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Class 8 Science Chapter 5 Exploring Forces Question Answer

Question 1.
Why does it feel harder to pedal a bicycle when going uphill than on flat ground? (Page 62)
Answer:
When we cycle uphill, we’re constantly fighting against the Earth’s gravitational pull, which
tries to pull us back down. This force acts perpendicular to the ground on a flat surface,
meaning it doesn’t directly oppose our forward movement. But on a slope, a portion of the
gravity acts against our direction of motion, requiring us to exert more force to move
forward and upward.

Question 2.
Why is it easier to slip on a wet surface? (Page 62)
Answer:
It is easier to slip on a wet surface due to reduced friction between the foot and the surface.
Water acts as a lubricant, minimizing the grip and making it easier to slide.

Question 3.
Why do we feel ‘light’ or like we are ‘floating’ just after our swing reaches its highest point
and begins to come down? (Page 62)

Answer:
The feeling of lightness or floating experienced on a swing just after it reaches its highest
point and begins to descend is due to a change in acceleration and the resulting sensation of
reduced gravitational force. As the swing moves upward, it slows down, and at its highest
point, it momentarily stops before changing direction. During this brief moment, the force of
gravity is still acting on us, but it’s not counteracted by any upward force from the swing,
leading to a feeling of weightlessness. As the swing starts to descend, we accelerate
downwards, and the feeling of lightness intensifies because our body is essentially falling
with the swing.

Question 4.
Is there any other contact force? (Page 67)
Answer:
Yes. Force of friction.
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Question 5.
Is it essential for an object applying force on another object to always be in contact with it?
(Page 69)
Answer:
No, it is not essential for an object applying force on another object to always be in contact
with it. Forces can be applied through contact (contact forces) or without direct contact (non-
contact forces).

Question 6.
Does it mean that there are two kinds of electrical charges? (Page 71)
Answer:
Yes, there are two types of electric charge: positive charge and negative charge. These
charges are fundamental properties of matter.

Question 7.
Why do all the objects fall towards the Earth? (Page 72)
Answer:
Objects fall towards the Earth due to gravity, a force of attraction between any two objects
with mass. Earth’s gravity pulls all objects towards its center, causing them to fall. This force
is stronger for objects with more mass, and it weakens with distance.

Question 8.
Is there any force that acts on them? What exerts this force? (Page 72)
Answer:
Yes, there is a force acting on any object in the universe, and it is called gravity. Gravity is a
force of attraction that exists between any two objects with mass. The Earth, due to its large
mass, exerts a gravitational force on all objects near it, pulling them towards its center.

Question 9.
Does the Earth pull every object with equal force? (Page 72)

Answer:
No, the Earth does not pull every object with equal force. The force of gravity is stronger on
objects with greater mass. While the Earth exerts a gravitational pull on all objects, the
strength of that pull depends on the mass of the object being attracted.
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Question 10.
What is the difference between weight and mass? (Page 75)
Answer:
Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Weight is the downward force acting upon an
object due to gravity. On planet Earth, the two quantities are proportional.

Question 11.
If we place some objects on water, some of them float, while others fall to the bottom. The
gravitational force of the Earth is acting on all objects, so why don’t all objects fall to the
bottom? (Page 76)
Answer:
While the Earth’s gravitational force acts on all objects, whether they sink or float in water
depends on the buoyant force and the density of the object relative to water. Objects with a
density lower than water experience a stronger buoyant force, causing them to float, while
those with a higher density experience a weaker buoyant force and sink.

NCERT Class 8 Science Chapter 5 Question Answer Exploring Forces (Exercise)

Keep the Curiosity Alive (Pages 77-79)

Question 1.
Match items in Column A with the items in Column B.

