67

Lesson 67 of 84 ยท Energy

Lessonโญ 30 XPโšก Spark Lab

Friction: The Force That Slows (Part 3)

๐ŸงชLab Brief #67

Friction: The Force That Slows (Part 3).

๐ŸŽฏ Your mission

Learn the rule. Then catch nature using it.

โšก The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

๐Ÿคฏ

Mind = Blown

๐ŸŽข You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.

๐Ÿ”ฎ

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

What You'll Learn

Friction is a force that opposes motion between surfaces that touch. Rough surfaces create more friction than smooth ones. Without friction, you could not walk or grip objects.

Key Words

  • inertia
  • momentum

Steps

Step 1 โ€” Read

Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.

Step 2 โ€” Do

Set up a pendulum with string and a washer. Change the string length and count swings per minute for each. Graph your results.

Step 3 โ€” Observe

Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.

Step 4 โ€” Record

Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What does friction do?

๐ŸŒ

Where you see this in real life

This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

๐Ÿ†

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘ง

For the dinner table

โ€œShow me something at home that uses this kind of energy.โ€

๐ŸŽฏ

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

๐ŸงชShare card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ

Checkout complete lesson on Energy for 8th Grade

Get the full Energy track as a printable PDF โ€” all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.

View in Shop

Your Cart (0)

Your cart is empty

Browse our shop to find activities your kids will love