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Grade 6 Science — Motion and reference points

Use a reference point to decide whether something is moving, and tell linear, circular and oscillatory motion apart.

Name: ________________________

Before you start

Each thing in this park shows one of the three kinds of motion.

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  1. 1. Swing — oscillatory
  2. 2. Merry-go-round — circular
  3. 3. Slide — linear

The swing and the merry-go-round both come back to where they started, again and again. That is what makes them periodic.

  1. 1.A metal strip is clamped at one end. You press the free end and release it, and it moves up and down. Which kind of motion is that?

    • a) Circular motion
    • b) It does not move
    • c) Oscillatory motion
    • d) Linear motion

  2. 2.A distance is stated with respect to a fixed object or point. What are those two words for that fixed point?

  3. 3.When is an object said to be in motion?

    • a) When it is making a noise
    • b) When it is not touching the ground
    • c) When its position changes with respect to the reference point over time
    • d) When it is heavier than the reference point

  4. 4.Which pair of motions does the chapter call periodic?

    • a) Circular and oscillatory
    • b) Linear and oscillatory
    • c) Linear on its own
    • d) Linear and circular

  5. 5.Five friends were asked whether the garden was nearer than the school. They gave different answers and each was right. Why?

    • a) Each was measuring from their own house instead of from a shared point
    • b) Some of them had been to the garden and some had not
    • c) The garden moves during the day
    • d) They were using different units of length

  6. 6.An eraser hangs from a thread. You pull it to one side and let go. What does it do?

    • a) Travels off in a straight line
    • b) Stays exactly where you released it
    • c) Moves to and fro, in the same way as a swing
    • d) Turns in a full circle

  7. 7.An eraser is tied to a thread and whirled round and round. Which kind of motion is that?

    • a) Circular motion
    • b) It does not move
    • c) Oscillatory motion
    • d) Linear motion

  8. 8.Sort each of these by the kind of motion it shows.

    Groups: Linear motion · Circular motion · Oscillatory motion

    • A pushed box sliding along the floor
    • A march-past at a parade
    • A merry-go-round turning
    • An eraser whirled on a thread
    • A swing going back and forth
    • A metal strip pressed and released
    • A dropped eraser falling

Answer key — Grade 6 Science — Motion and reference points

  1. 1. c) Oscillatory motion
  2. 2.
    • reference point
    • the reference point
  3. 3. c) When its position changes with respect to the reference point over time
  4. 4. a) Circular and oscillatory
  5. 5. a) Each was measuring from their own house instead of from a shared point
  6. 6. c) Moves to and fro, in the same way as a swing
  7. 7. a) Circular motion
  8. 8. A dropped eraser falling → Linear motion; A march-past at a parade → Linear motion; A pushed box sliding along the floor → Linear motion; A merry-go-round turning → Circular motion; An eraser whirled on a thread → Circular motion; A swing going back and forth → Oscillatory motion; A metal strip pressed and released → Oscillatory motion