From the above example, we can infer that at least two objects must
interact for a force to come into play.

Question 16: If the area of my head were 10 cm × 10 cm, how much

weight of air would I be carrying on my head? Why don’t we feel the weight
of such a huge amount of air on us?

Answer: The weight of air in a column of the height of the atmosphere and
area 10 cm × 10 cm is as large as 1000 kg. The reason we are not crushed
under this weight is that the pressure inside our bodies is also equal to the
atmospheric pressure and cancels the pressure from outside.

Question 17: If a vacuum is created between two Magdeburg hemispheres

joined together, they cannot be separated easily. Give reason.
Or
Why do Magdeburg hemispheres stick together?

Answer: This is due to the fact that since there is no air inside, the
unopposed atmospheric pressure acting over the whole surface of the
hemispheres from outside presses them very, very hard and does not allow
them to be separated.

Question 18: How does a rubber sucker work?

Answer: When we press the sucker, most of the air between its cup and the
surface escapes out. The sucker sticks to the surface because the pressure
of atmosphere acts on it. To pull the sucker off the surface, the applied
force should be large enough to overcome the atmospheric pressure. In
fact, it would not be possible for any human being to pull the sucker off the
surface if there were no air at all between the sucker and the surface.

Question 19: Give two examples each of situations in which you push or
pull to change the state of motion of objects.

Answer: Objects are pushed or pull in order to change the state of motion.

Examples of push are:

• We push the door to open it.

• A football player kicks the ball.
Examples of pull are:

• We pull the door to close it.

• Opening a drawer.
Question 20: An inflated balloon was pressed against a wall after it has
been rubbed with a piece of synthetic cloth. It was found that the balloon
sticks to the wall. What force might be responsible for the attraction
between the balloon and the wall?

Answer: When inflated balloon is rubbed with a piece of synthetic cloth, it

gets electrically charged. A charged body exerts an electrostatic force on
uncharged body. Thus, when the charged balloon is pressed against a wall,
it sticks to the wall because of the electrostatic force acting between the
charged balloon and the wall.

Question 21: Explain why, when a person stands on a cushion, the

depression is much more than when he lies down on it.

Answer: When a man stands on a cushion then only his two feet are in
contact with the cushion. Due to this, the weight of man falls on a small
area of cushion producing a large pressure. This large pressure causes a big
depression in the cushion. On the other hand, when the same man is lying
on the cushion, then his whole body is in contact with the cushion. In this
case, the weight of man falls on a much larger area of the cushion
producing much smaller pressure. And this smaller pressure produces a
very little depression in the cushion.