This week in Science, Year 3 investigated the effects of friction on different surfaces.

We started by discussing how a cyclist can travel over different surfaces and how the harder a cyclist pedals, the faster the bike will move. The children then explored how might different surfaces affect the speed the bike moves. The children enjoyed their observations and were abled to explain in pairs that friction causes an object to be held back as it works in the opposite direction to the movement of the object.

In groups, children completed an investigation using toy cars on different surfaces to see how different surfaces cause different amounts of friction. Materials tested were: fabric, plastic board, newspaper and floor tiles.