Forces and Energy on a Slalom Course

Use the basketball sheet when teaching weight and gravity, and the slalom sheet when students need to practice net force arrows and energy tables.

Draw net force arrows for a slalom skier and track potential and kinetic energy down a 100 m slope. The directions on the page read: Read the text. On the top view, the blue line is the skier's path and the squares are gates. At X, Y and Z, draw an arrow showing the direction of the net force. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 7th grade forces and motion, and it works the same at home or at school. At home, a student can work through it alone and then go over it with you, which shows quickly what is solid and what needs another look. In class it works as independent practice, homework or a warm-up, and you can print one copy or a full set.

Mass is the amount of matter in an object and does not depend on location. Weight is the force of gravity, found by mass times gravity in N/kg, so it changes on the Moon.

Air drag is a force that points opposite to the motion of an object moving through air. The Moon has almost no air, so drag there is close to zero.

Add the forces as arrows, taking direction into account. In the slalom sheet, gravity pulls down the slope and the snow pushes back on the skis' edges, which turns the skier.