Forces are the pushes and pulls that objects exert on each other.

We say that objects exert forces on other objects.

The speed of an object is how fast it is going.

The mass of an object can be thought of as the amount of material making up the object.

What forces do

Science

The different kinds of force

Measuring forces

Using force arrows

Balanced and unbalanced forces

Friction

Reducing friction: practical

Reducing friction: analysis

Energy

Transferring energy

In the Hidden forces unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn about turning forces, forces that hold objects on a surface, and those that make some objects float.

In primary science, pupils learnt that air resistance, water resistance and friction push back against moving objects. 

This unit focuses on quantifying and comparing energy transfers in different processes, such as motion changes, electrical circuits, and fuel burning. It examines forces as interactions between objects, using diagrams and measurements, including contact and non-contact forces.

Forces

Contact forces only act when objects are touching.

Friction is the force of one surface gripping or rubbing on another.

Objects moving through liquids and gases experience drag,  a force that acts against the object’s motion.

Non-contact forces can act with or without objects touching.

The size of a force is measured in units called newtons (N).

The size of a force can be measured with a newton meter.

A scale is a line on which different positions are marked.

Results are accurate if they are close to the true value of what is being measured.

A zero error is when a measuring device should read zero  but doesn’t.

A force arrow is an arrow drawn to represent a force acting.

The size of a force means its strength, this is represented by the length of a force arrow.

A force arrow must point in the same direction as the force it is representing.

Two forces of equal size acting in opposite directions on an object, are balanced. They fully cancel each other out so no change is caused.

Unbalanced forces do not fully cancel out.

The ‘force left over’ is called the resultant force.  Resultant forces cause changes in speed.

Friction is the force of one surface rubbing or gripping on another.

Rough surfaces are uneven or irregular, they are not smooth.

An irregularity is something different to what is expected.

If something is microscopic, it is so small you need a microscope to be able to see it.

A lubricant is a substance added between two surfaces to reduce friction.

Lubricants are substances added between two surfaces to reduce the friction between them.

In a fair test, only the variable being tested is changed, so any differences in results can only be due to that variable.

Anomalous results are ones that do not fit the pattern we see for other measurements.

A repeat measurement is when you make a measurement again to check the result.

A mean combines repeat measurements into a single result.

A variable is categoric if it comes in distinct, separate categories.

A variable is continuous if it can take any value, including decimals, on a scale of numbers.

A conclusion states what you found out in an experiment and explains how you know.

Objects that contain chemicals that can react, have a chemical store of energy.

Objects have a thermal store of energy because of their temperature.

Objects that are moving have a kinetic store of energy.

Objects that are raised up have a gravitational store of energy.

Objects that are stretched or squashed have an elastic store of energy.

A store of energy describes the different ways in which energy can be stored.

An object’s surroundings include everything that is around it.

An energy transfer takes place when the amount of energy in some stores decreases and increases in others.

Help using Oak

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Forces

Choose a lesson (10)