PORTSMOUTH — Middle school students spent Friday morning watching classmates stick to a Velcro wall, teachers wrestle each other in sumo suits and witnessed their soon-to-be new principal get applesauce dumped on his head.

All in the name of science.

FMA Live! Forces in Motion, a physics lesson disguised as an interactive, hip-hop presentation invaded Portsmouth Middle School Friday morning, helping the students understand physics and get inspired to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

A who's who of state and city officials were present for the demonstration, including U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte, as well as members of the School Board and Superintendent Edward McDonough.

"We're not graduating enough New Hampshire students with STEM majors," Shaheen said. "We need to get more young people excited about engineering and science. So many new jobs require STEM skills, and for New Hampshire to stay competitive, we need more interest in those courses."

Ayotte echoed that sentiment, adding that more young female students shouldn't be hesitant about focusing on an interest in STEM studies.

"We need you," Ayotte said, addressing the crowded gymnasium full of students. "Someone in this forum is going to think of the next iPhone — or whatever we'll use instead of an iPhone. Someone in here will help create something that will save lives."

As the lights dimmed in the gymnasium, three energetic entertainers appeared on the stage, singing and dancing while also educating the group on Isaac Newton's three laws of motion. The trio — Erick Nathan, Sharmaine Tate and John James — used real-world comparisons and humorous video sketches of a characterized Newton to illustrate the three laws: inertia, force equals mass times acceleration and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

"By the end of the show, you'll know the three laws of motion and it'll help put your future into motion," Nathan said.

To illustrate inertia, the word for how an object either stays at rest or in motion unless acted upon by an outside source, the group had student volunteers, Andrew Kelly and Kerr Heidinger, put on Velcro suits and jump onto a wall, showing the action of the wall stopping their motion.

To demonstrate the second law, force equals mass times acceleration, middle school teachers Martin James and Will Mackelroy donned sumo suits, applying acceleration to accompany the mass of the suit in an attempt to knock the other teacher down. James was victorious in the best-of-three sumo match.

The finale of the demonstration involved illustrating all three laws of motion, with a slingshot contest, where when the winning team hit the target, applesauce covered Assistant Principal Phil Davis.

"It definitely makes science more interesting," said Isabelle Telford, an eighth-grade student at Portsmouth Middle School, who added that the students didn't know what the assembly was about. "It's nice to break out from the classroom for a little bit."

Eighth-grade student Ophelia Sandperil said the performance was attention-grabbing and had an entertaining finish.

"I liked seeing our vice principal get covered with applesauce," she said with a laugh.

A select number of schools host the nationally touring performance, and PMS was nominated by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard School Liaison Officer Kristen Ferullo.