DIRECTIONS: A force is a push or a pull. Nothing starts, stops or turns without one.
You cannot see forces, only what they do.
Push or pull? Write push, pull, or both.
1.
opening a drawer
2.
kicking a ball
3.
a magnet picking up a paperclip
4.
closing a door
5.
pedaling a bicycle
6.
a zipper
7.
stretching a rubber band
8.
pressing a doorbell
Friction
Friction is the force that slows things down when two surfaces rub together. Rough surfaces make more friction than smooth ones.
Why is it harder to slide a book across carpet than across a wooden floor?
Name one time friction is useful and one time it is a nuisance.
A cyclist stops pedaling on a flat road. She slows down and stops. What forces slowed her?
TRY THIS AT HOME — the ramp test
Make a ramp from a baking tray and books. Roll a toy car down it, then again with a towel on the ramp. Measure each distance three times. Which has more friction?
Magnets and Gravity
Grade 3 · Science · Page 2 of 2
DIRECTIONS: Magnets and gravity pull without touching. Will a magnet attract each one? Predict first, then tick.
Object
What it is made of
My prediction
What happened
paperclip
steel
penny
copper and zinc
aluminum foil
aluminum
iron nail
iron
plastic spoon
plastic
scissors blade
steel
Look at your results. What do the objects a magnet does attract have in common?
Many people think magnets attract all metals. Your table shows that is wrong. Which rows prove it?
Gravity pulls everything towards the center of the Earth. If you drop a tennis ball and a marble at the same time from the same height, which lands first? Predict, then try it.
A feather really does fall more slowly than a marble. If gravity pulls them the same, what else must be acting on the feather?