A force is any push or pull on an object. When you push a shopping cart or pull a wagon, you are using force. Forces can make things start moving, stop moving, speed up, slow down, or change direction. You cannot see a force itself, but you can always see what it does to an object.
Have students push and pull everyday objects like toy cars, balls, and doors. Let them sort actions into "push" or "pull" categories, then explore what happens when they push harder or softer.
Every time you open a door, kick a soccer ball, or drag a backpack across the floor, you are using a force. A force is simply a push or a pull. Pushes move things away from you, and pulls bring things toward you. Forces are everywhere, even when you do not notice them.
Forces can do several things to an object. They can make something that is sitting still start to move, like when you push a swing. They can also make a moving object stop, like when a catcher's glove stops a baseball. Forces can speed things up, slow things down, or change the direction something is moving. A soccer ball changes direction every time a player kicks it.
You do not always need to touch something to put a force on it. A magnet can pull a paper clip without touching it. The wind can push leaves across a yard. Gravity pulls everything toward the ground without you feeling a hand on your shoulder. These are all forces, even though no one's hands are involved.
The strength of a force matters, too. A gentle push on a toy car makes it roll slowly, but a hard push sends it zooming across the room. The harder you push or pull, the bigger the force, and the bigger the change in motion you will see. Scientists measure forces to understand exactly how objects will move, but you can feel the difference between a big force and a small one every day just by paying attention.
This is a foundational topic with no prerequisites.
No prerequisites — this is a starting point.