Force

Forces are pushes or pulls. They are measured in newtons.

Unbalanced forces change the way something is moving.

The mass of an object is how much matter it contains. The weight of an object is the force caused by gravity pulling down on the mass.

The force that makes things fall to the ground on Earth (and other planets) is called gravity.

Gravity also holds Earth and the other planets in their orbits around the Sun.

The force of gravity also exists on the Moon but it is not as strong as it is on Earth. This is because the Moon is much smaller than our planet.

The mass of an object is how much matter it contains. It is measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg) but is NOT a force.

The weight of an object is the force caused by gravity pulling down on the mass of an object. It is measured in newtons (N).

Measuring weight

Weight is measured using a forcemeter. The bigger the weight attached to the forcemeter, the more the spring inside the forcemeter stretches.

Forces are just pushes and pulls in a particular direction.

Forces are shown by arrows in diagrams. The direction of the arrow shows the direction in which the force is acting. The bigger the arrow, the bigger the force.

If two forces are balanced, it means the forces are the same size but are acting in opposite directions.

Balanced forces do not change motion

If two balanced forces are acting on an object, that object will not change its motion.

• If it is still, it will stay still.
• If it is moving, it will continue moving, in the same direction and at the same speed.

Here are games for force :) 

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