Pushes, pulls and invisible forces
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What you will learn
By the end, you can spot pushes and pulls, say what gravity and friction do, and explain how magnets pull without touching.
Ben pushes a toy car across the carpet. It stops after a short slide. He pushes it just as hard across the smooth kitchen floor and it zooms to the wall. Same car, same push. What was different?
Read the explanation
A force is a push or a pull. Forces start things moving, speed them up, slow them down or change their shape. A kick needs touching. Gravity and magnets pull from a distance.
- Rough surfaces make more friction than smooth ones.
- Magnets can attract (pull) or repel (push) each other.
- A lever, like a seesaw, lets a small push move a heavy load.