Year 3 - Science
Contact forces
Simple forces including magnets
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores how objects move on different surfaces and examines magnetic forces, including attraction, repulsion, and magnetic materials. It covers identifying magnetic poles and predicting interactions and emphasizes practical tests, observations, and presenting findings.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to observe that some forces need contact between two objects and give examples from real life.
Key Notes
- Pushes and pulls are forces
- Some forces are contact forces
- Contact forces are forces that act between two objects that are physically touching each other
- Pushing a car up a hill and kicking a ball are examples of contact forces
Vocabulary To Learn
- force: A force is a push or a pull. Forces can make objects change speed, change direction, or change shape.
- push: A push is a force that moves an object further away.
- pull: A pull is force that brings an object closer.
- contact force: Contact forces occur when objects are touching each other.
- Venn diagram: A Venn diagram is a way of displaying how you group items. It is made up of overlapping circles.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Kicks/throws and catches are not pushes and pulls.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Pushes and pulls are forces. Some forces are contact forces.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'force'
A force is a push or a pull. Forces can make objects change speed, change direction, or change shape. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Kicks/throws and catches are not pushes and pulls. Correction: Explicit explanation that kicks and throws are pushes, and catches are pulls; that pushes and pulls can involve short term contact.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Blocking magnetic force Study Guide
- Different magnets and their parts Study Guide
- Different surfaces in real life (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Different surfaces: do and review Study Guide
- Different surfaces: plan Study Guide
- Magnetic and non-magnetic materials Study Guide
- Magnetic force (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Magnetic force at a distance Study Guide
- Putting magnets together: attract or repel Study Guide
- Strongest magnet (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Using magnets to solve problems (non-statutory: Scientists and Engineers) Study Guide
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