ForceWhat is a force?

MoE-aligned sample unit. Interactive practice for Ghana SHS Integrated Science themes (curriculumresources.edu.gh).

A force is a push or a pull. Forces can start motion, stop motion, speed things up, slow them down, or change direction.

Guiding question: When you kick a football, what does the force from your foot change — speed, direction, or both?

Everyday forces

Common forces you already know:

• Gravitational force — pulls objects toward Earth (weight).
• Contact / applied force — when you push a desk or pull a door.
• Friction — opposes sliding between surfaces.
• Tension — in a rope or string when it is pulled tight.

Try this mentally: A book rests on a table. Gravity pulls it down. Why doesn’t it fall through the table? The table pushes up with a normal force. When forces balance, the book stays still.

Sort the situations

Drag each situation into Balanced forces or Unbalanced forces.

Balanced → no change in motion. Unbalanced → motion changes.