Lesson 5 of 84 · Forces
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabFriction: The Force That Slows
Friction: The Force That Slows.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.
Mind = Blown
⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: where does the energy go?
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
- acceleration
Materials Needed
- blocks
- spring scale
- stopwatch
- pencils
- toy cars
Safety First
- Dispose of materials properly after the experiment.
- Handle glass items carefully to avoid breakage.
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 for 7th Grade
Get the full Forces track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.