Wind Can Move Things

Wind is moving air, and it has enough push to move many things around us.

Reading is good — doing is better. Practice Wind Can Move Things as an interactive lesson.

Definition

Wind is air that moves from one place to another. When air moves, it pushes on things. That push can make leaves fly, flags wave, and pinwheels spin. The stronger the wind blows, the heavier the things it can move.

Remember the rule

Stronger wind = bigger push = heavier things can move.

Key words

Wind: Air that is moving. You cannot see it, but you can feel it and see what it does.
Push: A force that moves something away from you or away from where it started.
Force: A push or pull that makes something move or stop moving.
Light wind: A gentle breeze that moves small, light things like a feather or a leaf.
Strong wind: Fast-moving air that can push bigger, heavier things like branches or umbrellas.
Pinwheel: A toy with blades that spin when wind pushes on them.
Flag: A piece of cloth attached to a pole that waves and flaps when wind blows against it.
Sail: A big sheet of cloth on a boat that catches wind to push the boat across the water.

Worked examples

A leaf is lying on the ground. A gentle breeze blows. What happens to the leaf?

→ The wind pushes the leaf and it skitters across the ground or floats up into the air. · Leaves are very light, so even a small push from wind is enough to move them.

A flag is tied to a flagpole. The wind blows hard. What does the flag do?

→ The flag waves and flaps back and forth because the wind is pushing against the cloth. · When the wind stops, the flag hangs down and barely moves.

You hold a pinwheel outside on a breezy day. What happens?

→ The blades of the pinwheel spin around because the moving air pushes each blade. · The faster the wind blows, the faster the pinwheel spins.

A big heavy rock and a small piece of paper are on the sidewalk. The wind blows. Which one moves?

→ The piece of paper moves. The heavy rock stays still because wind is not strong enough to push something that heavy. · Wind moves light things more easily than heavy things.

A sailboat is on a lake with no wind. The sail is flat. Then the wind starts to blow. What happens to the boat?

→ The wind pushes into the sail and moves the boat across the water. · People have used wind and sails to move boats for thousands of years.

You are flying a kite on a calm day with almost no wind. The kite keeps falling down. Why?

→ There is not enough wind to push up under the kite and keep it in the air. You need wind to fly a kite. · Running fast can also make wind push the kite up when the real wind is weak.

Common mistakes

Thinking wind is a thing you can see. Wind is invisible moving air — you only see what it does to other things like leaves or flags.
Thinking all wind moves the same things. Light wind only moves very light objects; it takes strong wind to move heavier things.
Thinking wind always blows in the same direction. Wind can change direction. A flag shows you which way the wind is blowing right now.
Thinking wind only happens outside. Wind can happen indoors too, like air blowing from a fan or an open window.
Thinking something is too heavy for any wind to move. Given a strong enough wind, like in a tornado, even cars and trees can move.

FAQs

What makes wind?

The sun warms some air more than other air. Warm air rises up and cooler air rushes in to take its place. That rushing air is wind.

Can we see wind?

No, but we can feel it on our skin and we can see what it does — like making trees sway or blowing your hair.

Why does a pinwheel spin faster on a windy day than on a calm day?

Stronger wind pushes harder on the blades, so they spin faster. Less wind means a gentler push and slower spinning.

Is a fan the same as wind?

A fan uses electricity to spin blades that push air and make a breeze. It works just like wind — moving air pushes on things.

Why do some things not move even when it is windy?

Heavy things need a very big push to move. A gentle or medium wind does not push hard enough to move something like a big rock or a parked car.

How do we know which way the wind is blowing?

Watch a flag, a windsock, or trees bending — they always lean or point in the direction the wind is pushing them.

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