Primary 6 Science Notes for

FORCES
1. What is a force?

 A force is a push or a pull that an object exerts on the other.

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  When we apply a force in the direction towards our body, it is a pull. When
we apply a force in the direction away from our body, it is a push.
 Forces help us a lot in our daily lives.

 Twisting and turning are a result of combination of pushing and pulling.

 Forces cannot be seen by their effects can be seen and felt. For example,
when a ball starts moving, we know that a force has been applied to it.

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2. Forces of Nature

 Forces of nature can be helpful to us. Wind can be used to drive windmills
while flowing water can turn waterwheels.

 Forces of nature can also be harmful.

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3. Simple Machines

 We use machines in our daily life to help us do work.

 A machine is a device that allows us to do work:
− With less effort (by converting a small force into a large force which acts
on a load)
− More conveniently (by changing the direction of the effort)
− More quickly (by moving a load over a longer distance than the effort)
 All machines are made up of one or more simple machines.
 Simple machines include levers, pulleys, wheels and axes, inclined planes
and gears.

LEVER

 A lever is a simple machine that consists of a rigid bar that moves about
a support known as the fulcrum.
 The load is the object that is to be moved. The effort is the force
applied on the lever.
 A lever can help us do work with less effort or in less time.

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  Our arms and legs are levers.
 The joints are the fulcrums.
 The muscles provide the effort to lift the load.

 For a lever to help us move a load with a smaller effort,

− The distance moved by the effort should be greater than the distance
moved by the load
− The distance between the effort and fulcrum should be greater than the
distance between the load and the fulcrum

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  To do this, we can:
− Move the fulcrum closer to the load, or
− Apply the effort further away from the fulcrum (by using a longer lever)

 For a lever to help us move a load in less time,

− The distance moved by the effort should be smaller than the distance
moved by the load
− More effort is required

 To do this, we can:
− Use a longer lever
− For example, a short broom clears the litter off the floor. A longer
broom can help us clear the litter in less time. The longer broom makes
the litter (load) travel a greater distance and the floor is swept faster.

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 PULLEY

 A pulley consists of wheel that is able to rotate freely about the its centre
and a rope that goes over the pulley. One end of the rope is tied to a load,
while an effort is applied at the other end. The wheel usually has a groove
on its edge to prevent the rope from slipping off.
 There are two types of pulleys:
− The fixed pulley
− The movable pulley

Fixed Pulley Movable Pulley

It is an immovable pulley attached to a It is attached to a load and moves with

support. it.
The effort is equal to the load. Thus it The effort is less than the load. Thus it
does not reduce effort. reduces effort.
It changes the direction of the effort. It does no change in the direction of the
effort.
Both the load and the effort move the The effort moves a greater distance
same distance. than the load.
Example: Used to lift a pails of cement Example: Used to pull a boat from the
from construction sites shore

 A system of pulleys has the advantage of both fixed and movable pulleys. A
downward force can be used to lift objects upwards (fixed pulley) and with
less effort (movable pulley).

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  Example: A crane can lift very heavy loads as it uses a pulley system that
consists of several fixed and movable pulleys.

WHEEL AND AXLE

 The wheel and axle consists of a large wheel that is joined to a rod
called the axle.

 We usually turn the wheel to move the axle.

 Since the wheel is usually bigger than the axle, the edge of the wheel
(where the effort is applied) moves through a greater distance than the
axle. As a result, a smaller effort at the wheel can overcome a greater
load at the axle.

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  Sometimes, the wheel may not be complete. However, the effort will
still make a complete circle, forming an imaginary wheel.

INCLINED PLANE

 An inclined plane is a slope surface that joins two different levels.

 When we used an inclined plane, we have to move the load over a greater
distance instead of just lifting it up vertically from the ground. By moving
the load over a greater distance, we use less effort.
 A ramp is an inclined plane. It allows objects to be easily wheeled from one
level to another level.
 There are also many things that make use of inclined planes but are not
very obvious to us.
Examples: Stairs and Screw

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 GEAR

 A gear is a wheel with teeth.

 Two gears connected together are called interlocking gears. When we

apply a force to turn a gear in a direction, the other gear turns in the
other direction. Therefore, gears can be used to change the direction of
the force.

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  When gears with different number of teeth are interlocked, their speeds
of rotation are different. When connected together, a small gear with
fewer teeth rotates faster than a bigger gear with more teeth.

