Topic 3 · How to investigate a force like a scientist — the question types, for your rulings

Skill: course-build → write-mcqs → write-explanation, design-check-sequence @ cca3af6

Topic 3 — How to investigate a force like a scientist — the PP100's question types, with their exemplars

What this page is. James reads a bank as its question TYPES first (vault: A bank is reviewed as its question types first, one exemplar each). Under the Grade 5 standing brief the bank is built straight away (52 items in content/G5T03_pp100_bank.py); this sheet is the way in. Each type line says what the stem asks, what the four options (or the accept list) are, and prints one exemplar in full. Tags follow depth of reasoning — easy = one fact or a one-step sort; medium = the rule applied to a fresh case, a reason picked, a drawn plan or table read; hard = a term or number produced, two readings chained into a difference, two ideas chained, or a claim judged by its correct reason — and rise with the atom's order: FOR5-024 (the investigation) seven easy, two medium; SR5-001 (the prediction) four easy, three medium, one hard; SR5-002 (the plan) three easy, seven medium, three hard; SR5-003 (more than once) two easy, five medium, two hard; FOR5-025 (the design, the capstone) one easy, six medium, six hard. Every hard item carries a one-line "hard because" (hb) in the bank file.

Rulings already applied. Four options on every MCQ (fixed sets: the what-the-object-does set for pushes "It stays still / It moves toward the two children and speeds up / It moves away from the two children and speeds up / It moves away from the two children and slows down" — the SIDE is named, never "the stronger push", which the blind read (8 Oct) showed has two readings for a push; the pulls twin names the stronger pull; the plan-line set "the question / the one thing we change / what we keep the same / what we measure", whose key moves; the how-many-times set "once / twice / three times or more / until the result matches the prediction", ordered); no option bundles a verdict with its reason (every bank claim is "X is wrong … What is the correct reason?" with four single-statement reasons — the 28 Sep tiers as written; the 8 Oct Leo-item conflict is left for James and no exception is claimed here); every stem is a positive question of at most two sentences unless tagged hard; an item plan board prints its lines with one missing and its blind text lists the lines present, never the missing one; an item table's blind text lists its rows as numbers; "prediction" is recalled by MCQ (RECALL_BY_MCQ — ten letters, never typed at this grade); the typed keys are "fair test" (Grade 4's term, inside this topic's lexicon sentence; the accept list takes the whole term, its article forms and two child spellings, never "fair" alone) and four differences read off a drawn table (each with its unit word in the accept list); no multi-select; every item names ONE atom; US spelling; units as words in prose, numerals on drawings. MCQ keys A 13 · B 13 · C 13 · D 7.

The bar list (real things a generated item must never use): "hypothesis"; "independent / dependent variable", "variable"; "control group" (Topic 24 coins it); "experiment or observation" sorting (Topic 19); newtons, a spring scale reading; a mean or average of the runs; "gravity is a force", "gravity pulls"; any lesson scene (the box with a rope on each side; the ramp on books with the toy car and the tape measure; the rubber band on pegs with the toy car); any quiz, attached, summary or practice scene (the shopping cart, the dog-and-boy sled, the two-rope wagon, the crate, the dad's rope, the ping-pong ball and straws, the heavy desk, the sled ropes; the toy boat's sail, the ball on grass and concrete, the kite tail, the red and blue marbles; the sled on the hill, the big and small magnets and the paper clip, the ball plan board, the rubber ball drop, the marble slide; the bounce 40/44/38, the wagon up a slope, the truck on carpet and tile, the marble on low and high ramps, the paper planes; the swing push question, the magnet and steel toy car, the toy truck pushes, the wagon's load, the sled with bags, the toy train timed, the kicked soccer ball, the heavier box pulled, the paper airplane, the bowling pins, the cup on a slide); a claim-maker from another topic's row (only Cyrus, Delia and Desmond); "biggest / smallest" for a distance (farther, farthest, shorter).

