Forces & Motion Fundamentals
📋 What it is
A force is a push or pull; forces make things start, stop, speed up, slow down, or change direction.
🗣️ Coach says
A FORCE is simply a push or a pull, and forces are what change motion. An object stays still or keeps moving steadily unless a force acts on it. Push harder and it speeds up more; forces can also slow things (friction) or turn them. Understanding forces is the foundation under every machine.
🧠 Memory hook
Force = a push/pull. Forces START, STOP, speed up, slow, or turn things. No force change → motion stays the same.
😂 Giggle
Friction is the worst party guest — it's always slowing things down.
😲 Whoa!
In the emptiness of space, with almost no friction, a gentle push keeps a spacecraft coasting for billions of kilometres — no engine needed once it’s moving.
✅ Quick check: What does a force do to an object’s motion?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
It changes it — starting, stopping, speeding up, slowing down, or turning the object.
Forces change motion (Newton’s idea).
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Push a toy car gently, then harder — more force means it speeds up more. Then let friction stop it.