Explore the forces at work when you try to push a filing cabinet. Create an applied force and see the resulting friction force and total force acting on the cabinet. Charts show the forces, position, velocity, and acceleration vs. time. View a Free Body Diagram of all the forces (including gravitational and normal forces).

This activity is designed to have students investigate the basics of forces and how they affect motion. They will also have the opportunity to participate in a PHET Simulation by the University of Colorado on Force and Motion and use the simulation to create a simple Experimental Design and collect data.