The twenty-two types (the five atoms each need their own forms; the design capstone needs the plan parts, the prediction, the runs and the whole-plan checks)

Type	Items	Atom	Tags	Form	The stem asks…	The options / the accept	Exemplar scene
1	2	024	easy	MCQ, the what-it-does set	what the object does when a third pusher joins one side	stays still / toward the two children / away from the two children and speeds up / away from the two children and slows	a skateboard; a trash can
2	2	024	easy	MCQ	which is true of two pushes or pulls on a still object	They are equal. / One is much stronger. / There are none. / They act the same direction.	a door; a toy boat on strings
3	2	024	easy	MCQ	the one thing an investigation changed, or should change next	how many children push on one side / which train, track, floor	a toy train on its track; a swing's seat
4	1	024	easy	MCQ	which is true of two pushes when the object starts to move toward one pusher	They are unequal. / equal / both zero / same direction	a book on a desk
5	3	001	easy, medium	MCQ	which prediction the test can check; what a wrong prediction taught	one sentence that says what will happen against three that fit whatever happens	a swinging weight's string; a parachute; a toy duck in salty water
6	4	001, 002	easy, medium	MCQ	can the test show whether these words were right; is this a fair test	yes / no / only if … / only if …	a thick candle; ice cubes; balloon rockets on a string
7	4	002	easy, medium	MCQ, the plan-line set	which plan line a given phrase is; which plan line is missing from a drawn plan	the question / the one thing we change / what we keep the same / what we measure	a straw rocket blown harder
8	2	024, 002	medium	MCQ, drawn	what goes in a blank cell of an investigation table; what is wrong with a drawn plan	what the skateboard did; It changes two things. / no question / measures nothing / keeps nothing the same	a skateboard investigation; a puck on ice and wood
9	4	002, 024	medium	MCQ	what must stay the same; what to measure; the one thing to change; the correct reason a still canoe starts to move	specific things or quantities of the scene; four single-statement reasons	a toy helicopter's blades; a wet and dry sponge; a canoe
10	1	003	easy	MCQ, the how-many-times set	how many times to drop the helicopter	once / twice / three times or more / until it matches the prediction	a paper helicopter
11	5	003	easy, medium	MCQ, two drawn	why three runs differ; which height or setting usually took longer or flew farther; which runs to look at; the correct reason one run cannot be trusted	four single statements / the settings	a tissue dropped; the helicopter table; a cereal box; a wind-up toy; the spoon catapult table
12	2	001	medium	MCQ	what saying what you expect is called; which of four sentences is a prediction	a prediction / an observation / a measurement / a fair test; four sentences	a girl's notebook; a heavier paper airplane
13	2	025	easy, medium	MCQ	which question asks how a force changes an object's motion	one force question against three that are not	a hockey puck
14	3	025	medium	MCQ	the one thing to change; what must stay the same; what to measure, for a force experiment	things or quantities of the scene	a harder hit on a hockey puck
15	2	025	medium	MCQ, one drawn	which prediction a force test can check; was the class's prediction right, from a drawn table	one checkable sentence against three vague; yes / no / only on the first run / the table cannot tell you	a fan and a toy sailboat
16	1	001	hard	MCQ	Cyrus is wrong to say a prediction should be vague: the correct reason	four single-statement reasons	the belief itself (register SR5 SD-1)
17	2	002	hard	typed	the name for a test that changes only one thing	fair test, a fair test, the fair test, fairtest, fair-test, fair tests, fare test, fair tst	a straw rocket; a swinging weight
18	1	002	hard	MCQ	Delia is wrong to say two changes at once tell you more: the correct reason	four single-statement reasons	the plan itself
19	4	003, 025	hard	numeric, drawn	a difference between two runs read off a drawn table, with its unit	the number, with and without its unit word	the catapult table; the helicopter table; the sailboat table (twice)
20	1	003	hard	MCQ	Desmond is wrong to say repeats are only for people who made a mistake: the correct reason	four single-statement reasons	the belief itself (register SR5 SD-1)
21	2	025	hard	MCQ	what to do after one run each; what to write when the result contradicts the prediction	four single statements	a hockey puck hit twice; a heavier backpack dragged
22	2	025	hard	MCQ	which part of a whole described design is missing, or wrong	a prediction / a question / the one thing to change / what to keep the same; what stays the same / the question / the prediction / what is measured	a beanbag thrown across the gym; a paper football flicked

Hard because — type 16, 18, 20: the belief or claim is judged by its correct reason, which needs the rule held against the belief. Type 17: the term is produced, not picked. Type 19: two readings are chained into a difference, with its unit. Type 21: two ideas chained (the design routine and the three-runs rule; comparing a result with a prediction and keeping the wrong prediction as a result). Type 22: the whole plan is held in mind and checked part by part.

