Score: 0
End 1/8 Call: Draw μ 0.30
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About Curl Code

Sweep the ice to lower friction in this free online friction game. Slide curling stones into the house, master kinetic vs static friction, tilted-sheet forces and takeout collisions.

Curl Code is a free online friction game where you deliver virtual curling stones down an ice sheet and literally lower the friction under them by sweeping. Every delivery starts with an impulse from your pull-back aim, then kinetic friction takes over, bleeding speed until the stone stops. Your job is to land it inside the house rings, smash rival stones out with takeouts and survive rough ice, fast lanes and tilted ridges across eight ends.

Each mechanic maps onto real mechanics equations. A sliding stone feels a kinetic friction force f = mu_k*N opposite its motion, so it decelerates at a = mu_k*g: that is why stopping distance grows with the square of launch speed. Sweeping drops mu_k, which is exactly what real sweepers do when their brooms warm the pebble and thin the meltwater film. Rough patches crank mu_k up, while tilted bands decompose gravity into a downhill pull g*sin(theta) and a reduced normal force N = mg*cos(theta), so stones drift sideways and static friction decides whether a parked stone holds or creeps. Stone-on-stone hits are near-elastic collisions where momentum p = mv passes through the contact point.

Friction is the quiet hero of everyday physics: it lets shoes grip, brakes stop cars and climbers trust a rope, yet it also wastes energy as heat wherever surfaces slide. Curling turns that invisible force into strategy, which is why engineers still argue about the exact mix of frictional heating, pressure melting and pebble mechanics that makes a swept stone travel farther.

Key Science Concepts

What You'll Learn

Grade Level: Middle School, High School

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How to play

  1. 1. Pull & Aim Drag the stone back to set direction and speed. The ghost ring shows where it stops on unswept ice.
  2. 2. Deliver the Stone Release to throw! The stone must cross the far hog line and stop inside the rings to score.
  3. 3. Sweep the Ice While the stone glides, scrub the ice ahead of it. Swept streaks lower mu and extend the glide.
  4. 4. Read the Ice Rough patches grab stones, fast lanes carry them and tilted ridges pull them downhill. Watch the live mu readout.
  5. 5. Takeouts & Guards Smash rival stones out of play for +180. Guards block your line, so curl around or go through them.
  6. 6. Follow the Call Each end has a Skip's Call worth +80. Grab Frost Sparkles for +60 and tap the Sweep gauge for a Zamboni burst.

Frequently asked questions

Is Curl Code free to play?
Yes. Curl Code is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, install or account needed.
What grade level is Curl Code for?
Curl Code is designed for Middle School, High School students and works well as a classroom activity or homework.
Does Curl Code work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Curl Code runs in any modern browser on desktop computers, Chromebooks, tablets and phones in landscape mode.

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