Predicting motion

Science

Investigating
Forces
Reader

S S S S

Using forces to solve problems Magnetism

Balanced and unbalanced forces

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Investigating
Forces
Reader
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 Investigating
Forces
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 A Force Is a Push or a Pull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 2 Friction Is a Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 3 Predicting Patterns of Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chapter 4 Magnetism Is a Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 5 Solving Problems with Magnets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chapter 6 Forces and Trains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
A Force Is a Push Chapter

or a Pull
Think about how you start your day.
1
You wake up and push yourself out of
Big Question
bed. You pull a box from the shelf and
What are balanced
pour cereal into a bowl. You lift a milk
and unbalanced
carton and pour the milk. Then, you pull forces?
spoonfuls of cereal to your mouth.
Vocabulary
You might not wake up thinking that you
force, n. a push or
are using forces, but you are. A force is a
a pull
push or a pull. Each time you push or pull
something, you use a force. Every time something starts to move,
stops moving, or changes direction, forces are involved.

What forces does the girl use to prepare and eat her breakfast?
1
Forces Change Motion

Whenever you cause something to start to move, stop moving,

change speed, or change direction, you use forces.

Motion is a change of position. Think

Vocabulary
about kicking a ball. A force from your leg
motion, n. the
causes the ball to move—the ball is pushed process of an object
into motion. The force of the kick changes changing position

the ball from not moving to moving. As the

ball changes location, it is in motion.

A bike rider pushes the

bike’s pedals to begin
moving in a race. He
pushes the handlebars
to change directions
to zigzag around the
cones. The rider uses
forces to change his
direction and speed.

Forces can also make

things stop moving.
When the rider is ready
to stop, he will stop
pushing the bike pedals.
He will pull on the
bicycle brakes in a way
The rider uses forces to start, change, and stop
that slows him down. his motion.

2
Forces Can Be Balanced or Unbalanced

When two equal teams play tug-of-war, the rope may not move at
all. There is no motion. If you add up all the forces acting on the
rope, they are equal. The pull from one side equals the pull from
the other side. The forces on the rope are balanced forces.

The rope does not move when the two teams pull with equal force.

What happens to the rope when one side pulls with greater force
than the other side? Forces on the rope become unbalanced.
Unbalanced forces cause an object’s
Vocabulary
motion to change. One team will begin
balanced forces, n.
to win the tug-of-war. a collection of
forces acting on an
Imagine the tug-of-war rope sitting still object that cancel
on the ground. You might be surprised that each other out and
produce no change
forces are acting on it. The force of gravity in the object’s
motion
is pulling the rope down all the time. The
unbalanced
ground also pushes up against the rope. The forces, n. a
two forces are equal but acting in opposite collection of forces
acting on an
directions. How could you make the forces object that result
unbalanced and change the motion of the in a change in the
object’s motion
rope? By pulling on it to pick it up!
3
Gravity Is a Pulling Force

Forces are all around you. You can see or feel many of them,
especially when they are unbalanced. You feel forces when
someone pushes you on a swing. You feel a pull when someone
tugs on your shirt.

You might not see or notice it, but the force Vocabulary
of gravity pulls on you all the time. Earth’s gravity, n. a force
that pulls objects
gravity is a force that pulls objects down toward Earth’s
toward the ground. surface

When you are sitting

still, are forces acting
on you? Yes! The force
of the ground is pushing
upward on your body,
and the force of gravity
is pulling you down. You
don’t float up or sink down
because the forces are
balanced. If you jump up,
the push you apply with
your muscles makes the
forces unbalanced. You
move upward.

Gravity pulls the boy downward. He pushes against

the force with his legs as he balances.

4
A Force Has Direction

The dogs in the picture play tug with the rope toy. When the
dogs pull the toy with the same amount of force, the toy does not
move. The forces are balanced. The balanced forces have the same
strength. But the forces pull in opposite directions.

One way to understand forces is to draw arrows to represent their

direction. One dog pulls the rope toy to the left. The other dog
pulls the toy to the right. Using arrows on pictures can help us
model, or show, that all forces have direction.

