Lesson 5 of 84 · Forces and Motion
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabFriction: The Force That Slows
Forces and Motion.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Energy never disappears — it just hides somewhere else.
Mind = Blown
⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: which will move faster, and why?
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
- speed
Materials Needed
- tape
- ruler
- cardboard
- marbles
- paper clips
Safety First
- Do not look directly at the sun or bright lights.
Steps
Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.
Set up a pendulum with string and a washer. Change the string length and count swings per minute for each. Graph your results.
Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.
Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What does friction do?
Where you see this in real life
This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.
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.
For the dinner table
“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on Forces and Motion for 3rd Grade
Get the full Forces and Motion track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.