 Two gears can also be connected by a chain. The two gears turn in the
same direction if they are connected in a chain.

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4. Working Together
 Most machines around us are made up of a combination of simple
machines.
 For example,
− An egg beater is made up of a wheel and axle and gears

− A fishing rod is made up of a lever and a wheel and axle

− A water tap is made up of a wheel and axle and an inclined plane

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5. Forces Around Us

 There are many different types of at work and in the world around us.
 Between objects in contact:
− Friction
− Elastic spring force
 Between objects at a distance:
− Magnetic force
− Gravity

6. Friction

 Exists between surfaces that are rubbing against each other

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  Opposes motion
− acts to reduce speed of a moving object
− acts in the direction opposite to the direction in which the object is
moving

 Produces heat
− when we rub our hands together for warmth, the friction between our
palms produces heat
− friction between two pieces of wood can produce enough heat to spark
a flame if they are rubbed together

 Is greater between rougher surfaces

 Produces more heat than friction between smoother surfaces

− easier to slip on a polished marble floor than a tiled floor
− easier to slip on wet surfaces than on dry surfaces

USES OF FRICTION

 Reduces slipping and sliding

− friction between soles of our shoes and ground allows us to walk and
run without falling
 Allows us to control movement
− friction between vehicle tires and roads allows vehicles to slow down
and come to a stop when brakes are applied
 Produces heat
− friction between the head of a match and the surface it is rubbed
against produces enough heat to light the match

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 PROBLEMS WITH FRICTION

 Causes wear and tear

− Soles of shoes wear out, causing person wearing them to not be able to
walk properly, slip or even fall
 Makes things overheat
 Makes objects move more slowly
− Machines work less efficiently

WAYS TO OVERCOME FRICTION

 Use lubricants like oil and grease on moving parts of machines

 Use rollers and wheels to move large objects
 Organisms that live in the air and water overcome friction with their
streamlined body shapes

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7. Elastic Spring Force

 Elastic objects change shape when a force acts on them but return to their
original shape when the force is removed.
Examples: Springs /Rubber bands

 When stretched or compressed, an elastic object exerts a force on the

object stretching or compressing it. This is force is known as the elastic
spring force.
− A stretched spring exerts elastic spring force on the weight that is
hung on it that elastic spring force causes the spring to return to its
original shape once the stretching force is removed

− A compressed spring exerts elastic spring force on the object

compressing it that elastic spring force causes the spring to return to
its original shape once the compressing force is removed

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  Springs are elastic
 They change shape when a force acts on them but return to their original
shape once the force is removed.
− Pulling on a spring causes it to stretch (spring gets longer)
− Pushing on a spring compresses it (spring gets shorter)
− Larger the force, the more stretched or compressed the string is

8. Gravity

 Force of attraction between things that have mass

 Depends on:
− mass of objects
− distance between objects

 Factors affecting gravity

− Mass
 Larger the mass objects, larger the gravitational force between
them
− Distance
 Greater the distance between objects, small the gravitational
force between them

 Object’s gravity refers to the force between the Earth and the object

 Earth has a very large mass, thus it exerts a very large gravitational pull
− this is why we fall down after jumping up
− without the gravitational pull of Earth, we would float away into
space after jumping up

 Objects further away from the Earth do not experience a very large
gravitational pull
− astronauts will float in space without being pulled back to Earth

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 WEIGHT

 Is the amount of gravitational force acting on an object

 Tells us how heavy an object is
− objects on Earth have weight due to the Earth’s gravitational pull
− objects with smaller mass has less weight than an object with larger
mass
 Weight depends on mass, but is not the same as mass

Weight Mass

Amount of gravitational force acting Amount of matter in an object

on an object

Force Not a force

Objects have different weights when
they are on the Earth, the moon and
other planets (force of gravity is
different on each planet/moon)
Objects will have the same mass
whether they are on the Earth, the
moon or other planets because mass
does not change when gravitational
force changes

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9. Magnetic Force

 Magnetic materials
− Are attracted by magnets
− Can be used to make magnets
Examples:
 Iron, Steel, Nickel, Cobalt

 Non-magnetic materials
− Are not attracted by magnets
− Cannot be made into magnets
Examples:
 Rubber, Wood, Plastic

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