Introduction

Have you ever wondered how shoe companies decide what kind of sole to put on the bottom of their shoes? This activity explores the heat produced by friction on different sole materials. You will rub a Temperature Probe back and forth across several different shoe soles to collect temperature data. Then you will compare and analyze your results to decide why different shoes have soles made from different materials.

Objectives

In this activity, you will

  • Predict which shoe sole will get the hottest and which will stay the coolest.
  • Compare the temperatures of different line graphs and analyze your data.
  • Discuss the purpose of each type of shoe, and why the sole is made from that material.