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A comparative lesson helping students distinguish between the two types of forces.
Have you ever wondered why some toys move away from you while others come closer when you touch them? It's all because of two secret superpowers called forces!
A push is a force that moves an object away from you. Think about when you close a heavy door. You use your muscles to move the door further from your body. In science, we can think of a force () as the energy used to move something. When you push, the object goes in the direction you are facing. If you push a toy car on the floor, it zooms across the room, getting further and further away from your hand!
1. Place a toy car in front of you. 2. Put your hand behind the car. 3. Give it a quick shove. 4. Watch the car move away from you. This is a push!
Quick Check
If you move a chair away from the table to sit down, are you pushing it or pulling it?
Answer
You are pulling it (because it is coming toward you), but if you tuck it back in, you are pushing it!
A pull is the opposite of a push. A pull is a force that moves an object closer to you. Imagine you are wearing a backpack. To put it on, you have to grab the straps and bring them toward your shoulders. That is a pull! When you pull a wagon, you are using force to make the wagon follow you. If we use the letter for Pull, we can say brings things to us!
1. Imagine a sled sitting in the snow behind you. 2. You grab the rope attached to the front. 3. You walk forward, tugging the rope. 4. The sled moves toward your back. This is a pull!
Quick Check
When you open a drawer to get your socks, is that a push or a pull?
Answer
It is a pull because the drawer moves toward your body.
Sometimes, we use both pushes and pulls to get a job done! Think about a playground swing. To get a friend started, you push them away. When they come back toward you, you might grab the seat and pull it to get a better grip before pushing again. Another example is using a saw to cut wood: you move it away (push) and then bring it back (pull). This back-and-forth motion uses both forces to create a lot of energy!
1. Stand behind a swing. 2. Push the swing forward (Force moves away). 3. Wait for the swing to return. 4. Catch the swing and pull it slightly toward you to gain momentum. 5. Push again! You have used both forces to make the swing go high.
Which force moves an object away from your body?
If you are flying a kite and you tug on the string to bring it down, what force are you using?
You can use both a push and a pull when playing on a swing.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, when you open the door to leave your house, ask yourself: 'Did I just push this or pull it?'
Practice Activity
Go on a 'Force Hunt' around your house. Find 3 things you push (like a light switch) and 3 things you pull (like a zipper).