Science Lesson: Exploring Friction in Motion
Students build on their knowledge of forces and motion in this lesson with an investigation into how friction affects an object’s motion. They carry out an experiment to test how smooth and rough surfaces affect the distance a propeller car moves after rolling over each surface.
Science Big Ideas
- An object can only change its motion when a force is applied, and energy is needed to provide force.
- Friction is a force that slows motion when two objects rub against each other by turning motion energy into heat.
- Some surfaces produce more friction than other surfaces.
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Science Essential Questions
- Why do your hands get warm when they rub them together?
- Why do your hands have energy?
- How does the energy of your hands change when you rub them together harder or faster?
- How is rubbing your hands together similar to sliding down a slide?
- Have you ever tried walking on ice? If so, what happened?
- Why is it hard to walk on ice?
- Why are grass and pavement easier to walk on than ice?
- Would it be easier to push an object across a rough surface like grass or a smooth surface like ice?
Common Science Misconceptions
Misconception: Objects at rest have no forces acting on them.
Fact: There are forces acting on everything on Earth at all times. For example, when you stand on the ground, gravity pulls you toward the center of Earth. In reaction, the ground has its own force that pushes back with an equal and opposite force.
Misconception: Forces do not always come in pairs.
Fact: Forces always come in pairs. These are called action-reaction forces—for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Science Vocabulary
Action : a change caused by force; moving to a new place and going faster are two actions
Force : a push or a pull that acts on an object, changing its speed, direction, or shape
Friction : a force that slows motion when two objects rub against each other
Energy : the ability to do work
Motion : the movement of an object from one place to another
Propel : to push forward
Reaction : an action that occurs as a result of another action
Work : any change in position, speed , or state of matter due to force
Lexile(R) Certified Non-Fiction Science Reading (Excerpt)
Warming Up
Mariana forgot her gloves one morning. Her hands got cold. She rubbed them together quickly. Before long, her hands started to warm up.
Mariana’s hands became warm because of a force called friction. Friction occurs whenever two objects rub against each other.
Motion Energy
Friction turns motion energy into heat. Energy is the ability to do work. Work is any change in position, speed, or state of matter due to force.
All moving objects have energy. You use energy to rub your hands together. When you stretch a rubber band, you use energy to move your hands apart. This stores energy in the stretched rubber band. That energy changes back to motion energy when you release the rubber band.
Energy and Forces
Energy is needed to provide force. If a rubber band is stretched enough, it has the energy to provide enough force to move an object.
When you rub your hands together, each hand pushes on the other hand. These are action-reaction forces. The more force you use to rub your hands together, the more energy you use.
Hands-on Science Activity
In this lesson, students use their propeller cars to carry out an investigation that tests how far it travels after rolling over a rough surface and a smooth surface. Then, students compare the distance their propeller cars traveled over the smooth surface (a transparency sheet) and the rough surface (felt). Students analyze the results of their experiment to describe, both verbally and in writing, what question they are seeking to answer, and how their investigation helps them answer it.
Science Assessments
KnowAtom incorporates formative and summative assessments designed to make students thinking visible for deeper student-centered learning.
- Vocabulary Check
- Lab Checkpoints
- Concept Check Assessment
- Concept Map Assessment
- And More...
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Discover hands-on screens-off core science curriculum for student centered K-8 classrooms. KnowAtom supports classrooms with all hands-on materials, curriculum, and professional development to support mastery of the standards.
