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Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 6 Science★ 6-10 marks in the TN Class 6 Term 1 exam through book-back MCQs, true/false and short answers

Force and Motion

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Science — Term 1 Chapter 2, Force and Motion. The effects of force, contact and non-contact forces, the types of motion (rectilinear, circular, rotational, oscillatory/periodic), uniform and non-uniform motion, and speed (= distance ÷ time), with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.

⏱ 14 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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The chapter at a glance

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Study Guide

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Key points, glossary and the questions most likely to show up.

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Define force and its effects
2Differentiate contact and non-contact forces
3Identify the types of motion
4Differentiate uniform and non-uniform motion
5Apply the speed formula

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Why this chapter matters

Force and Motion explains how things move and what makes them move — the basis of physics. Contact/non-contact forces, types of motion and the speed formula are directly tested book-back content in the TN Class 6 Term 1 exam.

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Class 5 — Motion

Moving objects.

Force and Motion — Class 6 Science (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 6 Science, Term 1 — Chapter 2. Forces, types of motion and speed.

1. About this chapter

This chapter covers force and its effects, contact and non-contact forces, the types of motion, uniform and non-uniform motion, and speed.

2. Force and its types

A force is a push or a pull. It can move a body, stop it, change its speed, direction or shape.
Contact force: applied by touching the body — e.g. kicking a football, muscular force, friction.
Non-contact force: applied without touching — e.g. gravitational force, magnetic force, electrostatic force.

3. Types of motion

Type	Description / example
Rectilinear	motion in a straight line — a bike on a straight road
Circular	motion along a circle — a stone tied to a string
Rotational	spinning about an axis — a potter's wheel
Oscillatory (vibratory)	to-and-fro motion — a vibrating string, a pendulum

Oscillatory and vibratory motions are periodic (they repeat at regular intervals).

4. Uniform motion and speed

In uniform motion, an object covers equal distances in equal intervals of time; in non-uniform motion the speed varies.
Speed = distance ÷ time; its unit is metre/second (m/s).

5. Worked examples

Example 1. Give the formula for speed. Speed = distance ÷ time.

Example 2. What type of force is gravity? A non-contact force.

Example 3. What kind of motion is a potter's wheel? Rotational motion.

6. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)

I. Choose the correct answer

The unit of speed is — (a) m / (b) m/s. Ans: (b) m/s.
An oscillatory motion is — (a) a moving car / (b) the to-and-fro movement of a vibrating string. Ans: (b).
The correct relation is — (a) speed = time ÷ distance / (b) speed = distance ÷ time. Ans: (b).

II. Fill in the blanks 4. A bike moving on a straight road is an example of rectilinear motion. 5. Gravitational force is a non-contact force. 6. The motion of a potter's wheel is an example of rotational motion. 7. When an object covers equal distances in equal intervals of time, it is in uniform motion.

III. True or False 8. To-and-fro motion is called oscillatory motion. — True. 9. Vibratory motion and rotatory motion are periodic motions. — False (vibratory and oscillatory motions are periodic). 10. Vehicles moving with varying speeds are in uniform motion. — False (they are in non-uniform motion).

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Calling gravity a contact force. Fix: Gravity acts without touching — it is a non-contact force.
Mistake: Confusing uniform and non-uniform motion. Fix: Uniform = equal distances in equal times; non-uniform = varying speed.
Mistake: Writing speed = time ÷ distance. Fix: Speed = distance ÷ time (unit m/s).

8. Quick revision

Term 1 · Ch 2 · force and motion.
Force = push/pull; contact (kicking) vs non-contact (gravity, magnetism).
Motion types: rectilinear (straight), circular, rotational (potter's wheel), oscillatory (vibrating string, periodic).
Uniform = equal distances in equal times; speed = distance ÷ time (m/s).

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Force

a push or a pull

Changes motion/shape.

Force types

contact (touch) vs non-contact (no touch)

Kicking vs gravity.

Motion types

rectilinear, circular, rotational, oscillatory

Oscillatory is periodic.

Speed

speed = distance ÷ time (m/s)

Uniform = equal distances in equal times.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Calling gravity a contact force

✓ Gravity acts without touching — it is a non-contact force.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing uniform and non-uniform motion

✓ Uniform = equal distances in equal times; non-uniform = varying speed.

WATCH OUT

✗ Writing speed = time ÷ distance

✓ Speed = distance ÷ time (unit m/s).

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Choose the correct answer

Book-back MCQs on the speed unit, oscillatory motion and the speed relation.

Questions

Fill in the blanks

Rectilinear motion, gravity, the potter's wheel and uniform motion.

Questions

True or False

Oscillatory motion, periodic motion and non-uniform motion.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· MCQ

The unit of speed is ____.

▶ Show solution

metre/second (m/s).

Q2EASY· Fill in the blanks

A bike moving on a straight road is an example of ____ motion.

▶ Show solution

rectilinear.

Q3EASY· Fill in the blanks

Gravitational force is a ____ force.

▶ Show solution

non-contact.

Q4EASY· True/False

True or False: Vehicles moving with varying speeds are in uniform motion.

▶ Show solution

False — they are in non-uniform motion.

Q5EASY· Fill in the blanks

The motion of a potter's wheel is an example of ____ motion.

▶ Show solution

rotational.

Q6MEDIUM· Answer briefly

Differentiate contact and non-contact forces with an example each.

▶ Show solution

A contact force is applied by touching the body (e.g. kicking a football), while a non-contact force acts without touching it (e.g. gravitational force).

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Term 1 Chapter 2 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 6 Science.
•A force is a push or a pull that can change motion, direction or shape.
•Contact forces act by touching (kicking); non-contact forces act without touching (gravity, magnetism).
•Motion types: rectilinear (straight), circular, rotational (potter's wheel), oscillatory (vibrating string).
•Oscillatory and vibratory motions are periodic; uniform motion covers equal distances in equal times.
•Speed = distance ÷ time, measured in metre/second (m/s).

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 6-10 marks across book-back MCQ, true/false and short answers

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
MCQ / Fill	1	4-6	Forces, motion types, speed
True / False	1	1-2	Periodic and uniform motion
Short Answer	2	1	Contact vs non-contact force

Prep strategy

Classify forces as contact or non-contact
Match each motion type to an example
Remember speed = distance ÷ time
Separate uniform and non-uniform motion

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Transport

Vehicles use forces to start, stop and turn.

Sports

Kicking, throwing and hitting all involve forces.

Machines

Wheels and pendulums show rotational and oscillatory motion.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Classify each force as contact or non-contact
Give an example for each motion type
Quote speed = distance ÷ time
Correct false statements precisely

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

A car covers 60 m in 4 s. Find its speed.
Classify the motion of a swing, a fan and a sliding drawer.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 6 Term 1 ExamHigh

NMMS / Foundation ScienceMedium

School unit testsHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

A contact force needs the objects to touch — like kicking a ball or pushing a box — while a non-contact force acts from a distance without touching, such as gravity pulling things down or a magnet attracting iron.

In uniform motion an object covers equal distances in equal intervals of time (steady speed), while in non-uniform motion the distances covered in equal times differ, so the speed changes.

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