Balanced or Unbalanced Forces worksheet - Free Printable

I'll solve this problem by analyzing each picture to determine if the forces are balanced or unbalanced. Let me go through them one by one.

First, look closely at Picture 1:

This shows a boy sitting on a chair. When someone is sitting still on a chair, they are in equilibrium. The force of gravity pulling them down is counteracted by the normal force from the chair pushing up. Since he's not moving, these forces must be equal and opposite.

Next, find information:

I don't need to research anything for this as it's basic physics - when an object is at rest, the net force acting on it is zero (balanced forces).

Then, review the findings:

For Picture 1: The forces are balanced.

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First, look closely at Picture 2:

This shows a man running on a track. Running involves acceleration - changing speed and/or direction. To accelerate, there must be a net force acting on the person (unbalanced forces). The runner pushes off the ground, creating a forward force that overcomes friction and air resistance.

Next, find information:

Again, no research needed. Newton's Second Law states that F=ma, so if there's acceleration (a ≠ 0), then there must be a net force (F ≠ 0), meaning unbalanced forces.

Then, review the findings:

For Picture 2: The forces are unbalanced.

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First, look closely at Picture 3:

This is a cartoon of two characters on a seesaw. The seesaw is tilted, with the larger character on the lower side. This indicates that the torque (rotational force) is not balanced. The heavier character is causing the seesaw to rotate downward on their side.

Next, find information:

No research needed. For a seesaw to be balanced, the torques on both sides must be equal. Since it's tilted, the torques are unequal, meaning the forces are unbalanced.

Then, review the findings:

For Picture 3: The forces are unbalanced.

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First, look closely at Picture 4:

This shows a vase of flowers sitting on a table. The vase is stationary. Gravity pulls it down, but the table provides an equal and opposite normal force upward. Since it's not moving, the net force is zero.

Next, find information:

No research needed. Same principle as Picture 1 - an object at rest has balanced forces acting on it.

Then, review the findings:

For Picture 4: The forces are balanced.

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## Final Answer:

1. Balanced - The boy sitting on the chair is stationary, so the gravitational force is balanced by the normal force from the chair.
2. Unbalanced - The runner is accelerating, which requires a net force (unbalanced forces) according to Newton's Second Law.
3. Unbalanced - The seesaw is tilted, indicating that the torques (rotational forces) are not equal, so the forces are unbalanced.
4. Balanced - The vase of flowers is stationary on the table, so the gravitational force is balanced by the normal force from the table.