Push, Pull & Go
Upper Elementary · Physical Science · Forces & Motion
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A Prediction Experiment

Push, Pull
& Go

Every push and pull is a force. Today we will add and remove forces on a heavy box — and you will predict whether it moves, speeds up, or stops.

Before we start — think about pushing a heavy shopping trolley — what makes it speed up, slow down, or stop?

A force is a push or a pull

We draw every force as an arrow. The arrow points the way the force pushes or pulls, and a longer arrow means a stronger force.

Quick check, together: When you lift your backpack, is that a push or a pull? Which way does your force point?
Answer: A pull — you pull it up toward you.

Four forces act on the box

Gravity always pulls down; the ground pushes up to hold the box. A push can move it sideways, but friction rubs back against any sliding.

Quick check, together: Which force holds the box up off the ground? And which force tries to stop it from sliding?
Answer: The support force (the ground pushing up), which balances gravity.

Balanced or unbalanced?

Add up the arrows. If they cancel out, the forces are balanced and the motion does not change. If one side wins, there is a leftover net force — the forces are unbalanced and the motion changes.

Quick check, together: If the push and friction are the same size but point opposite ways, are the forces balanced or unbalanced? Will the motion change?
Answer: Balanced — they cancel out, so the motion does not change.

What did the box teach us?

Motion only changes when forces are unbalanced.