One exemplar per type, in full

Type 1 (easy, FOR5-024). Two children push a skateboard from opposite ends and it stays still, until a third child joins one end. What does the skateboard do? — It moves away from the two children and speeds up. / It stays still. / It moves toward the two children and speeds up. / It moves away from the two children and slows down. Why: Two pushes together are stronger than one push, so the pushes are unequal. A push moves a thing away from the pusher. So the skateboard moves away from the two children and speeds up. (nearest lesson-side instance: Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box)'s attached sled with a third child — pulls, two options; here pushes and the fixed four)

Type 2 (easy, FOR5-024). Two boys push on a door from opposite sides, and the door does not move. Which is true of the two pushes? — They are equal. / One push is much stronger. / There are no pushes on the door. / The pushes act in the same direction. (nearest: Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 1, the shopping cart, yes / no)

Type 3 (easy, FOR5-024). A class pushes a toy train from opposite ends of its track, one child each end, and then a second child pushes on the left end too. What is the one thing the class changed? — which toy train the class pushes / which track the train sits on / how many children push on the left / which floor the track lies on. (nearest: Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 3, the two-rope wagon)

Type 4 (easy, FOR5-024). Two children push a book from opposite sides, and the book starts to move toward one child and speeds up. Which is true of the two pushes? — They are equal. / They are unequal. / They are both zero. / They both point the same direction. (nearest: Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 8, the heavy desk, the reason form)

Type 5 (easy, SR5-001). A class is about to test whether a longer string makes a swinging weight take longer to swing back and forth. Which of these is a prediction the test can check? — The strings will do something. / The swinging will be interesting to watch. / The weight on the longer string will take longer. / Something about the swing will change. (nearest: Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 7, the kite's tail, three options)

Type 6 (easy, SR5-001). Before a test, a boy says, 'The thick candle will burn longer than the thin candle.' Can the test show whether his words were right? — yes / no / only if he is right / only if he is wrong. (nearest: Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 1, the bigger sail, yes / no)

Type 7 (easy, SR5-002). A class plans to test whether a straw rocket flies farther when it is blown harder. Which plan line is 'how hard we blow'? — the question / the one thing we change / what we keep the same / what we measure. (nearest: Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 7, the ball plan with a line missing — here a phrase is placed on its line)

Type 8 (medium, FOR5-024, drawn). Here is a class's table from a skateboard investigation, with the last cell blank. What goes in the blank cell? — moved right and sped up / stayed still / moved left and sped up / moved right at a steady speed. (figure pp_table_skate; the blind text lists the three rows with "(blank)"; nearest: Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 6, the wagon table)

Type 9 (medium, SR5-002). A class tests whether a toy helicopter with longer blades falls more slowly. Which of these must stay the same? — the length of the blades / the height it is dropped from / the time it takes to fall / the day of the week. (nearest: Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 2, the boat's sail)

Type 10 (easy, SR5-003). A class wants to know how long a paper helicopter takes to reach the floor. How many times should the class drop it? — once / twice / three times or more / until the result matches the prediction. (nearest: Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 7, the paper planes, three options)

Type 11 (medium, SR5-003, drawn). Here is a class's table for a paper helicopter dropped from two heights, three runs each. From which height did the helicopter usually take longer to reach the floor? — 2 meters / 1 meter / both heights took the same time / the table cannot tell you. (figure pp_table_heli; nearest: Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 4, the truck on carpet and tile, two options)

Type 12 (medium, SR5-001). Before a test, a girl writes down what she expects the result to be. What is this called? — an observation / a prediction / a measurement / a fair test. (nearest: Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 9, the recall MCQ)

Type 13 (easy, FOR5-025). A class wants to design a force experiment. Which question asks how a force changes an object's motion? — Which hockey team has the most fans? / What color is the hockey puck? / Does a harder hit send a hockey puck farther? / How many pucks does the class own? (nearest: Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 1, the swing question, three options)

