Pebbled Friction: The Tribology of Curling Ice

Curling is often perceived as a slow, peculiar winter sport involving brooms and heavy stones. In reality, it is the most complex manipulation of friction and thermodynamics in all of athletics. A 40-pound solid granite stone cannot simply glide 150 feet across flat ice; it would grind to a halt within yards. The secret lies entirely in the specific tribology of the surface. This educational gui...