Gravity And Friction 2 Worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve the worksheet step by step and explain each answer.

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Worksheet: Gravity and Friction

Scenario:
Kids are rolling a toy car down a ramp and measuring how far it rolls on different surfaces. The data is recorded in a chart:

| Surface | Distance |
|----------|----------|
| Wood | 4 feet |
| Carpet | 3 feet |
| Tile | 4.5 feet |
| Grass | 2.5 feet |

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Question 1: What force made the car roll down the ramp?

Circle one: friction / gravity

✔ Answer: gravity

Explanation:
Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward the Earth. When the car is placed on the ramp, gravity pulls it downward, causing it to roll down the ramp. Friction does not cause motion—it opposes it.

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Question 2: What force made the car slow down and stop rolling?

Circle one: friction / gravity

✔ Answer: friction

Explanation:
Friction is the force that resists motion between two surfaces in contact. As the car rolls on a surface, friction between the wheels and the surface slows it down and eventually stops it. Gravity helped start the motion, but friction stops it.

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Question 3: Which surface had the most friction?

How do you know?

✔ Answer:
Grass had the most friction.
Because the car rolled only 2.5 feet on grass—the shortest distance—meaning it slowed down quickly due to high friction.

Explanation:
The shorter the distance the car travels, the more friction there is. Grass has a rough, uneven surface, which creates more resistance (friction) than smoother surfaces.

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Question 4: Which surface had the least friction?

How do you know?

✔ Answer:
Tile had the least friction.
Because the car rolled the farthest—4.5 feet—on tile, meaning less friction was slowing it down.

Explanation:
Smooth surfaces like tile allow objects to roll farther because they create less resistance. That’s why tile has the least friction compared to the others.

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Question 5: If you wanted the car to roll a long way, would you choose carpet or wood? Why?

✔ Answer:
You would choose wood.
Because the car rolled 4 feet on wood, which is farther than the 3 feet it rolled on carpet. This means wood has less friction than carpet, so the car can travel farther.

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✔ Final Answers Summary:

1. Gravity made the car roll down the ramp.
2. Friction made the car slow down and stop.
3. Grass had the most friction because the car traveled the shortest distance.
4. Tile had the least friction because the car traveled the farthest.
5. Choose wood, because it allows the car to roll farther than carpet (less friction).

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This worksheet teaches students about gravity (pulling the car down) and friction (slowing it down), using real-world observations and simple data analysis.