The Science of Friction and Inclined
Planes
Elsa Lau | UBC PHYS 420C | 2024-25
Overview and
Purpose
Many students view
forces, especially friction force, the most boring part of the Physics 11
curriculum... probably because nothing has the potential to explode. But
friction is at work all around us and can be surprisingly difficult to
understand!
The goal of this demo is
to present this topic in an engaging way by exploring the effects of friction,
and the factors that affect friction force on inclined planes in a variety of
ways (visual, hands-on, individual and collaborative).
It is assumed that
students have already learned about friction on flat surfaces, but some time is
spent reviewing this at the beginning of the lesson.
This website includes
instructions on how to recreate or build your own multi-track ramp, as well as
all teaching materials for a 60-minute lesson (slides, lesson plan, and
worksheet). They are available for download or can serve as a jumping-off point
for anyone looking to teach a similar lesson.