The dogs pull the rope with the same amount of force but in different directions.

5
A Force Has Strength

Look at the picture. Which dog do you think will win the tugging
match? The brown and white dog on the left is bigger. It can
probably pull with a stronger force.

When two forces of different strengths pull on the same object,

the object will move toward the stronger pull. When two forces
of different strength push on an object, the object moves away
from the stronger push. When pushes and pulls are balanced, the
object will not move.

Can you predict if something will move when it is pushed or

pulled? If you think carefully about strength and directions of all
forces on an object, you can predict motion of the object. Try it
yourself! You can draw pictures and arrows to help explain what
causes something to move or stop moving.

These are unbalanced forces because one dog pulls with a stronger force.

6
Friction Is a Force Chapter

Have you ever tried to walk on ice? You

2
probably know how easy it is to slip
and fall. That’s because there is little Big Question
friction between your shoes and the What is the force
called friction?
ice. You don’t slip when you walk on a
rough sidewalk. There is a lot of friction
between the sidewalk and your shoes. Vocabulary
friction, n. a
Friction is the force that exists between force that occurs
two surfaces that are touching each between the
surfaces of two
other. Friction opposes motion or objects that
potential motion. When there is little are touching
oppose, v. to work
friction, surfaces slide smoothly across
against
each other. Friction reduces the slipping
or even stops motion.

This sign warns that there may be little There is little friction between the bottom
friction between your shoes and the of the sled and the surface of the snow. The
surface you are walking on. Watch out! sled slides easily.

7
 Surfaces in Contact Make Friction

Friction is a contact force. That means it Vocabulary

happens where surfaces touch each other. contact force, n.
a push or pull
For example, your shoes touch the sidewalk
between two
as you walk, and the force of friction helps objects that are
touching each other
you to propel yourself forward.

No object is completely smooth. Even things that look smooth

have bumps too small to see or feel. When two objects rub against
each other, those bumps push against each other.

and slide on
Feet in socks slip
Feet in socks do no a smooth floor.
t slip against the
rough material of
carpet.

Some surfaces are very rough. Rough surfaces produce a lot

of friction when in contact with other objects. Other surfaces are
smooth. Smooth surfaces produce less friction when in contact
with another surface.

Think about hurrying through different rooms wearing just socks

and no shoes. You are less likely to slip on a carpeted surface than
you are on a smooth floor.
8
Friction Opposes Motion and Potential Motion

Look at the picture of the block on the ramp. Are there forces
at work there? Yes, there are. The force of gravity is pulling the
block downward.

However, the block does not move. That is because there is

a friction force between the block and the ramp. The friction
opposes the force of gravity. When the two forces are balanced,
there is no change in the block’s motion. In this way, friction
opposes the potential motion of the block.

Now, what would happen if you lift the ramp higher at one end?
At some point, the force of gravity would overcome the force of
friction. The forces would become unbalanced. Movement occurs
as the block slides down the ramp.

The block stays at rest on this piece of wood. Why doesn’t the block slide down the slope?

9
Friction Produces Heat

Have you ever been outside in the cold and rubbed your hands
together to try to warm them up? If so, you were making use
of friction. Any time two surfaces rub against each other, heat
may occur.

You can feel the heat produced by friction between your moving
hands. The longer you rub them together and the harder you
press them against each other, the warmer they will feel. If two
surfaces only rub
against each other
briefly, the friction
does not cause very
much heat. Often
the amount of heat
produced is too little
to notice. Do your
socks feel warm after
you slide across a
tile floor?

Sometimes friction
can result in a great
deal of heat. It is
possible to rub string
and wood together in
a way that the friction
can start a fire. To start a fire using only string and wood, the friction
must continue steadily for a long while. The friction
must also be concentrated in a small area.

10
Friction Can Be Harmful

It can be useful to know

how to start a fire using
friction. But heat from
friction is not always
helpful. Engines, such as
the ones that make cars
and planes move, have
many moving parts. The
The parts inside engines are coated with oil to
parts are in contact with reduce friction.

each other, so they are affected by the force of friction. The friction
results in heat. Over time, friction and heat weaken the parts of
machines. The parts can wear out and break.

