Science · Forces & motion
Pushes & pulls
Spot forces in action.
What are forces?
Forces are pushes and pulls. They make things move, stop, or change direction. You cannot see forces, but you can see what they do. When you kick a ball, your foot pushes it. When you open a door, your hand pulls it. Forces are everywhere around us every day.
Pushes move things away
A push is a force that moves something away from you. When you push a swing, it moves forward. When you push a toy car, it rolls away. Pushes can be strong or gentle. A strong push makes something move faster or further away.
Pulls bring things closer
A pull is a force that moves something towards you. When you pull a rope, it comes closer. When you pull open a drawer, it moves towards you. Gravity is a pulling force. It pulls everything down towards the ground. That is why things fall.
Spotting forces in action
Look for things that are moving, stopping, or changing direction. Something must be pushing or pulling to make that happen. A magnet pulls metal things towards it. Wind pushes leaves along the ground. Your muscles push and pull your bones to make you move.
Forces work in pairs
When you push against a wall, the wall pushes back on you. When you sit on a chair, you push down. The chair pushes up to hold you. Forces always work in pairs, pushing or pulling in opposite directions.
Worked examples
1. A girl is riding a scooter. She puts her foot on the ground. The scooter slows down and stops. What force is acting?
- The scooter was moving but then it stopped.
- The girl's foot pushed backwards against the ground.
- The ground pushed back on her foot, creating friction.
- Friction is a force that slows things down.
- The force acting is a push from friction between foot and ground.
2. A boy throws a stick for his dog. The stick flies through the air then falls to the ground. What forces are acting?
- First, the boy's hand pushed the stick forward to make it move.
- Then gravity pulled the stick downwards while it was in the air.
- Air resistance pushed against the stick, slowing it down a bit.
- Finally, the ground pushed up when the stick landed and stopped it.
- Three forces acted: push from hand, pull from gravity, push from ground.
3. A woman opens a fridge door. What force is she using?
- The door moves towards her when it opens.
- Things that move towards you are being pulled.
- Her hand grips the handle and pulls the door.
- The force she is using is a pull.
Try it yourself
A child is jumping on a trampoline. She goes up, then comes back down. Name two forces acting on her.
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