Mississippi Science P.5.6.6
The Standard
- P.5.6
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the factors that affect the motion of an object through a study of Newton's Laws of Motion.
Design a system to increase the effects of friction on the motion of an object (e.g., non-slip surfaces or vehicle braking systems or flaps on aircraft wings). Use an engineering design process to define the problem, design, construct, evaluate, and improve the system. *
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Motions, Forces, and Energy
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students design a ramp surface that slows a sliding block before it reaches a tape line. They test it from the same starting mark, measure how far the block travels, and improve the surface if the block slides too far.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can build a surface that keeps the block behind the tape line in repeated tests. They use slide distances to explain their change and how friction slows the block.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think a rough-looking material will always stop every object fastest. They may also compare runs started at different heights and credit the surface for the change.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A block slides past the tape line on a ramp. Sketch one change to the ramp surface, explain how it would increase friction, and name what you would measure in the next test.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Test felt, foil, and rubber on a cardboard ramp; slide a wooden block from one mark, measure travel, then revise the best liner.
Ask, 'Why did the block travel less on rubber than on foil?' Have students support their answer with distances from two tests.
Play a design-choice game with slide distances of 40 cm on foil, 26 cm on felt, and 18 cm on rubber; award points for evidence.
Examine a sneaker sole and a smooth dress shoe sole; sketch a shoe sole for a wet sidewalk and label where friction prevents slipping.
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Printable P.5.6.6 Worksheet
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