Type 14 (medium, FOR5-025). A boy tests whether a harder hit sends a hockey puck farther. What should he measure? — how far the puck slides from the starting spot, in meters / how many hits he takes in the whole test, in all / how long the rink is from end to end, in meters / how heavy the puck is on the kitchen scale, in grams. (nearest: Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 4, the magnet and the steel car)

Type 15 (medium, FOR5-025, drawn). Here is a class's table for a toy sailboat pushed across a tub by a small fan and a big fan, three runs each, after the class predicted the big fan would push the boat across faster. Was the prediction right? — yes / no / only on the first run / the table cannot tell you. (figure pp_table_boat; nearest: Lesson 5b (Design a force experiment: carry it out), question 4, the truck pushes)

Type 16 (hard, SR5-001). Cyrus is wrong to say that a prediction should be vague so that it can never be wrong. What is the correct reason? — A vague prediction takes too long to write. / Every prediction must turn out right. / A prediction that cannot be wrong teaches you nothing. / A prediction is only allowed to be one word long. Hard because: the belief (register SR5 SD-1) is judged by its correct reason. (nearest: Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 6, Desmond's claim as bare yes / no)

Type 17 (hard, SR5-002, typed). A class changes only how hard it blows a straw rocket, keeps everything else the same, and measures how far the rocket flies. What kind of test is this? Type its name. — accept: fair test, a fair test, the fair test, fairtest, fair-test, fair tests, a fair-test, fare test, fair tst. Hard because: the term is produced, not picked. (nearest: PR-12, the heavier toy boat)

Type 18 (hard, SR5-002). Delia is wrong to say that a test which changes two things at once tells you more. What is the correct reason? — Two changes take twice as long to make. / Nobody can tell what made the difference. / Only one thing can ever change in science. / A test with two changes needs two tables. Hard because: the fair-test rule is held against the "more changes, more learning" idea. (nearest: Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 10, the marble plan that changes two things)

Type 19 (hard, SR5-003, numeric, drawn). Look at the spoon-catapult table. How many centimeters farther did the cotton ball fly on the longest 'pulled back a lot' run than on the shortest 'pulled back a lot' run? Type the number. — accept: 12, 12 centimeters, 12 cm, twelve, twelve centimeters. Why: The longest run pulled back a lot was 150 centimeters. The shortest run pulled back a lot was 138 centimeters. 150 − 138 = 12, so the difference is 12 centimeters. Hard because: two readings are chained into a difference, with its unit. (figure pp_table_catapult; nearest: Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 6, the truck table's tile runs)

Type 20 (hard, SR5-003). Desmond is wrong to say that running a test more than once is only for people who made a mistake. What is the correct reason? — Careful tests still come out a little different each run. / Running a test twice takes less time than once. / A test only counts after the tenth run. / Mistakes never happen in science. Hard because: "careful tests still vary" is held against "mistakes". (nearest: Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 3, Cyrus's claim as bare yes / no)

Type 21 (hard, FOR5-025). A boy designs an experiment to find out whether a harder hit sends a hockey puck farther. He hits the puck once gently and once hard, and the hard hit goes farther. What should he do before he trusts his answer? — Hit the puck two more times at each strength. / Hit a different puck once at each strength. / Write down that the hard hit won. / Hit the puck harder still, once. Hard because: the design routine and the three-runs rule are chained on a half-finished run. (nearest: Lesson 5b (Design a force experiment: carry it out), question 1, how many times per push)

Type 22 (hard, FOR5-025). A class designs an experiment to find out whether a harder throw makes a beanbag slide farther across the gym floor. The class changes how hard it throws, keeps the same beanbag and floor and starting line, and throws three times at each strength. Which part of a force experiment is still missing? — a question / the one thing to change / what to keep the same / a prediction. Hard because: the whole plan is held in mind and checked part by part. (nearest: Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 7, Cyrus's drawn plan with its prediction missing)