Engineers use materials called lubricants

Vocabulary
to reduce friction between machine parts.
lubricant, n. a
A lubricant is a substance that coats the substance that
surfaces of parts that rub against each reduces friction
between objects
other to make them more slippery. Grease in contact
and oil are common lubricants. Lubricants
help machine parts last longer.

Think About Water and Air

Friction affects more than just solid or drag. Athletes such as
objects. Feeling the wind blowing professional bikers and swimmers
on your face is evidence that wear special uniforms to reduce the
moving air produces friction. Air amount of drag they experience as
friction is called air resistance they race to the finish line.

11
Friction Can Be Helpful
Engineers don’t always try to reduce friction. Often they design
ways to make use of friction. For example, tires are designed with
bumps and grooves on the surface that rolls on the road. Those
bumps are called tread. Tread increases the friction between the
surfaces of tires and the road. Without tread, a bicycle rider might
slip and slide instead of rolling over a very smooth surface.

Squeezing a bicycle hand brake causes the brakes to press and rub
against the bike wheel’s rim. The force of friction that results makes
the bike slow down or stop.

Don’t touch a bicycle brake just after a bike has been stopped by the brake. It is likely hot
from the friction.

12
Predicting Patterns Chapter

of Motion
Forces can get things moving. A force can
3
also change the speed or direction of an
object’s motion. When regular forces help Big Question
move an object up and down, side to side, Can we predict the
motion of an object
back and forth, or in a zigzag motion, you that moves in
may be able to notice a regular pattern of regular patterns?
motion as a result.

A child swings back and

forth at a playground.
Once the force of her
muscles gets her going,
she stops applying
muscle force, and her
motion becomes regular.
She goes forward and
backward. She goes up
and then down. As she
swings, only the forces of
gravity and friction affect
her motion.

What forces act to get the girl

moving, and what forces act
on her as she swings?
13
Patterns of Motion

Back and Forth

Look! At the highest part of her swing, the girl is at rest for just a
moment. While she is still, at that highest point, only one force,
gravity, is acting on her. The force of gravity has slowed her down,
and now her motion has stopped. What happens next? The force
of Earth’s gravity continues to pull her toward the ground. Then
she will move backward and swing to another high point on the
other side. She will come to a rest again.

You could record data of her movements in a science notebook.

You could use this data to show that all her motion repeats in a
pattern if the same pushes and pulls continue.

Other forces will also affect her motion as she swings. Air brushes
across her. The hinges on the swing rub against the chain of the
swing. If the girl does not use her muscles to keep swinging,
friction will slow her down and eventually cause her to stop.
14
Up and Down
To predict is to say something that is
Vocabulary
expected to happen. Knowing about an
predict, v. to say
object’s pattern of motion helps you predict that something is
expected to happen
how it will move next.

Look at the two friends in this picture. They are playing on a

seesaw. One girl used the force of her leg muscles to push herself
up. This force is now greater than the force of gravity on the girl.
She goes up. When she does, the other girl moves down.

In a moment, the lower girl will push herself up with the force of
the muscles in her legs. It is easy to predict how she will move and
how the other girl will move because these movements are part of
a regular pattern.

Based on what you know about the movement of a seesaw, can you predict what will
happen next? Can you identify the forces that change the seesaw’s motion?

15
Back and Forth

The movement of this clock’s hands are

caused by the regular pattern of the
clock’s pendulum.

The part hanging below the face of this

clock is a pendulum. A pendulum is a
device in which a weight, called a bob,
swings back and forth. Each swing takes
the same amount of time. Back and forth
it swings. The motion is regular. That
means it is a pattern that repeats itself
over and over.
What is the pendulum’s pattern
The pendulum swings back and forth, of motion, and how can you
predict future motion?
much like the girl on the playground’s
swing. A pendulum experiences the same Vocabulary
forces, gravity and friction, as it moves.
pattern, n.
something that
keeps repeating
Patterns exist
everywhere,
from shapes to
relationships
to seasons.

