5.1.1

What is a Force?

Test yourself

What is a Force?

A force is something like a push or a pull or a twist that will make an object move, change direction or change shape.

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Forces acting on objects

  • Sometimes we can see when a force is acting on an object.
    • If an object is still and then starts to move, there is a force making it move.
    • If an object is moving and then stops, there is a force making it stop.
    • If an object is moving and gets faster or slows down, there is a force making it change speed.
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Push your rubber

  • Push your school rubber with your finger across your table.
    • Your pushing force made it move.
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Push your rubber 2

  • Now try to push your school rubber with your finger across the carpet.
    • You may notice it was a little harder to move.
      • There is more friction on the carpet.
      • Friction is a force that pushes the other way when something moves.

Jump to other topics

1Year 3: Plants

1.1Types of Plants

1.1.1Flowering & Non-flowering Plants

1.2Parts of a Plant

1.2.1Roots

1.2.2What do Roots do?

1.2.3Stem

1.2.4Leaves

1.2.5How Leaves Make Food

1.2.6Flowers

1.3Pollination

1.3.1Pollination

1.3.2Pollination by Insects

1.3.3Pollination by the Wind

1.4Seeds

1.4.1Types of Seeds

1.4.2Dispersing Seeds

2Year 3: Animals (Including Humans)

2.1Food

2.1.1The Need for Food

2.1.2Food Groups

2.1.3Carbohydrates

2.1.4Proteins

2.1.5Dairy

2.1.6Fruit & Vegetables

2.1.7Fats

2.1.8Junk Food

2.2Skeletons & Muscles

2.2.1Skeletons & Muscles

2.2.2Healthy Bones

3Year 3: Rocks

3.1Rocks on Earth

3.1.1Rocks

3.1.2Fossils

4Year 3: Light

4.1What is Light?

4.1.1Light as Energy

4.1.2Reflections

4.1.3Sunlight

4.1.4Shadows

5Year 3: Forces & Magnets

5.1Forces

5.1.1What is a Force?

5.1.2Contact & Non-Contact Forces

5.1.3Testing Magnetic Materials

5.1.4Attracting & Repelling Magnets

5.1.5Uses of Magnets

6Year 4: Living Things & Their Habitats

6.1Grouping Animals

6.1.1Biodiversity & Classification

6.1.2Grouping Animals

6.2Vertebrates

6.2.1Vertebrates

6.2.2Mammals

6.2.3Reptiles

6.2.4Fish

6.2.5Amphibians

6.2.6Birds

6.3Invertebrates

6.3.1Invertebrates

6.3.2Insects

6.3.3Spiders

6.3.4Slugs & Snails

6.3.5Worms

6.4Grouping Plants

6.4.1Grouping Plants

6.4.2Flowering Plants

6.4.3Non-Flowering Plants

6.5Classification Keys

6.5.1Classification Keys

6.6Environmental Change

6.6.1Positive Impact of Humans on the Environment

6.6.2Negative Impact of Humans: Deforestation

6.6.3Negative Impact of Humans: Litter

6.6.4Negative Impact of Humans: Overpopulation

7Year 4: Animals, Including Humans

7.1Teeth

7.1.1Why Do We Need Teeth?

7.1.2'Baby' Teeth

7.1.3Adult Teeth

7.1.4Incisors

7.1.5Canines

7.1.6Premolars

7.1.7Molars

7.2Digestion

7.2.1What is Digestion?

7.2.2The Digestive System - The Mouth

7.2.3The Digestive System - The Stomach

7.2.4The Digestive System - The Small Intestines

7.2.5The Digestive System - The Large Intestines

7.3Food Chains

7.3.1What are Food Chains?

7.3.2Producers, Predators & Prey

7.3.3Herbivores & Carnivores

8Year 4: States of Matter

8.1The 3 States of Matter

8.1.1States of Matter

8.1.2Changes of State

8.2The Water Cycle

8.2.1The Water Cycle

8.2.2Evaporation at Different Temperatures

9Year 4: Sound

9.1How Do I Hear?

9.1.1What is Sound?

9.1.2Sound Travels to Your Ear

9.2Pitch

9.2.1Pitch

9.3Volume

9.3.1Volume

9.3.2How Distance Affect Volume

10Year 4: Electricity

10.1Uses of Electricity

10.1.1What Uses Electricity?

10.2Conductors & Insulators

10.2.1Electrical Conductors

10.2.2Electrical Insulators

10.3Making Circuits

10.3.1What is a Circuit?

10.3.2Complete Circuits

10.3.3Electrical Safety

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Shadows

Contact & Non-Contact Forces