S1 Science: Forces, Motion And Simple Machines (Paper 1 (basics))

S1 Science: Forces, Motion and Simple Machines (Paper 1 (basics))

2026-11-14

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Tutor Prep Guide · Speed and acceleration calculations, Newton laws and friction, lever moments, mechanical advantage of pulleys and inclines, plus efficiency and stopping distance

S1 Science: Forces, Motion and Simple Machines (Paper 1 (basics))

This paper covers basic calculations on speed, weight, friction and moments, plus what an incline costs in return for saving force.

Direct answers　Use total distance over total time for average speed, mg for weight, force times arm for a moment, and remember an incline trades distance for force.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: S1 Science: Forces, Motion and Simple Machines
Level	S1

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationA toy car travels 100 m in 20 s. What is its average speed?
FoundationWhat is Newton first law also called?
FoundationWhat does friction do to a sliding object?
IntermediateWhat is the weight of a 5 kg school bag on Earth? (take g as 10 N/kg)
IntermediateA force of 20 N acts 0.5 m from the pivot of a lever. What is the moment?
IntermediateHow many m/s is 72 km/h?
ChallengeA car runs at a steady 15 m/s for 6 minutes. How far does it travel?
ChallengeOne side of a lever carries 20 N at 0.30 m from the pivot and the other arm is 0.60 m. What force balances it?
ChallengeAn incline saves force. What does it cost?
Error redoWhich statement is right? A: mass and weight share the same unit; B: mass is in kg and weight in N.

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	5 m/s	Speed is distance divided by time, and 100 divided by 20 gives 5.
2	The law of inertia	With zero resultant force a body keeps still or keeps moving uniformly in a straight line.
3	It opposes the motion, acting opposite to the direction of travel	Friction turns kinetic energy into heat, so a sliding object keeps slowing down.
4	50 N	Weight is mass times gravitational field strength, and 5 times 10 gives 50.
5	10 N·m	Moment is force times moment arm, and 20 times 0.5 gives 10.
6	20 m/s	Divide km/h by 3.6 to get m/s, and 72 divided by 3.6 gives 20.
7	5400 m, that is 5.4 km	Six minutes is 360 s, and 15 times 360 gives 5400 m.
8	10 N	The two moments must match, so 20 times 0.30 divided by 0.60 gives 10.
9	It makes you travel a longer distance	In the ideal case the work stays the same, so less force means a longer path.
10	B is right	Mass measures how much matter there is in kg while weight is a force in N.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

For mechanics questions ask three things: whether the question asks for force, energy or time, whether units are already in m, s and N, and whether equilibrium or constant work is the premise.Tutor Registration →

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.