Forces Vocabulary
Name and describe forces using precise vocabulary — force, push, pull, twist, stretch, squash, contact force, non-contact force, gravity, weight, friction, air resistance, upthrust — and distinguish between forces that require physical contact and forces that act at a distance
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“If your child slides down a slide and slows near the bottom, can they name the force responsible and spell it correctly?”
Full guide and materials
- Activity. Name and describe forces using precise vocabulary — force, push, pull, twist, stretch, squash, contact force, non-contact force, gravity, weight, friction, air resistance, upthrust — and distinguish between forces that require physical contact and forces that act at a distance
What to notice. Correctly name the force acting in at least five given scenarios (e.g. 'friction slows the sledge', 'gravity pulls the apple') • Distinguish between contact forces (friction, upthrust) and non-contact forces (gravity, magnetism) using the correct terms • Use 'weight' correctly as a force — distinct from 'mass' — in descriptions
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If your child slides down a slide and slows near the bottom, can they name the force responsible and spell it correctly?
Name and describe forces using precise vocabulary — force, push, pull, twist, stretch, squash, contact force, non-contact force, gravity, weight, friction, air resistance, upthrust — and distinguish between forces that require physical contact and forces that act at a distance
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Check understanding
- Correctly name the force acting in at least five given scenarios (e.g. 'friction slows the sledge', 'gravity pulls the apple')
- Distinguish between contact forces (friction, upthrust) and non-contact forces (gravity, magnetism) using the correct terms
- Use 'weight' correctly as a force — distinct from 'mass' — in descriptions
“If your child slides down a slide and slows near the bottom, can they name the force responsible and spell it correctly?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Language
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Forces & Motion
- Age range
- Ages 5–8