Why do we slip on ice?

You're walking along the pavement with ease, and the moment you step onto an icy patch your legs go out of control. Same shoes, same step, same weight. The only thing that changes is the invisible grip between your foot and the ground. The reason we can walk and the reason we fall are one and the same force: friction.

On this journey you'll first see what a force is and how it is measured. Then you'll test why nothing moves when two forces balance each other, and what changes when the balance is broken. In the friction simulation you'll push the same box across different surfaces and measure for yourself why ice is so slippery.

In the last step, speed comes into play: how far does a sliding object travel, and how long does it take to stop? By the end, you'll know enough physics to explain why you take smaller steps on an icy slope next winter.