The science of skating

The weather is supposed to take a bit of a turn for the chilly temperatures this weekend. I think this is a welcome change in the weather as it will be able to firm up and make some stable ice on those fantastic outdoor rinks around town!

I know many people who are looking forward to getting out and doing some skating or perhaps even some shinny on the ice — socially distanced of course! Well, you know me; this makes me think about the science of skating. Let’s investigate further!

Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment

Materials

• Large kitchen tea towel

• Ice cubes

• Dull table knife

• Stop watch

• Study work surface

• Adult helper

Procedure

• Fold the tea towel several times and lay it on a flat surface.

• Place one ice cube in the middle of the towel.

• Have an adult help you with this step for safety. Carefully hold the thick side of the dull knife blade on the ice cube. Gently push down and hold.

• Using the stopwatch, time for 60 seconds and release.

• Lift off the knife and observe the ice cube.

• What do you see?

• This time, hold the thin side of the blade against the ice.

• Time for 60 seconds and release.

• What do you see this time?

What is going on?

You should have observed that the thicker side of the knife blade had very little effect on the ice cube. Nothing really happened. Once you turned the knife over to the thinner side and held it there for a few seconds, you should have observed a little cut or groove in the ice cube.

In this experiment you were mimicking what an ice skate does. You do not notice or have not put much thought into how they work, but there is some interesting science at work here! When you stand on your skates, your body weight exerts pressure on that thin little metal skate blade. As a result of this pressure (just like pushing on the knife), the ice under the skate blade begins to melt. This thin layer of water is now under your skates as you whiz around the ice. You are able to do so well because this thin layer of water creates less friction between your skates and the ice and you can glide freely along the ice all afternoon long!

Stay tuned on social media and here as details and helpful hints for the 2021 virtual Kiwanis Southeastern Alberta Regional Science Fair are released! I am excited about the possibilities and all the exciting projects my favorite young scientists will be doing. Of course, if you need help with anything, never hesitate to reach out to me at any time!

Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, www. praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@ praxismh.ca