Household Lubricants and Friction on Metal
Medium
Does soap slide a steel block down a ramp faster than cooking oil? Lubricants (substances that reduce friction) differ in how slippery they really are. This project puts four common household products to the test.
You build a ramp covered with a smooth aluminum sheet. Then you brush 5 ml of a lubricant onto the surface and release a steel block from the top. A stopwatch records how long the block takes to reach the bottom. You test four household products one at a time.
The results are surprising. Softsoap produced the fastest slide time at 0.63 seconds. Vaseline came in last at 1.22 seconds. A thick substance does not always mean a poor lubricant.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that vegetable oil will lubricate metal the best, followed by baby oil, Softsoap, and Vaseline.
Method & Materials
You will build a ramp, gather materials, measure out 5 ml of lubricant, label the paint brushes, color one end of the metal block, brush the lubricant onto the metal surface, time the block, record the time, and clean the ramp.
You will need a ramp, a steel block, distilled white vinegar, Vaseline, baby oil, vegetable oil, paper towels, a level surface, a stopwatch, a 5 ml calibrated container, four disposable paint brushes, and a permanent marker.
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See what’s includedResults
We found that Softsoap had the best average time, followed by baby oil, vegetable oil, and Vaseline. This was different from our hypothesis, which stated that vegetable oil would work the best. We learned that a substance's ability to lubricate is not determined by its density.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows that a substance's ability to lubricate is not determined by its density.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include testing different angles of the ramp and testing different lengths of the ramp.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related video
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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