5.2.1
Friction
Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
Friction
Friction is a contact force where two or more objects move or slide over each other.

Surfaces
- Rough surfaces cause more friction.
- Smooth surfaces cause less friction.

Heat
- Friction between objects as they rub against each other creates heat.
- Example: You create heat when you rub your hands together because of the friction between them.

Breaking a bike
- When you squeeze the brakes, they cause more friction on the wheel.
- The extra friction slows down the bike.
- When you release the brakes whilst pedalling, the friction is reduced and the bike speeds up again.
1Year 5: Living Things & Their Habitats
1.1Asexual Reproduction
1.2Sexual Reproduction
1.3Fertilisation
1.4Reproduction in Plants
1.5Life Cycles in Plants
1.6Life Cycles in Mammals
1.7Life Cycles in Amphibians
1.8Life Cycles in Birds
1.9Life Cycles in Insects
1.10Understanding the Natural World
2Year 5: Animals (Including Humans)
3Year 5: Properties & Changes of Materials
3.1Properties of Materials
3.2Separating Mixtures
3.3Experiments
4Year 5: Earth & Space
5Year 5: Forces
5.2Forces that Move Objects
5.3Gears, Levers & Pulleys
6Year 6: Living Things & Their Habitats
6.1Classification of Living Things
7Year 6: Animals (Including Humans)
8Year 6: Evolution & Inheritance
9Year 6: Light
9.1How Do We See?
10Year 6: Electricity
11Year 5 & 6: Working Scientifically
11.1Thinking Scientifically
11.2Scientific Enquiry
11.3Planning an Investigation
11.4Carrying Out an Investigation
11.5Writing Up an Investigation
11.6Conclusions & Discussions
Jump to other topics
1Year 5: Living Things & Their Habitats
1.1Asexual Reproduction
1.2Sexual Reproduction
1.3Fertilisation
1.4Reproduction in Plants
1.5Life Cycles in Plants
1.6Life Cycles in Mammals
1.7Life Cycles in Amphibians
1.8Life Cycles in Birds
1.9Life Cycles in Insects
1.10Understanding the Natural World
2Year 5: Animals (Including Humans)
3Year 5: Properties & Changes of Materials
3.1Properties of Materials
3.2Separating Mixtures
3.3Experiments
4Year 5: Earth & Space
5Year 5: Forces
5.2Forces that Move Objects
5.3Gears, Levers & Pulleys
6Year 6: Living Things & Their Habitats
6.1Classification of Living Things
7Year 6: Animals (Including Humans)
8Year 6: Evolution & Inheritance
9Year 6: Light
9.1How Do We See?
10Year 6: Electricity
11Year 5 & 6: Working Scientifically
11.1Thinking Scientifically
11.2Scientific Enquiry
11.3Planning an Investigation
11.4Carrying Out an Investigation
11.5Writing Up an Investigation
11.6Conclusions & Discussions
Practice questions on Friction
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1
- 2What type of surface will cause more friction?Multiple choice
- 3Where is friction created to slow down a moving bike?Multiple choice
- 4What is correct about friction?True / false
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