Sled Physics

The following public service message is directed to nine-year olds in any area where snow, sleds and hills can be found in close proximity to one another.
Sled-riding is a popular winter-time activity, it’s therefore important to understand a few basic rules:

  1. If there is a patch of bare grass on the slope, you should launch your sled from a location where you won’t travel across the grass.
  2. If you do aim your sled so it crosses the grass, the odds are quite good that the sled will suddenly stop moving.
  3. Even though your sled may suddenly stop moving, it’s quite likely that you will continue moving. If you’re wearing a vinyl snow suit, you probably won’t stop moving until you reach the bottom of the slope.

They don’t generally demonstrate it quite that way in school, but this “momentum” stuff will eventually be discussed in science class.