Investigating friction

posted in: Curriculum, Mountains | 0

In science lessons in Mountains class, we are learning about forces. So far, we have learnt that:

  • A force is a push or a pull that causes something to change speed, direction or shape.
  • Gravity (discovered by Isaac Newton) is a non-contact force which pulls objects down towards the centre of the Earth
  • Mass measures the amount of matter inside an object and is measured in kilograms. The mass of an object never changes
  • Weight measures the force of gravity on an object and is measured in Newtons. The weight of an object can change
  • Objects with more mass have a greater weight, as the force of gravity pulls them down more strongly
  • 100g = 1N
  • Friction is a force that happens when two surfaces slide against each other
  • Friction always acts in the opposite direction to the direction that the object is moving to slow it down
  • The rougher the surfaces, the stronger the friction
  • Friction produces heat

Today we planned an investigation to find out which surfaces produced the most friction!