Why does a rolling stone eventually come to a stop?

A rolling stone slows down and stops because something pushes back against it as it moves.

Imagine you're on a swing at the park. When you swing forward, you go fast, but when you get to the top of your arc, you start to slow down. That’s because gravity is pulling you back toward the center. Similarly, when a stone rolls across the ground, it keeps moving forward, but the ground isn’t just sitting still, it’s actually rubbing against the stone as it moves.

• The ground and the stone are like two friends playing tag. As the stone rolls forward, the ground doesn't let it go without a fight.
• This fight is called friction, and it's like the ground is giving the stone little nudges to slow it down.

Eventually, all that pushing back makes the stone lose its energy, kind of like how you get tired after running for a while. Without enough energy left, the stone can’t keep rolling, so it comes to a stop.