Exploring Forces | Class 8 Science Notes
By ConceptScroll Team · Published on 17 July 2026 · 3 min read
Exploring Forces – this guide gives you a concise, exam-ready overview of Exploring Forces from Class 8 Science, written by ConceptScroll editors and reviewed against the latest NCERT textbook.
What Is a Force?
This section formally defines force as a push or pull applied on an object resulting from its interaction with another object. Through Activity 5.1, students explore different ways to move a box—pushing, pulling, lifting—and realize that all these actions involve applying a force. The concept is reinforced by emphasizing that force is not just a physical action but a scientific term describing the interaction between objects that causes changes in motion or shape. The SI unit of force is introduced as the newton (N), named after Sir Isaac Newton, who formulated the laws of motion. The section also highlights that forces always arise from interactions between at least two objects, establishing the foundational principle that forces do not exist in isolation.
📊 Diagram: Figures illustrate different ways of moving a box: (a) pushing, (b) pulling, and (c) lifting and carrying, showing the application of force in each case.
🧪 Activity: Activity 5.1: Moving a large cardboard box in various ways to experience forces.
🔗 Connection: Prepares for exploring the effects of forces on objects in the next section.
Frequently asked questions
Match items in Column A with the items in Column B. Column A (Type of force) | Column B (Example) (i) Muscular force | (a) A cricket ball stopping on its own just before touching the 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) Balloon rubbed on woolen cloth attracting hair strands (v) Electrostatic force | (e) A compass needle pointing North
The correct matching is: (i) Muscular force - (b) A child lifting a school bag (ii) Magnetic force - (e) A compass needle pointing North (iii) Frictional force - (a) A cricket ball stopping on its own just before touching the boundary line (iv) Gravitational force - (c) A fruit falling from a tree (v) Electrostatic force - (d) Balloon rubbed on woolen cloth attracting hair strands
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.
(i) True A force is required to change the speed (accelerate or decelerate) of an object.
(ii) False Friction opposes motion and thus decreases the speed of a rolling ball.
(iii) False There is an electrostatic force between two charged objects even if they are close to each other.
Two balloons rubbed with a woollen cloth are brought near each other. What would happen and why?
When two balloons rubbed with woollen cloth are brought near each other, they repel each other. This happens because rubbing transfers electrons to the balloons, giving them the same type of charge (usually negative). Like charges repel, so the balloons push away from each other.
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.
A coin sinks because its density is greater than that of water, so the buoyant force is not enough to keep it afloat. A wooden block floats because it is less dense than water, and the upthrust (buoyant force) balances its weight, allowing it to float.
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