--- title: "Year 3- Science- Investigating Contact and Non-Contact Forces" url: "https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news/2026-04-13-year-3-science-investigating-contact-and-non-contact-forces" school: "St Barnabas Primary School, A Church of England Academy" --- We are holding a number of open days for children due to start primary school in September 2027. Please see our admissions page for further details. Everyone welcome! # Year 3- Science- Investigating Contact and Non-Contact Forces ![](https://files.schudio.com/st-barnabas-primary-school/images/news/activitymore-545B31C5-53B1-4357-AB29-6EA0C54A1078.png) 13 April 2026 Today, we began our new science unit on forces and magnets. We started by exploring how objects move and learned that a force is essentially a push or a pull acting upon an object. We discovered that while some forces require objects to touch (known as contact forces, such as kicking a football), others can act at a distance (known as non-contact forces, such as the pull of gravity or a magnet). By experimenting with magnets and clips, we observed non-contact forces in action, watching objects rise without being touched. We also explored contact forces by stretching elastic bands and pushing balls. We realised that forces are responsible for starting motion, stopping it, and even changing the shape of an object. ![](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/images/news/activitymore-545B31C5-53B1-4357-AB29-6EA0C54A1078.png) [Year 3](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news/tag/year-3) [Science](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news/tag/science) [![](https://files.schudio.com/st-barnabas-primary-school/imagecache/100x100c/news/IMG_3681.jpeg)](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news/2026-04-02-year-5-whitehall-park) Previous ### [Year 5 - Whitehall Park](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news/2026-04-02-year-5-whitehall-park) [![](https://files.schudio.com/st-barnabas-primary-school/imagecache/100x100c/news/IMG_2250(2).jpeg)](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news/2026-04-14-year4-english-gathering-information) Next ### [Year4 - English: Gathering Information ](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news/2026-04-14-year4-english-gathering-information) ### Personal Development - [News](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/news) - [Events](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/events) - [Photo Gallery](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/photo-gallery-category/our-gallery) - [Calendar](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/calendar) - [School Council](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/academy-life/school-council) - [Attendance](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/academy-life/attendance) - [Fundraising](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/academy-life/fundraising) - [Extra Curricular Clubs](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/academy-life/clubs) - [Little Leaders](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/academy-life/little-leaders) - [Visits and Visitors](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/visits-and-visitors) - [British Values](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/british-values) - [Protected Characteristics](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/protected-characteristics) ##### Location Knowlesly Road Darwen Lancashire BB3 2JA ##### Contact Us 01254 702996 ##### Stay Connected - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/stbarnabasce/) - [X](https://twitter.com/stbarnabasce) © Copyright 2021–2026 St Barnabas Primary School, A Church of England Academy School & Trust Websites by [ ![Schudio logo](https://www.stbarnabasdarwen.co.uk/img/logo/light.png) ](https://www.schudio.com/)