Friction Test

You will this activity teaches students about friction and its dependence on surface textures.

Duration25 min

Age GroupAges 11–13

DifficultyIntermediate

SubjectScience

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Concept

What this lesson teaches

This activity teaches students about friction and its dependence on surface textures.

Materials

What you need

A flat book
A smooth tile or surface
A rough cloth or sandpaper
A ruler for measuring distance

Steps

How the activity runs

Gather materials: a book, a smooth tile, and a rough cloth.
Place the book on the smooth tile and push it gently.
Observe how far the book slides before stopping.
Now place the rough cloth under the book and push again.
Compare how far the book slides on both surfaces.
Discuss why it slid differently on each surface.

Why It Works

The learning connection

Hands-on experiments engage students and solidify their understanding. By observing real-life examples, they grasp abstract concepts easily.

Extend the Lesson

Try it with your learner

1. Place the toy car on the smooth surface. 2. Slowly push the car and measure how far it goes. 3. Record the distance in your notebook. 4. Repeat steps 1-3 on the rough surface. 5. Compare the distances from both surfaces. 6. What did you notice?

Science in Action25 minAges 11–13Grade 6–8Sign in to save this activity

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Friction Test

See how this hands-on lesson works

What this lesson teaches

What you need

How the activity runs

The learning connection

Try it with your learner

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