Introduction
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Welcome, boys and girls!
Have you ever noticed that you move slower on grass than on a smooth floor? Or wondered why car tires stick to the road, even when it’s rainy? The force behind all of this is called friction!
In this WebQuest, you'll be exploring friction, a force that’s all around us, even though we don’t always see it. Friction can help us do amazing things, like stop a bicycle or walk without slipping, but it can also create challenges by slowing things down or wearing objects out.
Friction is a force that acts between two surfaces that are moving or trying to move over each other.
Task
At the end of this exploration, you should be able to:
- Correctly define friction
- Explain the causes of friction.
- Describe how friction is evident in your everyday life.
- Demonstrate your understanding by completing evaluative activities.
Process
Task 1
The first stop on our journey is a video showing how sticks can be used to make fire! Sounds amazing, right?
Click the link below to watch the YouTube video.
As you watch the video, keep these questions in mind:
- How did friction help make the fire?
- Can you think of other times when friction makes heat?
Type your responses to the questions above in the class WhatsApp chat.
Task 2
Friction and motion
Do you remember what motion is?
Friction affects the motion of moving objects.
Let's prove it!
For this task you will need a book and a table.
- Try to push the book across the table.
- You can also try to push an eraser on the table.
The force of friction is making it harder because it is pushing against the book. Friction makes it difficult to move objects because it always acts in the opposite direction to the one that the object is trying to move in.
Click the link below to watch a video that will explain how friction affects motion.
https://www.generationgenius.com/?share=1A603
After watching the video, discuss with a family member:
- Which car moved down the ramp the fastest and why?
- How does friction affect motion?
- Is the friction on all surfaces the same ?
Task 3
Head up your notebooks and write this information:
Name:
Date: November 5, 2024
Grade: 5
Subject: Science
Topic: Friction
Objective: Investigate the effects of friction.
Friction is a force that acts between two surfaces or objects that are moving or trying to move across each other.
Friction always acts in the opposite direction to the moving object, and always slows a moving object down. All surfaces create friction on an object moving across them. Even very smooth surfaces, like ice, create some friction.
Air resistance is a type of friction. Gases and liquids create friction as well as solids.
What causes friction?
1. Friction depends on the types of surfaces that touch each other. Smooth surfaces have less friction, so things move faster on them. Rough surfaces have more friction, which makes objects move slower.
2. Friction also depends on how hard surfaces press against each other. When an object is heavier, it creates more friction, so it takes more force to move it, especially on rough surfaces. This happens because the weight pushes the tiny bumps on each surface together, making it harder for the object to slide.
Write down 3 examples of friction in your home:
1. _______________
2._______________
3._______________
STOP WRITING HERE.
Without friction it would be almost impossible to stand up. Can you explain why?
Evaluation
Complete the worksheet that was sent in your class WhatsApp group.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned quite a few things about friction, you should know :
- What friction is
- The causes of friction
- How friction is evident in your everyday life
SHARE WHAT YOU LEARNED IN YOUR CLASS WHATSAPP GROUP.