Column A (Type of
Column B (Example)
Force)

(a) A cricket ball stopping on its own just before touching the
(i) Muscular force
boundary line

(ii) Magnetic force (b) A child lifting a school bag

(iii) Frictional force (c) A fruit falling from a tree

(iv) Gravitational force (d) A balloon rubbed on a woollen cloth attracts hair strands

(v) Electrostatic force (e) A compass needle pointing North

Answer:

Column A (Type of
Column B (Example)
Force)

(i) Muscular force (b) A child lifting a school bag

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(ii) Magnetic force (e) A compass needle pointing North

(a) A cricket ball stopping on its own just before touching the
(iii) Frictional force
boundary line

(iv) Gravitational force (c) A fruit falling from a tree

(v) Electrostatic force (d) Balloon rubbed on woollen cloth, attracting hair strands

Question 2.
State whether the following statements are True or False.
(i) A force is always required to change the speed of motion of an object.
(ii) Due to friction, the speed of the ball rolling on a flat ground increases.
(iii) There is no force between two charged objects placed at a small distance apart.
Answer:
(i) True: A force is indeed always required to change the speed of motion of an object. If
there is no force acting on an object, it will maintain its current speed and direction (unless
it’s already at rest, in which case it will stay at rest).
(ii) False: Friction opposes motion, so it will decrease the speed of a rolling ball.
(iii) False: There is a force between charged objects. This force can be attractive or repulsive
depending on the charges. But it is always present when charges are close to each other.

Question 3.
Two balloons rubbed with a woollen cloth are brought near each other. What would happen
and why?
Answer:
When two balloons are rubbed with a woollen cloth and brought near each other, they will
repel each other. This happens because both balloons will acquire a negative charge when
rubbed with wool, and like charges repel.

Question 4.
When you drop a coin in a glass of water, it sinks, but when you place a bigger wooden
block in water, it floats. Explain.
Answer:
A coin sinks in water because its density (mass per unit volume) is greater than that of water.
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A wooden block floats because its density is less than that of water, causing it to be buoyed
up by the water.

Question 5.
If a ball is thrown upwards, it slows down, stops momentarily, and then falls back to the
ground. Name the forces acting on the ball and specify their directions.
(i) During its upward motion
(ii) During its downward motion
(iii) At its topmost position
Answer:
When a ball is thrown upwards, the only force acting on it throughout its entire motion is
gravity, which pulls it downwards. However, depending on the motion of the ball, the
direction of this force relative to the ball’s velocity changes.
(i) During its upward motion: The force of gravity is downwards, opposing the upward
motion of the ball, causing it to slow down.
(ii) During its downward motion: The force of gravity is still downwards, but now it aligns
with the ball’s direction of motion, accelerating it downwards.
(iii) At its topmost position: The ball has zero velocity, meaning it’s momentarily stationary.
At this point, the force of gravity is still downwards, but since the ball is not moving
upwards or downwards, it has no net effect on the ball’s motion.

Question 6.
A ball is released from the point P and moves along an inclined plane and then along a
horizontal surface as shown in the figure. It comes to a stop at point A on the horizontal
surface. Think of a way so that when the ball is released from the same point P, it stops (i)
before the point A, (ii) after crossing the point A.

Answer:
The ball’s motion is governed by the forces of gravity and friction. On the inclined plane,
gravity provides the acceleration for the motion. On the horizontal surface, only friction acts
on the ball.

Stopping before A: Increasing friction on the horizontal surface will cause the ball to
decelerate more rapidly, meaning it will come to a stop sooner, potentially before reaching
point A.

Stopping after A: Decreasing friction on the horizontal surface will reduce the deceleration,
allowing the ball to travel further before losing all its kinetic energy and stopping.
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Question 7.
Why do we sometimes slip on smooth surfaces like ice or polished floors? Explain.
Answer:
When we walk on surfaces like ice, we often slip, which means we lose our balance and fall.
This happens because the force that helps us stay upright and move forward (friction) is not
enough. These surfaces have fewer irregularities. Minimizing the contact area and the force
of friction between the surface and our shoes makes it easier to slide instead of grip. A layer
of water, even a thin one on ice, can further reduce friction by acting as a lubricant, making
the surface even more slippery.

Question 8.
Is any force being applied to an object in a non-uniform motion?
Answer:
Yes, for an object to be in non-uniform motion, a force must be acting upon it. Non-uniform
motion, also known as accelerated motion, means the object’s velocity is changing, either in
speed or direction, or both. This change in velocity requires a force to be applied.