16
Patterns of Motion Are Predictable

Hardly anything is more predicable than the movement of the hands

of a clock. The pendulum swings, and time ticks on. The hands move
from 1:00, to 1:15, to 1:30, and so on.

Clocks are designed to display the time based on regular patterns

of motion. It is easy to predict motion in the future if you can
describe and understand its regular patterns.

A clock like this displays several patterns of motion. The pendulum

swings back and forth. Left, center, right, back to center, left,
and so on. The minute hand rotates. It points to all the numbers
around the circular clock face once every hour. The hour hand
rotates. It points to all the numbers around the circular clock face
once every twelve hours.

17
Around and Around
This boy and girl are playing tetherball. They are using the muscles
in their arms to move the ball. The goal of the game is to wrap the
rope around the pole.

The girl has made the ball go around the pole three times. Predict
what the ball will do when she pushes it again. If her opponent
never hits the ball, the ball will go around
and around in the same direction of
the push given to it by the girl. It’s
easy to predict possible motion
once you understand a
regular pattern.

Think of things that

move up and down,
around in circles,
and back and
forth. When you
observe regular
patterns in an
object’s motion,
you can predict
which way it
What is the tetherball’s pattern of motion if the boy never
will move next. hits the ball?

18
Magnetism Is Chapter

a Force
You place a magnet on a refrigerator door,
4
and it sticks there. Why? It sticks because of
a force called magnetism. Big Question
What are the
You hold a magnet over a pile of iron characteristics of
paper clips, and the clips move toward the the force called
magnetism?
magnet. Magnetism is the invisible force
that pulls on some metal objects.
Vocabulary
magnet, n. a
material that
applies the force
of magnetism
magnetism, n. a
force that can push
or pull on some
materials without
touching them

Most forces exist between objects that are touching each other.
Magnetism is different, though. Magnetism acts across a distance.
Objects that are affected by magnets do not have to be touching
the magnets.
19
Magnets Attract Many Kinds of Metal Objects

People first learned about magnetism from a rock called

lodestone. Lodestone has a lot of iron in it. Magnetism happens
naturally in lodestone, but natural magnets are rare.

People can turn some metals into magnets, though. This process
is called magnetizing an object. Magnets are most often made of
iron, but other types of metal can be magnetized, too. A metal
that has been magnetized is called magnetic.

Magnets contain metal, and they often affect other metal objects.
That is true even if those other metal objects are not magnetic
themselves. Your refrigerator door is not magnetic, but you can
hang pictures on it using a magnet. Magnets do not affect objects
that aren’t metal. Wood, water, and plastic are examples of things
not attracted by magnets.

The force of magnetism does not affect objects that do not contain any metal.

20
Magnetism Is a Force That Can Push and Pull

Two magnets affect each other in predictable ways. Sometimes

they push each other. The pushing force makes them move farther
apart. When two magnets are pushing each other apart, you can
push harder to move the magnets together. The force of your
pushing can overcome the force of the two magnets.

Other times, magnets pull each other. The pulling force makes
them move closer together. Magnets that pull each other will
usually move closer together until they touch. Very strong
magnets can be hard to pull apart.

Both magnetic pulls and magnetic pushes happen across a

distance. If you put a thin piece of paper between two magnets
that are pulling on each other, they will continue to pull each other.

In this picture the toy car has a magnet taped to its top. The magnet is being pulled by the
other magnet. Which direction do you think the toy car will move?

21
Every Magnet Has Two Poles

A magnet has magnetic poles. One pole is called the north pole.

The other pole is called the south pole. Every magnet has two
opposite poles.

When the north poles of two different

Vocabulary
magnets face each other, the magnets
magnetic poles, n.
repel. When magnets repel each other, the places on a
magnet where the
it means that they push each other away.
magnetic force is
When the same poles of two different strongest
magnets are near each other, they will repel, v. to push
away from
repel. The south poles of two magnets
attract, v. to pull
repel each other, too. something closer

When the north pole of one magnet

faces the south pole of another magnet, the magnets attract.
Two magnets attract each other when they pull toward each other.
When the opposite poles of two magnets are near each other, they
will attract.

