Festival Footwear Friction Explorer

Festival context —Choose a performance surface and set how heavy the performer is. See how surface grippiness and how hard the performer presses down combine to give strong footing — or a slip risk. No numbers needed: just watch the grip outcome change.

S8FE-IIa-9Grade 8 · Quarter 2Investigate Factors Affecting Friction

Festival Footwear Friction Explorer

Interactive Simulator

"Choose a performance surface and set how heavy the performer is. See how surface grippiness and how hard the performer presses down combine to give strong footing — or a slip risk. No numbers needed: just watch the grip outcome change."

Festival Footwear Friction Stage

✓ GRIP OK

Heavier performer → presses harder → more grip. Slick surface → less grip regardless of weight.

Adjust Variables

Performance surface

Performer mass (kg)55 kg

35100

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Grip OutcomeStrong grip

SurfaceGrippy (rough)

Press on floorLight — presses less

friction_grip

Community Hub — Cultural Discussion

Reflect & Connect

The festival is held outdoors and it rained the night before. The concrete plaza is still slightly wet. Using this simulator, which surface gives performers the safest footing, and which is most likely to cause a slip? What footwear recommendations would you give the festival safety officer to keep performers from slipping during high-energy choreography?

Discuss with your class or write your response in your science journal.

Performance Task

Feel Friction on Different Surfaces

1Do

Place a heavy book (or your packed school bag) on three different surfaces in sequence: a smooth tiled floor, a carpeted or grassy area, and a slightly wet tiled surface (carefully dampen with a few drops of water). Try to slide the bag across each surface by pushing it with one steady finger.

2Measure

Rate each surface's resistance on a scale of 1–5 (1 = slides easily, 5 = very hard to slide). Note the surface type and your rating. Then press down on the bag with your other hand and try sliding it again — does pressing harder make it easier or harder to slide?

3Reflect

Rank your surfaces from grippiest to most slippery. How does your ranking compare to the simulator (dry gym floor = strong grip, wet grass = slip risk)? You should also notice that pressing the bag down harder makes it harder to slide — the same reason a heavier performer grips the floor more firmly. No formula is needed: friction is about grippy-vs-smooth surfaces and how hard they press together. This connects to S8FE-IIa-9.

Record your measurements and reflections in your science journal.

Module Overview

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