Pushes and pulls — Physics, 4–6
A push or a pull can make something move, stop, or change direction. Children can discover this by moving familiar objects with their hands.
What a push or pull does
When you push a toy car, it moves away from your hand. When you pull a drawer, it comes towards you. A push or a pull can also make something stop or turn, depending on where and how you touch it.
Why we notice them
People first noticed pushes and pulls because objects did not move by themselves in the way they wanted. A door needed a push, and a basket needed a pull. Naming these actions helps us explain how we move, open, stop, and turn things.
Move a toy car
Put a toy car on the floor and mark its starting place with a block. Give it one gentle push: it rolls away and stops. Put your hand in front of it and push back gently; the car stops, then moves in the other direction if you keep pushing.
A push is not always forward
It is easy to think that every push makes an object go forwards. But the result depends on where your hand is and which way it presses. Push the side of a ball and it may roll away while turning, because the push is not straight at its centre.
Opening and moving things
You use pushes and pulls all day: pushing a swing, pulling on a zip, opening a cupboard, or kicking a ball. Handles, wheels, and levers are made to help your push or pull do a useful job. Notice which way each object moves.
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