Pushes and Pulls — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Mia kicks a soccer ball softly, then kicks it harder. The harder kick will make the ball go:
A) Farther than the soft kick
B) The same distance
C) Backwards toward Mia
D) Stop right away
Harder kicks are bigger pushes, so the ball travels farther than before.
2. Sam pulls a red wagon along the path. Which way does the wagon move?
A) Away from Sam
B) Toward Sam
C) Up into the air
D) It does not move at all
Pulling a wagon makes it move toward Sam, in the same direction he pulls.
3. Lia gives a toy car a gentle push and a big push. Which push makes it move faster?
A) The gentle push
B) Both move at the same speed
C) The big push
D) Neither push moves it
A bigger push gives the car more energy, so it moves faster than before.
4. A ball rolls toward Eli. He gently pushes it back. What happens to the ball next?
A) Rolls faster toward Eli
B) Lifts up off the ground
C) Spins in one place forever
D) Slows down or rolls the other way
Eli's push works against the ball, so it slows or rolls the other way.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. If you push a toy car harder, it will roll a longer distance.
More force gives the car more energy, so it covers a longer distance.
2. If you push a toy car very gently, it will move only a short way.
A gentle push gives little energy, so the car moves only a short way.
3. Pulling a sled toward you moves the sled in the same direction as the pull.
Objects move in the same direction as the push or pull acting on them.
4. Pushing a swing higher each time means using a bigger force.
Bigger pushes give the swing more energy, so it rises higher each time.
5. When two friends push a cart together, the cart moves faster than with one pusher.
Two pushes add more force, so the cart moves faster than with one.