STEM Olympics: Understanding Friction in Curling

What is the main role of the brushes used by curlers in the sport of curling?

• To increase friction

• To reduce friction

• To make the ice smoother

• To slow down the rock.

In curling, what is the purpose of sweeping in front of the rock?

• To create a vacuum

• To guide the rock to the target

• To increase the rock's weight

• To stop the rock

What is the texture of the ice surface in curling?

• Smooth like glass

• Bumpy like an orange peel

• Rough like sandpaper

• Slippery like oil

Why do granite rocks not absorb water in curling?

• They are hydrophilic

• They are hydrophobic

• They are porous

• They are magnetic.

The transfer of kinetic energy in curling is an example of ________.

• a chemical reaction

• an elastic collision

• a magnetic force

• a gravitational pull

What happens when a curling stone collides with another stone?

• It stops immediately

• Kinetic energy is transferred

• It melts the ice

• It changes color.

What is the main goal of a curling team during a game?

• To melt the ice

• To knock another team's rocks out of the target area

• To make the ice smoother

• To stop the rock.

How does the bumpy surface of the ice affect the curling rock?

• It increases friction

• It reduces friction

• It stops the rock

• It makes the rock heavier.

In curling, the rocks are made of ________.

• marble

• granite

• limestone

• sandstone

What is friction?

• A) A force that opposes motion

• B) A type of energy

• C) A form of heat

• D) A kind of material