Force

Have you ever wondered what makes your swing go higher and higher, or what pulls your little red wagon when you tug on the handle. That’s me. I’m an invisible power, a secret helper you can feel but can’t see. When you kick a soccer ball, I’m the push that sends it flying into the goal. When you catch it, I’m the power that stops it. I’m gentle, like the pull that keeps your feet planted on the ground so you don’t float away. But I’m also super strong. I’m so strong that I hold the big, beautiful moon in the sky, making sure it circles the Earth every night without ever getting lost. I am the secret push and pull behind everything that moves, a mystery that keeps your world in motion.

For thousands of years, people felt me at work every single day. They felt me when they lifted heavy rocks to build their homes or when they watched a feather float gently down to the ground. They knew I was there, but they didn't have a single name for me. Then, one day, a very curious and thoughtful man named Isaac Newton was relaxing in a garden, thinking about the world and all its puzzles. As he sat under an apple tree, he saw something very ordinary happen. Plop. A ripe apple fell from a branch and landed with a soft thump on the grass. Many people would have just picked it up for a snack, but Isaac Newton started to wonder. 'Why did the apple fall straight down. Why didn't it fall sideways, or even up toward the clouds.'. He thought and thought, and a big idea sparked in his mind. He realized that the same invisible pull that brought the apple to the ground was the very same one that kept the moon circling the Earth. He gave that special kind of pull a name: gravity. But gravity is just one of my many types. Isaac Newton helped everyone understand that I am any push or pull on an object. He finally gave me my proper name. I am Force.

Now that you know my name is Force, you can see me everywhere. Understanding me helps people do incredible things. The powerful push of a rocket engine is me, Force, sending astronauts to explore space. The strong pull that holds a bridge together so cars can cross a wide river is also me. I am at work when you use scissors to cut paper, or a ramp to roll your toys down. These are simple machines, and they use me to make work easier. From the tiniest push that clicks a button on a computer to the mighty power that builds skyscrapers, I am always there. I am not just a mystery anymore. I am your partner in everything you do. I am the helper that lets you build, explore, play, and discover all the amazing things in our world.