Science · Unit 7

Forces and Movement

Pushes, pulls and how things move

A force is a push or a pull, and this unit is about what happens when one acts and what happens when two act against each other.

It covers friction, gravity, magnetism, and floating and sinking - four apparently unrelated topics that are all really about forces balancing or failing to.

This unit breaks down into 22 short steps and 129 questions, starting at difficulty 1 and building to 3. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps: 22
Questions: 129
Difficulty: 1-3

What this unit covers

Pushes and Pulls
Friction
Floating and Sinking
Magnets
Gravity Pulls Down

Where this fits

Sits with Energy All Around. Physics's Pushes and Pulls and Forces and Newton's Laws continue it.

Where people slip

An object sitting still is not force-free. A book on a table has gravity pulling it down and the table pushing back exactly as hard; the forces cancel, they do not vanish.

How the unit is structured

Forces and Movement runs as 22 short steps that unlock in order. 16 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 1 and climb to 3 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 22 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 129 in the unit altogether.

Floating and Sinking

Fill the blankLevel 1
1. When you push a beach ball under water, the water pushes it back ____.
- upcorrect
- down
- sideways
- away forever
Water pushes up on objects, so the beach ball pops back to the surface.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
2. Which objects usually float in water? Pick all that apply.
- A corkcorrect
- A wooden logcorrect
- A rubber duckcorrect
- A steel nail
Light, air-filled, or wooden objects tend to float, while a steel nail sinks.
Fact or fibLevel 2
3. Every heavy object always sinks and every light object always floats.
Answer: False
Shape matters too, which is why a heavy steel ship can still float.
Match the pairsLevel 2
4. Match each thing to why it floats or sinks.
Answer: Beach ball = Full of air; Solid metal ball = Heavy and dense; Wooden raft = Wood floats; Life jacket = Traps air to lift you
Objects float when they are light for their size or hold air, and sink when they are heavy and dense.
Multiple choiceLevel 2
5. When you place a cork on water, the water pushes up on it. What does this upward push do?
- Helps the cork floatcorrect
- Makes the cork sink
- Turns the cork into metal
- Makes the water freeze
Water pushes up on objects, and if that push is strong enough the object floats.
Guess the numberLevel 3
6. A floating toy weighs 6 N, and the water pushes up on it with 6 N. What is the total up-or-down force left on the toy?
Answer: 0 N
When the upward push equals the weight, the forces balance to zero and the toy floats still.

Friction

Fill the blankLevel 1
7. Ice is slippery because it has very little ____.
- frictioncorrect
- gravity
- light
- air
With little friction, your feet slide easily on ice.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
8. A ball rolls across the grass and slowly stops. What force stopped it?
- Frictioncorrect
- Magnetism
- A pull from the sky
- Sound
Friction between the ball and the grass slows it down until it stops.
Fact or fibLevel 2
9. Rubbing your hands together quickly makes them feel warmer.
Answer: True
Friction between your hands turns movement into a little bit of heat.
Match the pairsLevel 2
10. Match each object to how it works with friction.
Answer: Bike brakes = Grip the wheel to stop it; Ice skate blade = Slides smoothly on ice; Hiking boot sole = Grips the trail; Playground slide = Smooth so you slide down
Some tools add friction to grip, while others reduce it so things slide.
Odd one outLevel 2
11. Which of these would NOT help something slide more easily?
- Sprinkling sand on itcorrect
- Adding oil
- Waxing it
- Wetting a slide
Sand adds friction and makes sliding harder, while oil, wax, and water reduce friction.
Sort into groupsLevel 2
12. Sort each surface by how much friction it has.
Answer: Sandpaper = More friction; Smooth ice = Less friction; Rough brick = More friction; Oily floor = Less friction; Rubber mat = More friction
Rough or grippy surfaces have more friction; smooth or slippery ones have less.

