We Have the Need for Speed! — STJ on the Move

We tested how friction affects how far a toy car will travel. Friction is a force that slows down moving things. - Matilda Machin, 2nd grade

Toy cars, start your engines! Using a "race track,” yard stick, and materials with various surfaces, second grade students conducted an experiment to measure how friction affects the speed of a toy car. Keeping friction in mind, students discussed which surface they thought would produce the fastest race time and farthest distance. Each hypothesis was then tested. Surfaces like tin foil, sandpaper, and paper towels produced different speeds and distances.