Contents
Year 31 · Forces in Everyday Life
KO

Year 3 · first unit

Forces in Everyday Life

Opening a door, pulling a cart, riding a seesaw. We use forces all day long.

Two children on a playground seesaw

Push a box across the floor

A board to adjust

What happens if you push gently? And if you push hard?

A child pushing a big box across the floor with both hands
Board A · push or pull the box and it moves

On the seesaw with a friend

A board to adjust

What happens if my friend is heavier than me?

Two friends on a seesaw, with the heavier side down
Board B · move a weight and it tips. No numbers here

The jar will not open

A board to arrange

What shall we open it with?

A child straining to open a jar
Board C · drag the right tool for the job

From here the same boards have numbers on them

What comes next in middle school · forces and motion

The same seesaw, now with numbers

The seesaw you handled above is still here. The weights and their places just have numbers on them now.

Two weights on a seesaw marked with a scale

It is the seesaw you rode above

A board to adjust

This time there are numbers. Multiply the weight by its place.

30 g · 3 along 10 g · 9 along Board B′ · the same sum as above, with the numbers shown
90left · 30 × 3
90right · 10 × 9
30 × 3 = 10 × 9, so it is level

Back up to the basics