N S N S

Opposite poles attract.

N S S N

Same poles repel.

North and south poles attract. When south and south poles are near each other,
they repel each other. When north and north poles are near each other, they repel
each other.

22
Strength of Magnetism Changes with Distance

A magnet does not have to touch an object to attract it. At the

same time, a magnet that is too far from a metal object will not
affect it at all. The closer a magnet is to some metals, the stronger
its attraction.

Magnetism also affects some metals more strongly than others.

Iron is a metal that is strongly affected by magnetism. The metal
nickel, but not the coin, also responds to magnetism. Nickel is one
of the metals used to make a lot of magnets. Cans that food comes
in are mostly made of steel. These cans can be picked up using a
magnet because steel is made mostly of iron.

Many metals are not affected by magnets. The metal aluminum

does not respond to magnetism. Cans made of aluminum cannot
be picked up using a magnet. Many refrigerators are made with
stainless steel. Stainless steel is not attracted to magnets. Some
companies use regular steel behind the stainless steel so magnets
can stick to the refrigerator.

Magnetic force can pull on some metal

objects through other metal objects.

23
Magnetism Can Be Useful

Computers and household electronics Medical machines use magnets to see

use magnets to store data in computer inside the body. A computer receives
memory. Electronic speakers also use the signals that show changes in
magnets to produce sounds you hear, magnetism. The machine converts
including from a cell phone and computer those signals to pictures of what is
speakers. inside the human body. This MRI picture
shows the inside of a person’s head.

Compasses use magnets to show Jewelry clasps are small and hard to
direction. The needle of the compass hook together. By using the attraction
is magnetic and is affected by the of magnets, a magnetic clasp is easy to
Earth’s magnetic field. put together. You just put the ends of a
magnetic jewelry clasp near each other,
and they pull together.

24
Solving Problems Chapter

with Magnets
People make notes to remind themselves
5
of important things. One problem is that
it can be easy to forget about a reminder Big Question
note. The note has to be in a place where What problems
can be solved with
you are likely to see it. magnets?

Engineers know that people have

problems, wants, and needs. For example, Vocabulary
you might want a way to hang notes where problem, n. a
you are likely to see them. And perhaps want or need that
requires a solution
you want to do this without using sticky
solution, n. a
tape or tacks that would damage your plan or object that
solves a problem
walls. Magnets provide a solution for the
A solution meets a
problem. A magnet sticks to a refrigerator. want or need.
It can hold a note where people are likely
to see it. But the magnet
is easy to remove without
leaving any permanent
marks.

A refrigerator magnet is a
solution designed to solve
a problem. It’s a simple
solution, but it works!

If the silver disk is a magnet, what kind

of material is the refrigerator made of?
25
Magnets Help Find Where a Picture Hook Should Go

Suppose you have a room with

a big, empty wall. It needs some
decoration. You decide you
want to hang a picture. The
picture is heavy.

Walls in most homes are hollow

with frames inside them. The When you look at the orange wall, you
cannot tell where the studs are.
frames are made of boards
called studs. Often the studs are
made of wood. The smooth wall
material that you see in a room
is not strong enough to hold
a heavy picture or a TV. If you
want to hang something heavy
on a wall, you must put a nail or Hidden inside the wall are studs that contain
metal screws or nails.
screw into one of the wooden
studs that you can’t see.

Though the studs are made of wood, they contain many hidden
nails and screws. Nails and screws are made of metal.

26
How can you find a wooden wall stud? That is a problem. Engineers
design solutions to problems. Engineers solved this problem by
designing stud finders. A stud finder has a magnet inside. The
magnet is attracted to metal nails in the studs behind the solid
wall. It detects where nails are. This reveals where the studs are
and where you can securely place a picture hook. Engineers used
magnetism to design and build stud finders—and they really work.

Engineers use the properties of a magnet to solve the problem of finding where a nail in a
stud is behind a wall.

