The Facts about Forces and Motion

Children's Literature

Forces make something move: slower, faster, direction, shape. Friction produces heat when two surfaces are rubbed together. Why does a leaf float to the ground and not plunge? Why do we streamline planes, trains, and automobiles? Even dolphins are streamlined so they can pass through the water's resistance. Gravity is a force and gives objects their weight. Will a large bowling ball and a small golf ball dropped off a building hit the ground at the same time? Sinking and floating: make a ball of silly putty and drop it into the water. Will is sink? Now, flatten it out—will it float? Yes to both, because of a force: water pushing up—displacement. Forces have two parts: size and direction. If an object is still, it does not mean there are no forces working on it. Forces are always in action; they just may be balanced. Forces are measured in newtons. Magnetism is another invisible force. And because the earth has an iron core, it acts like a magnet with a north and south pole making navigation by a magnetic compass possible. 2003, Franklin Watts, Ages 9 up.
—Sue Stefurak