Pushes and pulls
Physics · Early Years · The School
Two ways to move things
You PUSH a door shut. You PULL it open. You push a swing away. You pull a wagon along. Go round the room. Say push or pull for ten things you do. Some are both. Opening a drawer is a pull. Closing it is a push.
Bigger push, further it goes
Roll a ball gently. Now roll it harder. The harder push sends it further. It sends it faster too. Try three sizes of push. Put a marker where the ball stops each time. That row of markers is your first experiment result.
Things stop
A rolling ball does not roll forever. The floor slows it down. Roll the same ball on carpet. Then roll it on a smooth floor. See which one goes further. Something is working against the ball. You can feel it if you rub your hands together.
Roll a ball along the floor with a gentle push. Put a marker where it stops. Roll it again, a bit harder. New marker, further away. Now roll it as hard as you can. Third marker, furthest of all. Line up the three markers. Now you have a result. Bigger push, further roll. That row of markers is a real experiment. It is the same one physicists do, with much better equipment.