Question 9.
The weight of an object on the Moon becomes one-sixth of its weight on Earth. What causes
this change? Does the mass of the object also become one-sixth of its mass on the Earth?
Answer:
The change in an object’s weight on the moon compared to Earth is due to the difference in
gravitational force. The moon’s gravity is significantly weaker than Earth’s, roughly one-
sixth as strong. However, the mass of an object remains the same regardless of location; only
weight changes with gravitational pull.

Question 10.
Three objects, 1, 2, and 3 of the same size and shape but made of different materials, are
placed in the water. They dip to different depths as shown in the figure.
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If the weights of the three objects 1, 2, and 3 are w1, w2, and w3, respectively, then
(i) w1 = w2 = w3
(ii) w1 > w2 > w3
(iii) w2 > w3 > w1
(iv) w3 > w1 > w2
Answer:
(ii) The relationship between the weights of the objects is w1 > w2 > w3
Object 1 is the deepest meaning it displaces the most water.
Object 2 is less deep than object 1 but deeper than object 3.
Object 3 is the least deep, meaning it displaces the least amount of water.
Since the objects have the same size and shape, the greater the depth, the greater the weight
of the object (assuming they are all made of the same material).
Hence, the object with the greatest weight will sink the deepest, and the object with the least
weight will be the closest to the surface.

Class 8 Exploring Forces Question Answer (Activities)

Activity 5.3: Let Us Investigate (Page 67)

Take an object with a flat base (such as an empty lunch box/geometry box/a notebook) and
place it on a table or floor.

Gently push it and observe. Does it stop after travelling some distance? Is there a force
acting on it that brings it to rest?

Now repeat by pushing the object in the opposite direction. Does it stop again after travelling
some distance?

Answer:
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Yes, the object will stop after moving a certain distance when pushed on a table or floor.
This is due to the force of friction, which opposes the motion of the object and eventually
brings it to rest. When the object is pushed in the opposite direction, it will again stop after a
certain distance due to the same frictional force.

Activity 5.8: Let Us Observe (Page 71)

Take a ball and throw it vertically upwards. Does it come down?

Now throw it again, but this time harder. Does it still fall back down to the ground?

Think about different situations around you where any object thrown up in any direction
finally falls or comes back to the ground or floor.

Answer:

Throwing a ball upwards: When we throw a ball upwards, it will come back down to the
ground.

Throwing it harder: Even if we throw the ball harder, it will still fall back down. Throwing
it harder simply gives it a greater initial upward velocity, allowing it to reach a higher point
before gravity eventually overcomes that upward momentum and pulls it back down.

Different Situations
Many objects around us demonstrate this principle of gravity:

A thrown stone: Whether we throw a stone straight up or horizontally, it will always follow
a curved path and eventually land on the ground due to gravity.

A dropped mango: A mango falling from a tree illustrates the same principle – gravity pulls
it towards the Earth.

Raindrops: Raindrops fall from the clouds to the ground due to the Earth’s gravitational
pull.
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Extra Questions
Very Short Question Answer

Question 1.
What is a force?
Answer:
A push or pull on an object is called force.

Question 2.
How many objects are needed to apply a force?
Answer:
At least two objects are needed to apply a force.

Question 3.
What is muscular force?
Answer:
The force resulting from the action of muscles is known as muscular force.

Question 4.
What is contact force?
Answer:
A force that can be applied only when it is in contact with an object is called a contact force.

Question 5.
Is gravity a property of Earth only?
Answer:
No

Question 6.
Name the force due to which every object falls on Earth.
Answer:
Gravitational force

Question 7.
What kind of force is friction?
Answer:
Contact force

Question 8.
What type of force is gravitational force?
Answer:
Non-contact force

Question 9.
Is it true that force acting on an object can also change its shape?
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Answer:
Yes, it is true.

Question 10.
While sieving grains, small pieces fall. Which force pulls them down?
Answer:
Gravitational force

Question 11.
How can we change the speed and the direction of a moving body?
Answer:
By applying force.

