Science 101: Does a Force on an Object Always Result in Motion?

I chose this article because it poses a challenging question: does a force on an object always result in motion? I immediately thought 'of course it does', but after reading this article I b... See More

I chose this article because it poses a challenging question: does a force on an object always result in motion? I immediately thought 'of course it does', but after reading this article I began thinking differently. From this article, I learned that a force on an object does not always result in motion. If there is an equal and opposite force acting on it as well, the object won't move. This occurs in a tug-of-war, or two people pushing on an object. A TEK that goes with this article is 5.6.D. This TEK requires the student to design a simple experimental investigation that tests the effect of force on an object. With this information from the TEKS and the article, I would have students experiment with force in the classroom by testing with pushing books or even a tug-of-war. This way students will have a concrete example of how an object is affected by either equal or unequal forces. I agree with this article because I also believe that the best way for students to learn is for them to experience it first-hand.