Rocket tugs the handle of his loaded wagon. It will not budge. "Why is it stuck?" he groans.
Raven kneels by the wheels. "What do you notice?" she asks. "Is anything else pushing or pulling?"
Nova hovers over the wagon and blinks. "Look at both ends of the wagon," she says.
Rocket spots his little cousin, pulling the back of the wagon the other way!
A force is a push or a pull.
You push a door to open it. You pull a zipper to close it.
A force can make something start moving, stop, speed up, slow down or turn.
A force can also change the shape of something, like squeezing clay.
Every force has a size and a direction. A gentle tap is small. A hard kick is big.
| Action | Push or pull? | What changes? |
|---|---|---|
| Kicking a ball | push | It starts moving |
| Opening a drawer | pull | It slides out |
| Catching a ball | push | It stops |
| Squeezing clay | push | Its shape changes |
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| A force can make a ball start moving. | ? |
| A force can make a rolling ball stop. | ? |
| A force can never change the shape of something. | ? |
| Every force has a direction. | ? |
Look at a playground to find more forces.
You pull the chain of a swing to start it. You push a merry-go-round to spin it.
A force can also stop motion. Your hands push on a rolling ball to catch it.
Each force has a size. A soft push moves a swing a little. A big push moves it far.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Opening a drawer is a pull. | ? |
| A force can make something turn. | ? |
| A big push and a small push always do the same thing. | ? |
| Catching a ball uses a force. | ? |
Great work, force finder! Tomorrow we test what happens when two forces meet head on.