Question 12.
Give two examples of contact force.
Answer:

1. Muscular force
2. Force of friction

Question 13.
Name the force exerted on a ball of dough to make a flat chapati.
Answer:
Muscular force

Question 14.
What kind of force is an electrostatic force?
Answer:
Non-contact force

Question 15.
Give one example of gravitational force.
Answer:
An apple falling from the tree to the ground.

Question 16.
What will be the net force on an object when two forces act on an object in the same direction?
Answer:
Forces applied on an object in the same direction add to one another.

Question 17.
During dry weather, clothes made of synthetic fibre often stick to the skin. Which type of force is
responsible for this phenomenon? (NCERT Exemplar)
Answer:
Magnetic force
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Question 18.
Does the force of gravitation exist between two astronauts in space? (NCERT Exemplar)
Answer:
Yes

Question 19.
A ball of dough is rolled into a flat chapatti. Name the force exerted to change the shape of the
dough. (NCERT Exemplar)
Answer:
Muscular force.

Question 20.
Where do we apply a force while walking? (NCERT Exemplar)
Answer:
While walking, we apply force on the ground.

Question 21.
Does the force of gravity act on dust particles? (NCERT Exemplar)
Answer:
Yes

Question 22.
A gas-filled balloon moves up. Is the upward force acting on it larger or smaller than the force of
gravity? (NCERT Exemplar)
Answer:
Upward force is larger than the force of gravity.

Question 23.
What happens when the two forces act in the opposite direction on an object?
Answer:
If two different forces act in opposite directions on an object, the net force acting on it is the
difference between the two forces.

Short Question Answer

Question 1.
How does an applied force change the speed of an object?
Answer:
If the applied force is in the direction of motion, the speed of the object increases. But if the force is
applied in the direction opposite to the motion, then it decreases the speed of the object.

Question 2.
What is the similarity between electrostatic and magnetic forces?
Answer:

1. Both are non-contact forces.

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2. Both are attractive as well as repulsive forces.

Question 3.
What are the effects of force on an object?
Answer:

1. Force can change the state of motion of an object.

2. Force changes the speed of a moving object.
3. Force can cause an object to turn or change direction.
4. Force can change the shape of an object.

Question 4.
Two thermocol balls held close to each other move away from each other. When they are released,
name the force that might be responsible for this phenomenon. Explain.
Answer:
Electrostatic force is responsible for this phenomenon. The two balls have similar charges, which is
why they move away due to repulsion between them.

Question 5.
Name the forces acting on the car stuck to an electromagnet in a Junkyard. Which one of them is
larger?
Answer:
Magnetic force (in the upward direction) and force of gravity or the weight of the car (downward).
Magnetic force is larger than the force of gravity.

Question 6.
Which force is responsible for the downward movement of a parachute? Will he come down with
the same speed without the parachute?
Answer:
The force of gravity is responsible for this downward movement. No, without a parachute, he will
come down at a higher speed.

Question 7.
What may be the consequences when a force is applied to an object?
Answer:
When a force is applied to an object, the consequence will be a
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1. change in the shape of the object.

2. change in the state of motion of the object.

Question 8.
A girl is pushing a box towards the east. In which direction should her friend push the box so that it
moves faster in the same direction? (NCERT Exemplar)
Answer:
Towards the east.

Question 9.
What can be the result of a force applied to an object?
Answer:
Force applied to an object may result in:

1. change in the shape of the object.

2. change in the direction of motion of an object.
3. change in speed of an object if it is moving.
4. movement of an object from rest.
5. some or all of the above effects.

Question 10.
A chapati maker is a machine that converts balls of dough into chapatis. What effect of force comes
into play in this process? (NCERT Exemplar)
Answer:
The force changes the shape of the dough.

Question 11.
What is muscular force? Why is it called a contact force?
Answer:
Muscular force: The force resulting from the action of muscles is known as muscular force. Since
muscular force can be applied only when it is in contact with an object, it is also called a contact
force.

