What is Friction?

➢ Which is easier to slide your foot across?

Carpet or Concrete?
Why do you think that is?
 What is Friction?
➢ Whattype of ball will move across the
ground easier?

Glass or Rubber?
 Defining Friction.
➢ Friction is a contact force that slows down the
movement of an object the motion of an object.
➢ Friction results from the close interaction
between two surfaces that are sliding across
each other.
➢ When you slam on your brakes and your car
skids to a stop with locked wheels, it is the force
of friction that brings it to a stop. Friction resists
the car's motion.”
 Friction & Cars
Friction is important for cars in two main ways:
1.Allowing the car to stop with the tires touching
the ground

2. The brakes on the car pushing against the tires

to make the car stop quicker

What would happen if a car didn’t have any

friction?
 Your task
You are going to investigate on which surfaces an
object has the least and most friction

1. In pairs, you are going to test a selection of flat

surfaces within the classroom (examples include
your books, table, the ground), and roll a rubber ball
along them. Before the test, write down a hypothesis
of how far you think the rubber ball will travel across
each surface on the hypothesis sheet
2. When doing this, make sure that you are using an
equal amount of force when rolling the ball across
each surface, as well as from the same place.
3. After each test, use a ruler to measure the distance
travelled by each ball, and repeat the test multiple
times to make sure you are being accurate