Newton's Laws: True or False Challenge

Newton's Laws: True or False Challenge is a one-page scaffolded worksheet that takes students from the misconceptions they arrive with to correctly identifying which of Newton's laws is at work in a picture. A complete answer key is included.

The sheet opens with two myth-busting true/false statements that target the two stickiest misconceptions in this unit: that a still object has no forces acting on it, and that a moving object needs a constant push to keep moving. Each statement comes with a short hint that points students toward the counterexample rather than the answer, so the thinking stays with them.

Part 2 is a visual analysis task. Students study a diagram of one person giving the same push to a 10 kg box and a 100 kg box, then explain the difference in terms of mass and identify the law that governs it. This is where F = ma stops being a formula to memorize and starts being something students can read off a picture.

Part 3 asks students to match three action forces to their reaction forces — kicking a ball, paddling a canoe, pushing off on a skateboard — reinforcing that forces always come in pairs.

What's included: 1 student page (PDF) plus 1 answer key. Works as an introduction, a review before assessment, a sub plan, or a formative check.