27
Magnets Are Important for Modern Railroads

Ordinary trains have

metal wheels that
run on metal tracks.
The friction between
the track and the
wheels is necessary
for movement. But
it also wears out the Most modern passenger trains have metal wheels that roll
on metal tracks. Too much friction between the wheels
train’s moving parts. and the track is a problem.

The need to make a train that works with less friction is an

engineering problem.

Engineers designed and developed trains that use magnets for

motion. What a solution! The magnetic trains are called maglevs.
Maglevs use magnetism so the train floats above the track without
metal wheels. That means less friction.

A maglev train works without wheels touching tracks. That’s a solution.

28
Engineers Design Solutions Before They Build

About eight hundred years ago, Petrus

Peregrinus de Maricourt invented the
first compasses. He knew magnets
pointed to the north and south. He also
knew a needle could be made magnetic.
It would then point to the north and
south. All that was left to do was design
a way for the needle to float. He used his
knowledge of magnets and magnetic
poles to suggest a way to find direction.

He first designed a solution to a problem.

Perhaps he made a model first. Perhaps
he drew it out on paper. After he made Petrus Peregrinus de Maricourt
his engineering design, he could proceed was a French scholar. He figured
out how to use magnets to find
to build a compass. directions.

A modern compass is lightweight and easy to carry in a pocket.

29
Engineers work on solutions to problems. They often work in teams.

When engineers look for a solution to a problem, they first design

what they want. They also think about these challenges:

• Time: How long will it take to solve the problem? Is that time
used worth the result?
• C
 ost: How much will it cost to solve the problem? Will the
solution cost more money than it saves? Can it be done with the
amount of money available?
• M
 aterials: What materials are needed to solve the problem? Is it
easy to get the tools needed?
• Limits: What are some things I can’t do or am not allowed to do?

Even eight hundred years ago de Maricourt asked these questions.

In fact, as long as people need to solve problems, their design
process will involve thinking about time, cost, material, and limits
to come up with a good solution.

30
Forces and Trains Chapter

Elijah McCoy was born in Canada. His

6
parents had been slaves in Kentucky. They
escaped to freedom on the Underground Big Question
Railroad before Elijah was born. How have
engineering
The family moved to Michigan. That state designers improved
trains?
did not have slavery. Elijah got training as
a mechanical engineer. But
he could not get a good job.
Most places at that time would
not hire African Americans for
jobs that paid well.

He found low-paying work at a

railroad company. There, even
though improving trains was
not his job, he found solutions
to problems anyway. His
inventions helped shape the
Elijah McCoy was an engineer and inventor
Industrial Revolution. who lived from 1844 to 1929.

Words to Know
Some slaves used the Underground The Industrial Revolution was a
Railroad to escape to freedom. period of rapidly developing
It was not a real railroad. It was a technology growth that occurred
system of roads and hiding places. in the 1800s.

31
A Strong Force Is Needed to Move a Train at Rest

A long train needs a powerful force to get moving.

Before trains, people transported materials

Words to Know
by foot, by animals, or by boat. Trains made
To overcome
it possible to move large amounts of things means to get
past an obstacle.
that people needed across great distances.
Overcoming a force
requires the use of
Trains are made of heavy metal. They carry a different, stronger
people and cargo. They carry fuel for the train force.
to move. All this makes trains very heavy.
A train at rest is hard to move. When trains are at rest, forces are
balanced. The train must create an unbalanced force to start to move.

Engineers like Elijah McCoy studied the problem of making a train

move. They developed many different solutions to the problem of
overcoming the forces of gravity and friction.
32
Making Trains Move Requires Engineering Solutions

This is a picture of an early train made from heavy metal. The

locomotive burned coal or wood to heat a tank of water. The water
became steam. The motion energy of moving steam turned the
parts that powered the wheels.

Starting a train moving takes force. But keeping it moving also takes force to
overcome friction and gravity.

One way to solve the problem of getting a train to start moving

is to make it out of lighter metals. A train made from such metals
needs less force to set it into motion.

Starting a train moving is one problem. There are other problems

in building working trains. Friction and heat cause engines to wear
out. Engineers have to design wheels that have just enough, but
not too much, friction with the tracks.

