Push It, Pull It: The World of Forces

Think about this: you are sitting still, and suddenly a football rolls towards you. What do you do? You kick it — you push it away. Now imagine a dog pulling on its lead, trying to reach a puddle. Both of you are using a force, but in different directions. Forces are happening around you all day long. Can you think of three things you have pushed or pulled today before breakfast?

A force is a push or a pull. You cannot see a force, but you can see what it does. Forces can make objects start moving, stop moving, speed up, slow down, or change direction. Every time something moves — or stops moving — a force is involved. A PUSH moves an object away from you. When you press a lift button, you push it. When you close a door, you push it shut. A PULL brings an object towards you. When you open a drawer, you pull it. When you use a magnet to pick up a paper clip, the magnet pulls the clip towards it. Forces always have a direction. An arrow is a great way to show a force — the arrow points the way the force is acting. A push arrow points away from your hand. A pull arrow points towards you. Here is a real-world example you can try right now: Press your palms flat on your desk. That pressing feeling is a PUSH force. Now hook your fingers under the edge of the desk and lift slightly. That is a PULL force. Same desk, two different forces!