Gravity Pulls Down

Build the sentenceLevel 1
13. Build a sentence about what gravity does.
Answer: Gravity pulls everything down toward Earth
Gravity pulls all objects down toward the Earth.
Fact or fibLevel 1
14. If you throw a ball straight up, gravity will bring it back down.
Answer: True
Gravity pulls the ball back down after it slows and stops rising.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
15. What force pulls a dropped apple straight down to the ground?
- Gravitycorrect
- Friction
- Magnetism
- A push from the air
Gravity is the force that pulls objects down toward the Earth.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
16. Which of these happen because of gravity? Pick all that apply.
- Rain falls from clouds to the groundcorrect
- A dropped cup falls and breakscorrect
- Water flows down a hillcorrect
- A magnet sticks to a fridge
Gravity pulls objects and water down; the magnet sticks because of magnetism, not gravity.
Fill the blankLevel 2
17. The pull of gravity on an object is measured as its ____.
- weightcorrect
- height
- color
- age
Weight is how strongly gravity pulls on an object.
Guess the numberLevel 2
18. The Moon's gravity is weaker than Earth's. If you weigh 6 units on Earth, about how many units would you weigh on the Moon?
Answer: 1 units
The Moon's gravity is about one sixth of Earth's, so you would weigh much less.

Magnets

Fact or fibLevel 1
19. The north pole of one magnet is pulled toward the south pole of another magnet.
Answer: True
Opposite poles attract, so north and south pull together.
Fill the blankLevel 1
20. The two ends of a magnet are called its ____.
- polescorrect
- sides
- wheels
- corners
Every magnet has two poles, a north pole and a south pole.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
21. Which object would a magnet attract?
- An iron nailcorrect
- A plastic cup
- A wooden spoon
- A glass marble
Magnets attract objects made of iron and steel, but not plastic, wood, or glass.
Odd one outLevel 1
22. Which of these would a magnet NOT stick to?
- A wooden rulercorrect
- A steel paperclip
- An iron nail
- A steel fridge door
Wood is not magnetic, so a magnet will not stick to a wooden ruler.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
23. Which of these use magnets? Pick all that apply.
- A fridge magnet holding a notecorrect
- A compass needlecorrect
- A magnetic cabinet latchcorrect
- A glass window
Fridge magnets, compasses, and cabinet latches all work because of magnets.
Match the pairsLevel 2
24. Match each magnet to the everyday job it does.
Answer: Fridge magnet = Holds notes on the door; Compass needle = Points north; Cabinet latch = Keeps the door shut; Crane magnet = Lifts scrap metal
Magnets are used in many everyday tools to hold, point, or lift.

Pushes and Pulls

Fill the blankLevel 1
25. A push and a pull are both kinds of ____.
- forcecorrect
- color
- sound
- shape
A force is any push or pull that acts on an object.
Guess the numberLevel 1
26. In a game of tug of war, how many teams pull on the rope?
Answer: 2 teams
Two teams pull the rope in opposite directions.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
27. A force is a push or a pull. Which of these is a push?
- Kicking a ballcorrect
- Pulling a wagon toward you
- Opening a drawer toward you
- Reeling in a fishing line
Kicking moves the ball away from you, so it is a push.
Build the sentenceLevel 2
28. Build a sentence about how a stronger push affects a ball.
Answer: A bigger push makes the ball go faster
The harder you push, the faster the ball speeds up.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
29. Which of these are examples of a pull? Pick all that apply.
- Pulling a wagoncorrect
- A dog tugging its leashcorrect
- Raising a bucket from a wellcorrect
- Kicking a can
Pulls bring an object toward you, while kicking pushes it away.
Fact or fibLevel 2
30. Turning the handlebars on a bike uses a force to change the direction you move.
Answer: True
Steering pushes the wheel to point a new way, so you turn instead of going straight.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 14 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

Build the sentence
Choose all that apply
Fact or fib
Fill the blank
Guess the number
Match the pairs
Multiple choice
Odd one out
Picture question
Put in order
Sort into groups
Spell it
True or false
Type the answer

Practise Forces and Movement

129 questions across 22 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

Play this unit

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