Book 1, Question 116 · Video
How Does Velcro Stick? Tiny Hooks and Loops!
Velcro sticks using hooks and loops. One side is covered with tiny stiff hooks, and the other side has tiny soft loops, and the hooks catch the loops until you peel them apart. The
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. How does Velcro stick?
The Big Idea
Velcro is called a hook-and-loop fastener. One strip is covered in thousands of tiny hooks, and the other strip is covered in thousands of tiny loops. When they meet, they grab on!
Tiny Hooks
Step one: one side is tiny hooks. Look closely, and you'll see rows of tiny, stiff, curved hooks, usually made of plastic. They're ready to grab onto anything loopy!
Tiny Loops
Step two: the other side is tiny loops. This side feels soft and fuzzy, because it's covered in a tangle of soft, bendy loops. They're just waiting to be grabbed.
Catch and Peel
Step three: the hooks catch the loops, then peel apart. Press the sides together, and thousands of hooks snag thousands of loops. They hold on tight! But when you peel, you pull just a few hooks free at a time, And that makes the ripping sound you hear!
A Closer Look
Let's look at them magnified, up close! The hooks are stiff, curved, and ready to hook on. The loops are soft, flexible, and ready to catch hooks. One hook alone is weak, but thousands together make a strong grip!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! The idea came from burrs: prickly seed pods that cling to fur and clothes. A Swiss engineer named George de Mestral looked at burrs under a microscope, and saw tiny hooks! The name Velcro mixes two French words: velours, meaning velvet, and crochet, meaning hook. Astronauts use Velcro to keep things from floating away in space!
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Look closely at a burr on a sock, or at a Velcro strip, with a magnifying glass. What do you notice? Can you spot the tiny hooks? Sketch what you see. Then try sticking the hook side to smooth paper. Does it grab? Why not?
Outro
So Velcro is a clever idea borrowed from nature: tiny hooks and tiny loops, grabbing on together! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!