Conceptual Physics Is Hardly a Drag
It’s not often that physics classes need to call in support from a Zamboni, but for ninth-grade conceptual physics, a good resurfacing of Akerstrom Arena was in order. That’s because students in Andrew Bridges’ conceptual physics classes took to the ice for a two-part friction lab that generated far more smiles than drag — or fluid resistance.
Conceptual physics is a course is designed to prepare students to understand the forces governing the world and their everyday interactions with it. This hands-on experiment demonstrated how surface type can influence resistance.
Working in teams, students dragged small sleds covered with different materials — cork, mirror, sandpaper, and vinyl — across both a classroom rug and then a fresh sheet of ice. By measuring the weight of each sled and the force needed to get — and keep — it moving, students were able to calculate the coefficient of friction for each material. This value describes how much two surfaces resist sliding past one another.
“This kind of hands-on experiment promotes a deep and intuitive understanding of friction,” Bridges explained, “a force that, after all, is part of our everyday lives. ”As students expected mirror on ice proved the slipperiest, while sandpaper on carpet was the roughest.Check out photos from the conceptual physics friction lab.
