What is Force? | Science for kids

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Imagine opening a door, pushing your chair away from the table, or even jumping into the air. All these movements happen because of an invisible force at work in every action we take. A force you can't see or touch, but you can always feel.

[00:00:22]Force is anything that causes a change in the motion of an object. It can change its speed, its direction, or even make it stop completely. Imagine a ball on the ground. If you leave it there, it won't move. Right? But if you push it with your hand, it rolls. What made it move? The force you applied. Force can be a push, like when you push a door to open it, or a pull, like when you pull a rope toward you. Both pushing and pulling are forms of force. But do all objects need the same amount of force to move? Yes, all objects need force to move. But sometimes they need a little and sometimes they need a lot. Think about riding a bicycle. You use your force to press the pedals. The wheels turn and the bike moves. And the more force you apply, the faster the bike goes.

[00:01:26]Does force always cause movement?

[00:01:29]Actually, no. Sometimes you use force, but the object doesn't move at all. For example, if you try to push a big wall, you are applying force, but the wall doesn't move. Why? Because its mass is too large, and your force isn't enough.

[00:01:48]Mass.

[00:01:50]The greater the mass, the more force you need to move an object. That's why it's easy to move a small book, but much harder to move a heavy table. Are there forces we cannot see, but still affect things? Yes. Like gravity, it pulls everything toward the earth. That's why when you throw a ball into the air, it falls back down. It's not magic. It's physics.

[00:02:19]Gravity is an invisible force. We don't see it, but we feel it all the time.

[00:02:25]Even now, you are sitting where you are because gravity is pulling you down. And what about forces that act when objects don't touch? These are called non-cont forces like gravity or magnetism. Have you ever brought a metal piece close to a magnet? It gets pulled toward it without touching. That's magnetic force.

[00:02:50]How do all these forces affect our everyday lives? Let's imagine a day without any force. You couldn't walk, eat, play, or even talk. Everything your body does depends on force. Even your heart uses force to pump blood. But can we increase or decrease the force we use? Yes, that's where simple machines come in. Levers, wheels, pulleys, ramps, all help us use force more efficiently.

[00:03:28]Quiz one. What is force? A. Something we can hold in our hands. B. Anything that changes an object's motion. C. Only something we can see.

[00:03:49]Good.

[00:03:51]Two. Which requires more force to move?

[00:03:55]A. A small book. B. A heavy table. C. A balloon.

[00:04:08]Great.

[00:04:10]Three. What kind of force pulls objects toward Earth? A magnetism.

[00:04:17]B. Gravity. C. Friction.

[00:04:27]Excellent thinking.

[00:04:29]Four. Which is a non-cont force? A.

[00:04:34]Pushing a chair. B. Pulling a rope. C.

[00:04:40]Magnetism attracting metal.

[00:04:48]You nailed it.

[00:04:50]Five. If you try to push a wall and it doesn't move, why? A. You used too much force. B. The wall's mass is too large for your force to move it. C. The wall is too smooth.

[00:05:14]Fantastic.

[00:05:16]You are all amazing science heroes. Keep exploring.