The Friction
Challenge
The background
 You have got a job working for the toy
manufacturers Hot Wheels
 You are working
on a new loop the
loop ramp for the
cars.
 But there is a
problem…..
 The cars are
being released
from the top but
friction is
stopping them
from getting the
whole way to the
finish.
 The children are
NOT happy!!
 Your challenge is to
design an
investigation. You
must be able to
recommend a
material which is
best for the orange
part of the track and
another material that
would be suitable for
the grey part of the
track. Your decision
must be backed up
by your research.
Think about
FRICTION.
What does the
friction need to
be like on the
orange part of
the track?
How will this be
different to the
friction needed
on the grey part
of the track?






You will be given
A toy car
A ramp
4 Different materials
A metre ruler
A pencil and paper
 How will you come to your decision?
 You have 5 minutes to plan your
investigation.
 You will then have to give each person in
the group a role.
 This must be a
Friction Challenge – Key Questions
 What are you trying to measure in this
challenge?
 How can you use the cars and the materials
to test friction?
 How will you know if there is more or less
friction?