Lubrication is a solution for friction. But in McCoy’s day lubricating

engines had a problem. To be lubricated, the train had to be
stopped. That slowed down service. It also meant that more fuel was
needed to make the train move again. The process was expensive.
33
 McCoy’s automatic lubricator worked as the train was moving. It saved
railroads time and money.

Lubricating train engines was part of Elijah McCoy’s job. He invented

a way to do it without stopping the train. Then he found ways to
make his invention even better. He also invented other solutions
that solved many other train problems. He used the principles of
engineering design to make sure his invention would work.

Whenever he made something new, he got a patent for it. A

patent is a certificate from the government. It gives an inventor
credit for an invention. Only the inventor can make money from
a patented invention. Elijah ended up with sixty patents for the
engineering designs and things he invented.

Words to Know
A patent is a government document that gives someone the ownership
and rights to an invention. Thousands of new patents for engineering
design solutions were filed during the Industrial Revolution.

34
Modern Trains

A magnetic train, or maglev

Mr. McCoy was an engineering designer and an engineer too.

People in his profession have continued to make trains better. They
develop trains that weigh less. By studying forces and motion, they
learn to get trains to start and move faster. Modern trains also meet
strict standards for pollution control.

Engineers have improved on McCoy’s efforts. They have developed

magnetic trains, or maglevs. Maglevs don’t use wheels and tracks
like regular trains do. They use magnets. The force of magnetism
can cause an entire train to be lifted above the track and be moved
forward. That removes almost all the friction because the train
and tracks never come into contact. Removing friction makes train
rides quiet and smooth.

35
How Maglevs Work

The word maglev is short for magnetic

Words to Know
levitation. Levitation means floating in
To levitate means to
the air. float in the air.
The word part levi-
Maglevs levitate. Maglevs are designed comes from the
with magnets in both the trains and the Latin word levis,
meaning “light.”
track. The force of magnets’ same poles
pushes the train up off of the track. The
push between the magnets is stronger than the force of gravity
pulling the train down. So, the train seems to float above the track.
And since no surfaces are touching, there is no friction. This allows
maglev trains to move very fast.

Maglev magnets are electrical. They can be turned on and off.

Their poles can be switched. Their strength can also be controlled.
Computers control the magnets so that their repelling forces move
the train along the track without touching it.

Train engineers have followed in the footsteps of Elijah McCoy.

Engineers are always improving maglev technology to improve
how the trains work. More and better maglevs are appearing in
countries all over the world.

N S

N N N N S S S S

Same poles in the magnets in the train and the track keep the two from touching.
36
Glossary
A O
attract, v. to pull something closer  (22) oppose, v. to work against  (7)

B P
balanced forces, n. a collection of forces pattern, n. something that keeps
acting on an object that cancel each repeating  (16)
other out and produce no change in the
object’s motion  (3) predict, v. to say that something is expected
to happen  (15)
C problem, n. a want or need that requires
a solution  (25)
contact force, n. a push or pull between two
objects that are touching each other  (8)
R
F repel, v. to push away from  (22)
force, n. a push or a pull  (1)
S
friction, n. a force that occurs between
the surfaces of two objects that are solution, n. a plan or object that solves a
touching  (7) problem  (25)

G U
gravity, n. a force that pulls objects toward unbalanced forces, n. a collection of forces
Earth’s surface  (4) acting on an object that result in a change
in the object’s motion  (3)
L
lubricant, n. a substance that reduces friction
between objects in contact  (11)

M
magnet, n. a material that applies the force
of magnetism  (19)
magnetic poles, n. the places on a magnet
where the magnetic force is strongest  (22)
magnetism, n. a force that can push or pull on
some materials without touching them  (19)
motion, n. the process of an object changing
position  (2)

37
 CK Sci™
Core Knowledge Science™

Series Editor-in-Chief
E.D. Hirsch Jr.

Editorial Directors
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Subject Matter Expert
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 CK Sci™
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Core Knowledge Science™

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ISBN: 978-1-68380-501-4 740L