Heat & Matter · Physics

Friction Simulation

Rub one book over another and zoom into the surfaces. The atoms jiggle faster as they heat up — rub hard enough and some break away.

Interactive virtual lab · no download · works on phones and laptops

Chapter: Friction · Laws of Motion
For: Class 8 · Class 11
Time: ~6 min

Friction is a Pro simulation

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How to use it

1Drag the top book left and right across the bottom one.
2Watch the magnifier and the thermometer.
3Leave it still to let it cool.

What to notice

Friction comes from atoms of the two surfaces snagging on each other.
Rubbing makes the atoms vibrate faster: the surfaces warm up.
Hot atoms at the surface can break loose — that is wear.
Left alone, the surfaces cool as energy spreads out.

For teachers

A ready-made teaching kit comes with this lab

Lesson plan
17 min, 4 steps
Ask the class
3 questions with answers
Quick quiz
6 questions, printable
Key formulas
1 formulas

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About the Friction simulation

Friction comes from the roughness of surfaces at the atomic scale: when two surfaces slide, their atoms catch and pull on each other. The work done against friction doesn't vanish — it makes the atoms jiggle faster, which is heat, and if they get hot enough some break away altogether, which is wear.

This friction simulation zooms in to the atoms of two books. Rub the top one along the bottom and watch the surface temperature rise and atoms break loose; stop, and the surfaces cool back down. It suits Friction in Class 8 and Laws of Motion in Class 11.

Also covers: friction heat, molecular model, thermal energy, surface atoms, wear.