Pushes and pulls — Physics, 7–10
A push or a pull can start, stop, speed up, slow down or turn something. Physics, 7–10 years.
What a force can do
A force is a push or a pull. It can change an object's movement: a kick starts a ball, a hand stops it, and a steering wheel turns a bicycle. A bigger push usually changes the movement more.
Why we use this idea
People needed a simple way to explain why things move differently. A gentle push will not send a box as far as a strong push, and a sideways push changes its path. Thinking about forces helps us predict what will happen.
A toy car
Place a toy car at a starting line. Push it gently: it travels 40 centimetres. Push it from the same line more strongly: it travels 90 centimetres. The surface and car stayed the same, so the larger push gave a larger change in movement.
The common mix-up
It is easy to think that a moving object must have a force pushing it forwards all the time. That seems reasonable because pushing starts the motion. But after the push ends, the car can keep moving; friction then slows it down, and other forces may change its path.
In everyday life
You use pushes and pulls when opening a drawer, kicking a football, pedalling or turning a tap. Engineers use the same idea when designing brakes, lifts and playground swings. They ask which force is needed and in which direction.
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