What is a Force?
Science: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 5.1.1
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.
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.
Push your rubber
- Push your school rubber with your finger across your table.
- Your pushing force made it move.
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.
Test yourself on What is a Force?
Which of these will need less force from you?