Lecture 15: Friction

Friction
Friction is the name we give to the force that opposes relative motion between two bodies Frictional forces are in a direction opposite to the velocity of an object sliding over a surface.

Fc
F N

fF

mg g
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Microscopic models
Friction is caused by the microscopic interactions between the two surfaces Microscopic models of friction are complex and must include Roughness of interfaces Sticking or scraping Lubrication We can make an approximate macroscopic model which works well enough to do calculations

Normal and Friction Forces

Consider a body at rest on a rough surface acted on by gravity mg and a force F Since it is at rest there must be a contact force Fc between the body and the surface that cancels the two forces Resolve Fc into components perpendicular and parallel to the surface The perpendicular component is the normal force N which prevents the body penetrating the surface The parallel component is the frictional force fF which prevents the body moving along the surface fF mg g

Fc
F N

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Static Friction

Friction and the normal force

Why is the force of friction proportional to the normal force? 1) The normal force measures how hard the body presses on the surface (Fb,s = -Fs,b) 2) The more the body presses on the surface the more the rough parts interlock The proportionality is only approximate but good enough for most day by day calculations

fF mg g An object at rest on a surface will remain at rest until a certain minimum force is applied. The object is held in place by the force of static friction. Since the object isnt moving fF=F ,equal and opposite At some value of F the object will start to slip The value is proportional to the normal force N The maximum possible force that the friction between two objects can provide is fMAX = SN, with s the coefficient of static friction. So fF S N. As one increases F, fF increases until fF = SN and the object starts to move.
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Static Friction...
S is measured by increasing F until the block starts to slide: i: j: FMAX fF = 0 =FMAX SN N = mg S = FMAX / mg N FMAX j i

Model for Sliding Friction

When a body is sliding the force of friction is that component of the force that the surface exerts on the body that opposes relative motion: Parallel to surface. Perpendicular to Normal force. Opposite to the direction of motion Approximately fK = K N Heavier object greater friction. K the coefficient of kinetic friction. N v

fF=SN

mg g
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fK

mg g
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Applied force vs. frictional force

Additional comments on Friction:

The drop in the frictional force when the object starts moving is because the action of moving smoothes the two surfaces in contact, the bigger peaks are knocked off Since fF = N , the force of friction does not depend on the area of the surfaces in contact. (This is a surprisingly good rule of thumb, but not an exact relation) By definition, it must be true that system (think about it...). S K for any

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Friction coefficients
s Rubber on concrete (dry) Steel on steel Glass on glass Rubber on concrete (wet) Waxed ski on snow (0 C.) Teflon on Teflon
Tipler, Walker

ICQ: Frictional Force

Figure A Figure B Figure C

k 0.8 0.57 0.40 0.25 0.05 0.04

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1.0 0.74 0.94 0.30 0.10 0.04

The blocks shown have equal masses and are made of the same material. They are pulled along at the same velocity on the same surface in each figure. The total frictional force exerted by the surface on the blocks is
a) Greater in figure C than in A or B b) The same in figure C as in A c) The same in figures A, B and C d) The same in figures A and B e) The same in figures B and C
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ICQ: Frictional Force

Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure A

ICQ: Frictional Force

Figure B Figure C

The blocks shown have equal masses and are made of the same material. They are pulled along at the same velocity on the same surface in each figure. The total frictional force exerted by the surface on the blocks is
a) Greater in figure C than in A or B b) The same in figure C as in A c) The same in figures A, B and C d) The same in figures A and B e) The same in figures B and C
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The blocks shown have equal masses and are made of

the same material. They are pulled along at the same velocity on the same surface in each figure. The frictional force is proportional to the normal force, i.e. the total weight of the objects, not the surface area in contact A. F=kMg B. F=k2Mg C. F=kMg+kMg=2kMg

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Typical 1D Sliding Friction problem

Dynamics of the moving block: x: y: F fk = ma N = mg F kmg = ma , fK = kN

Static Friction:
We can also consider S on an inclined plane.

N F ma a fk mg g
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In this case, the force provided by friction will depend on the angle of the plane.

Static Friction...
The force provided by friction, fF , depends on . fF ma = 0 j N (block is not moving) ff= SN j N

Static Friction...
We can find s by increasing the ramp angle until the block slides: mg sin ff = 0 In this case: ff = SN = Smg cos M mg sin M Smg cos M = 0 M mg i M

mg sin ff = 0 mg (Newtons 2nd Law along x-axis)

S = tan M

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Sliding on an Inclined Plane

Now consider the block sliding down the plane Draw free-body diagram:

Inclined plane...
Consider i and j components of i FNET = ma : a mg sin KN = ma N = mg cos

KN N mg

ma

KN ma N mg mg sin i
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mg sin Kmg cos = ma

mg cos j

a / g = sin Kcos

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ICQ: Block on a plane

A block of mass m, when placed on a rough inclined plane ( > 0) and given a brief push, keeps moving down the plane with constant speed. If a similar block (same ) of mass 2m were placed on the same incline and given a brief push, it would: (a) stop m (b) accelerate (c) move with constant speed

ICQ: Block on a plane

A block of mass m, when placed on a rough inclined plane ( > 0) and given a brief push, keeps moving down the plane with constant speed. If a similar block (same ) of mass 2m were placed on the same incline and given a brief push, it would: (a) stop m (b) accelerate (c) move with constant speed

UIUC

UIUC

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ICQ: Block on a plane, solution

Draw FBD and find the total force in the x-direction FNET,X = mg sin Kmg cos = ma = 0 (first case) KN ma mg cos N mg mg sin
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Homework
Read Fishbane Chapters 5.3, 5.4, 5.5 Do Homework problems Chapter 5; 8,9,14,33,34

Doubling the mass will simply double both termsnet force will still be zero! Speed will still be constant!

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