Draw constraints (⟂) for the test builder

• PP-12, PP-13, PP-14 (the straw-rocket plan lines) ⟂ PP-23 (the straw-rocket plan board with "what we keep the same" missing) and PP-41 (typed "fair test" on the straw rocket): one straw-rocket item per form. Blind read, 8 Oct 2026: PP-23's drawing prints the "We change" and "We measure" lines that answer PP-12 and PP-13 — PP-23 ⟂ PP-12, PP-13 stands as a hard constraint; PP-12 / 13 / 14 share one scenario and one option set — draw one.
• PP-34 (which question to start with, the puck) ⟂ PP-17, PP-35, PP-47: their stems state PP-34's key.
• PP-30 (which height usually took longer) ⟂ PP-45 (the helicopter difference): the same drawn table.
• PP-33 (which arm setting usually flew farther) ⟂ PP-44 (the catapult difference): the same drawn table.
• PP-39 (was the sailboat prediction right) ⟂ PP-49 and PP-50 (the sailboat differences): the same drawn table; PP-49 ⟂ PP-50.
• PP-34 to PP-37 and PP-47 (the hockey-puck design run) share one scene: at most two per form.
• PP-16 (the tissue's three times) ⟂ PP-46 (Desmond's claim): PP-16's key states the reason PP-46 asks for.

Design-move inventory (one line per bank item: the move, the scene kind, the nearest earlier item by id)

PP-1 third pusher joins, skateboard (Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box)-vq1) · PP-2 third pusher joins, trash can (PP-1, draw one) · PP-3 still door: pushes equal (Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 1) · PP-4 still toy boat on strings: pulls equal (PP-3) · PP-5 the one thing changed, toy train on a track (Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 3) · PP-6 what to change next, swing seat (Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 9) · PP-7 moving book: pushes unequal (Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 8) · PP-8 checkable prediction, swinging weight (Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 7) · PP-9 checkable prediction, parachute (PP-8) · PP-10 can the test check: candle, yes (Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 1) · PP-11 can the test check: ice cubes, no (Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 2) · PP-12/13/14 place a phrase on its plan line, straw rocket (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 7) · PP-15 how many drops, helicopter (Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 7) · PP-16 why three times differ, tissue (Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 1) · PP-17 which question is about a force, puck (Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 1) · PP-18 blank cell, skateboard table (Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 6) · PP-19 reason a still canoe starts to move (Lesson 1 (Investigating unequal forces: two pulls on a box), question 8) · PP-20 what a wrong prediction taught, toy duck (Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 8) · PP-21 the term from its definition (Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 9) · PP-22 which sentence is a prediction, paper airplane (new form) · PP-23 missing plan line, straw-rocket board (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 7) · PP-24 what is wrong with a drawn plan, puck on ice and wood (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 10) · PP-25 what must stay the same, helicopter blades (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 2) · PP-26 what to measure, helicopter (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 3) · PP-27 the one thing to change, wet and dry sponge (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 1) · PP-28 is it fair, balloon rockets yes (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 4) · PP-29 is it fair, balloon rockets no (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 5) · PP-30 which usually took longer, helicopter table (Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 4) · PP-31 which runs to look at, cereal box (Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 5) · PP-32 reason one run cannot be trusted, wind-up toy (Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 2) · PP-33 which setting usually flew farther, catapult table (Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 4) · PP-34 which question to start with, puck (Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 1) · PP-35/36/37 change, same, measure for the puck experiment (Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 2/3/4) · PP-38 checkable prediction for a force test, fan and sailboat (Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 5) · PP-39 was the prediction right, sailboat table (Lesson 5b (Design a force experiment: carry it out), question 4) · PP-40 Cyrus's vague-prediction claim by correct reason (Lesson 2 (Say what you expect before you test), question 6) · PP-41/42 typed fair test, straw rocket and swinging weight (PR-12) · PP-43 Delia's two-changes claim by correct reason (Lesson 3 (How to plan the whole fair test), question 10) · PP-44/45 differences, catapult and helicopter tables (Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 6) · PP-46 Desmond's repeats claim by correct reason (Lesson 4 (Why you run a test more than once), question 3) · PP-47 what to do after one run each, puck (Lesson 5b (Design a force experiment: carry it out), question 1) · PP-48 what to write when the result contradicts the prediction, backpack (Lesson 5b (Design a force experiment: carry it out), question 6) · PP-49/50 differences, sailboat table (Lesson 5b (Design a force experiment: carry it out), question 5) · PP-51 missing part of a whole design, beanbag (Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 7) · PP-52 wrong part of a whole design, paper football (Lesson 5 (Design a force experiment: the plan), question 8).