Question 12.
Give three examples of forces exerted by muscles in our body.
Answer:
The three examples of muscular force in our body are:

1. Blood circulation in our body.

2. Inhalation and exhalation of air by the lungs.
3. Running by the muscles of the legs.

Question 13.
Name some non-contact forces with examples.
Answer:
Some non-contact forces are:
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Gravitational force
Example: A ball projected upwards falls back on Earth.

Magnetic force
Example: The force exerted by a magnet on iron.

Electrostatic force
Example: Sticking an inflated balloon to the wall after rubbing it with a dry cloth.

Question 14.
Distinguish between contact forces and non-contact forces with examples.
Answer:

Contact Force: A Force that can be applied only when it is in contact with an object is called a
contact force.
Examples: muscular force, frictional force.

Non-contact force: The force exerted on an object without touching it is known as a non-contact
force.
Examples: gravitational force, magnetic force.

Long Question Answer

Question 1.
Define the different types of forces.
Answer:
Force can act on a body from a distance or by being in contact with it. Depending on this, forces can
be classified as contact and non-contact forces.

Contact forces: When a force is applied to an object by direct or indirect physical contact, the
applied force is called a contact force.

Muscular and frictional forces are examples of contact forces.

Muscular force: The force resulting from the action of muscles is known as the muscular force.

Frictional force: The force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material
elements sliding against each other.

Non-contact forces: When a force is applied to an object by another body that is not in direct
contact with it is called a non-contact force.

Gravitational, magnetic, and electrostatic forces are examples of non-contact forces.

Gravitational force: The attractive force of the Earth, which acts upon all objects, is known as the
force of gravity or just gravity.
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Electrostatic force: The force exerted by a charged body on another charged or uncharged 1 body
is known as electrostatic force.

Magnetic force: The force exerted between a magnet and another magnet or magnetic material is
known as magnetic force.

Question 2.
Define force. What are its effects on objects?
Answer:
A force is a push or pull upon an object resulting from its interaction with another object. It has both
magnitude and direction, making it a vector quantity. The unit of force is Newton (N), named after
Isaac Newton.
Effects of force:

Motion change: A stationary object may begin to move; a moving object may stop or change speed.

Direction change: Force can alter the direction of a moving object.

Shape change: Some forces deform objects, such as squashing or stretching them.

Examples:

1. Kicking a football (starts motion)

2. Applying brakes (stops motion)

Question 3.
Prove that the force of friction depends on the nature of the two surfaces in contact.
Answer:
Collect the following things: A thick book, nylon cloth, gunny cloth, plastic sheet, jute cloth, and
sandpaper. Place the book on each of the materials and slide it on the floor one by one. If our book
slides off the plastic sheet or nylon cloth, use adhesive tape to stick it firmly on the surface of the
book. We will observe that the different materials offer different amounts of resistance to sliding.
This activity shows that the force of friction depends on the nature of the surface in contact. In
general, a smooth surface offers less friction than a rough surface.

Case Based Questions

Read the given passage below and answer the question:

In a game of volleyball, players often push the moving ball to their teammates to make a winning
move. Sometimes the ball is returned to the other side of the court by pushing or smashing it. In
cricket, a batsman plays his or her shot by applying a force on the ball with the bat.
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Question 1.
What kind of force is applied by a batsman on a ball while hitting it?
(a) Magnetic Force
(b) Muscular Force
(c) Frictional Force
(d) Gravitation Force
Answer:
Option (b) is correct.
Explanation: While hitting a ball, the force is caused by the action of muscles in the batsman’s
body. The force resulting from the action of muscles is known as the muscular force.

Question 2.
Force can be defined as:
(a) Work done
(b) Energy required to do work
(c) Push or Pull
(d) Push only
Answer:
Option (c) is correct.
Explanation: A push or a pull on an object is called a force.

Question 3.
In the given example of a volleyball game, what changes in force were brought about on the
volleyball?
(a) Change in direction of motion
(b) Change in shape
(c) Change in state of motion
(d) Both Option (a) and (c)
Answer:
Option (a) and (c)
Explanation: When players hit the volleyball, its speed changes, and also the direction of its motion
changes.