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WorksheetYear 5Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 5 Contact and Non-Contact Forces Worksheet

Students learn that some forces act only when objects touch (pushes, pulls, friction) while others act from a distance (gravity, magnetism, static electricity), classify everyday examples, and investigate how far a magnet's pull can reach.

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Year
Year 5
Subject
Science
Topic
Forces & Motion
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
30 minutes
Curriculum
New Zealand Curriculum
Questions
16
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practise

  • distinguishing contact and non-contact forces
  • classifying everyday forces
  • describing gravity, magnetism and static electricity
  • planning and interpreting an investigation

Curriculum: New Zealand Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Contact and Non-Contact Forces

  1. 1Simple Machines: Levers, Ramps and Wheels

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 5 students (typically ages 9–10) working on forces & motion. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 30 minutes for 16 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Simple Machines: Levers, Ramps and Wheels.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 5 · Science · Forces & Motion

Contact and Non-Contact Forces

Name

Date

Score /

Ask: do the objects need to touch for the force to work?

Part A: Touching or not?

Read the passage. Then circle the best answer.

A force is a push or a pull. Some forces only work when objects touch. These are contact forces. Kicking, throwing, squeezing and friction are contact forces.

Other forces can act from a distance, without touching. These are non-contact forces.

Gravity pulls everything towards the Earth. Magnetism lets magnets attract (pull) or repel (push) other magnets and attract things made of iron or steel. Static electricity happens when some objects are rubbed together: a rubbed balloon can attract your hair or bits of paper.

Non-contact forces usually get weaker as objects move further apart.

1.Which is a non-contact force?
  1. Akicking a ball
  2. Bfriction on a slide
  3. Ca magnet pulling a paperclip from a distance
  4. Dpushing a door
2.Which is a contact force?
  1. Agravity pulling an apple down
  2. Bfriction slowing a sliding book
  3. Ca magnet repelling another magnet
  4. Da charged balloon lifting hair
3.What force makes a dropped ball fall to the ground?
  1. Afriction
  2. Bmagnetism
  3. Cgravity
  4. Dair resistance
4.A balloon rubbed on your hair can pick up small pieces of paper. Which force is this?
  1. Astatic electricity
  2. Bgravity
  3. Cfriction
  4. Da push
5.Which materials does a magnet attract?
  1. Aall metals
  2. Bsome metals, such as iron and steel
  3. Cwood and plastic
  4. Dglass

Part B: Sort the forces

6.Sort each example: contact or non-contact force?
  • a fridge magnet holding up a note
  • hitting a ball with a bat
  • a skydiver falling towards the ground
  • brakes slowing a bike
  • non-contact
  • contact
  • non-contact
  • contact
7.A force that acts without touching is called a (answer space) force.
8.Two magnets that push each other away (answer space) each other.
9.Why does a magnet not pick up an aluminium drink can? (answer space)

Part C: True or false?

Write True or False.

10.Gravity only acts on things that touch the ground. ☐ True   ☐ False
11.Friction is a contact force. ☐ True   ☐ False
12.Magnets attract all metals. ☐ True   ☐ False
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring Science Team
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.