Rocket gives a toy car a tiny tap. It barely moves.
Then he gives it a big shove. It zooms across the floor and bumps the wall!
Raven picks it up. "What do you notice? Same car, different pushes."
Nova hovers low. "Forces have a size and a direction," she says. "Which one changed?"
Rocket writes "SIZE" in his shop notebook.
A force can be small or big.
A bigger force makes a bigger change in motion.
A gentle tap barely moves a toy car. A strong push sends it farther and faster.
Heavy things are harder to change.
The same push changes a light toy car more than a heavy wagon.
A force also points a certain way. That is its direction.
Scientists draw a force as an arrow.
The arrow points the way of the push or pull.
A longer arrow means a bigger force.
| Arrow | What it shows |
|---|---|
| short arrow pointing right | a small push to the right |
| long arrow pointing right | a big push to the right |
| long arrow pointing left | a big push to the left |
Great arrow thinking! Tomorrow we find out what happens when two forces push against each other.