Pushes, pulls and motion
Look around your classroom. A door swings, a ball rolls, a drawer slides and a chair moves. Anything that is moving is in motion, and something has to make it move. That something is a force. We call a push or a pull a force. When you kick a ball, you push it away. When you open a drawer, you pull it towards you. A force can start a motion, stop a motion, make something go faster or slower, or change its direction. A goalkeeper’s hands stop a ball. A bat sends a ball back the other way. A bigger force makes a bigger change: a hard kick sends a ball farther than a gentle kick. Gravity is a force too. It pulls things down, so a toy that slips from your hand moves downwards. When a box slides over a rug, the rubbing between them slows it down until it stops.
| Motion | Push or pull | What makes it move |
|---|---|---|
| A drawer slides open | pull | a hand on the handle |
| A football flies | push | a kick |
| A rope moves | pull | two teams in tug of war |
Hunt for forces. With a partner, walk (do not run) round your classroom and yard. Find five things that move. Fill in a table with three columns: Motion, Push or pull, and What makes it move. Then each of you writes your own meaning of the word force in one sentence. Read the class meaning on the board, compare, and add to yours if something is missing. Be careful with doors and drawers, and never throw anything at a person.