What Are Forces?

What Are
Forces?

Poll

How are you today?

Any time two things interact with each other, a force is applied.

You may think that means one thing pushing another, but it can also mean one pulling another.

​A force is two things interacting with each other. They can PUSH each other away, or PULL each other closer together.

Categorize

Options (6)

We apply many forces in our daily lives. Identify whether each force is a push or a pull.

Push

Pull

Multiple Select

Which of these are examples of applying a force. Hint: There are two.

• Wondering whether it will rain this afternoon

• Looking through a telescope

• Dragging a sled over snow

• Kicking a balloon

• I'm not sure

​Forces can even happen without living things.

When an object is pushing or pulling another, we say the force is "being applied".

Multiple Choice

All forces are caused by living things.

• True

• False

• I'm not sure

What do forces do?

We can't see forces, but we can see their effects on objects. Without forces, nothing would begin moving, stop moving, change direction or change speed.

There are six effects that forces can have on an object. Forces can:

• Change the shape of an object

• Change the direction of an object

• Cause something to start moving

• Cause something to stop moving

• Speed up an already moving object

• Slow down an already moving object

Multiple Choice

A force acts when a tennis player hits a ball with a racquet.

What is the effect of the force.

• Stop the ball moving

• Start the ball moving

• Change the direction the ball is moving in

• I'm not sure