FORCE

What is a Force?

Everything on Earth is powered by forces, pushes and pulls which act on our bodies and the things
around us. Forces make things move and stop moving. Some of the forces we are subject to are gravity (which
keeps us on the Earth's surface), the centripetal force (the force that makes things move in circles)
and friction (the force which makes things stick or slide).

Simple machines work by turning small forces into larger ones, allowing us to perform tasks with more
strength or speed. Examples of simple machines are levers, gears, pulleys, wheels and screws.

How to Measure Force?

The unit of measure for force is the newton which is abbreviated as "N". 

Different types of Forces

There are many types of forces, some of which includes:

Gravity is the pulling force acting between the Earth and a falling
object, for example when you drop something. Gravity pulls objects to
the ground. Gravity also holds our universe together, moving the
planets in our solar system around the Sun.

Friction is a 'sticking' force – the resistance that a surface

or object encounters when moving over another surface or
object. Friction both stops and makes things move: it
causes things to stick and rub against each other, and also
causes slipping and sliding. Air resistance, water
resistance and surface resistance are kinds of friction.
 Air resistance is the force on an object moving through air, such as a plane moving
through the sky. Air resistance affects how fast or slowly objects move through the
air; some objects are more streamlined than others, which means the air pulls on them
less and they travel faster. A parachute uses air resistance to slow down descent to the
Earth.

Water resistance is the force on objects floating on or moving in water. 

Magnetic force is an invisible force created by electrons. Magnetic

force controls magnetism and electricity.

Mechanisms or simple machines are tools or

equipment such as pulleys, gears and levers. Simple
machines can be used to turn a small force into a
bigger force; this means we can use these machines
to accomplish things more easily. Examples of
simple machines are levers (which give us extra
pushing or pulling force and help us lift great
weights), gears (different-sized cogs which work
together and give a machine extra force or speed)
and pulleys (wheels and ropes used together to lift
heavy objects).
Answer the following questions.

1. What is a force?

a) A source of energy
b) A push or a pull
c) A magnet
d) A measurement

2. What are forces measured in?

a) Newton
b) Kilometers
c) Millimeters
d) Degree Celsius

3. Which of the following would you use when measuring force?

a) A ruler
b) A hygrometer
c) A force meter
d) A thermometer

4. Which of the following is not a force?

a) Electricity
b) Gravity
c) Upthrust
d) Friction

5. Forces can cause objects to change what?

a) Their speed
b) Their direction
c) Their shape
d) All of the above

6. If you roll a ball across the carpet, which forces will cause it to slow down and then stop?

a) The push from your hand and gravity

b) Magnetic pull and upthrust
c) Gravity, friction and air resistance
d) Upthrust and air resistance
7. In which direction does gravity exert force (as experienced by people or objects on Earth)?

a) Up
b) Down
c) Both up and down
d) Gravity can exert force in any direction

8. What causes a backpack full of books to feel heavy when you lift it?

a) Friction
b) Air resistance
c) Upthrust and friction
d) Mass and gravity

9. Which unit should be used to measure mass (the amount of matter of an object contains)?

a) Grams
b) Newton
c) Centimeters
d) Degree Celsius

10. Gravity and friction are two kinds of _____________.

a) Inertia
b) Forces
c) Masses
d) Gravity
11. What is a type of force that springs back with the same amount of force you applied against it?
a) Wheel and axle
b) Push and pull
c) Gravity and weight
d) Springs and elastics
12. Who was one of the first scientists to study gravity and force?
a) Thomas Edison
b) James Watt
c) Sir Isaac Newton
d) Albert Einstein
13. Friction happens when ______.
a) We rub things against each other
b) We turn on the lights
c) We put two things side by side
d) We put two things in a flat surface
14. It is a type of force.
a) Activism
b) Prism
c) Magnetism
d) Parasitism
15. The speed of an object as it moves in one direction is called _________.
a) Energy
b) Heat
c) Velocity
d) Mass