UNITVFRICTIONANDELEMENTSOFRIGIDBODYDYNAMICS

5.1Friction
Aforcewhichpreventsthemotionormovementofthebodyiscalledfrictionorforceof
frictionanditsdirectionisoppositetotheappliedexternalforceormotionofthebody.Friction
isaforceofresistanceactingonabodywhichpreventsorretardsmotionofthebody.OrWhena
bodyslidesuponanotherbody,thepropertyduetowhichthemotionofonerelativetotheother
isretardediscalledfriction.Thisforcealwaysactstangenttothesurfaceatpointsofcontact
withotherbodyandisdirectedoppositetothemotionofthebody.
5.1.1Explanation

Theotherendofthestringisconnectedtothespringbalance.Applyanexternalforceonthe
balance.Graduallyincreasethemagnitudeoftheexternalforce.Initiallythebodywillnotmove
andtheeffectoftheappliedforceisnullified.Thisisbecausethereactsaforceontheblock
whichopposesthemotionormovementoftheblock.Thenatureofthisopposingforceiscalled
friction.Itdependsuponmanyfactors.Themajorcauseoffrictionisthemicroscopicroughness
ofthecontactsurfaces.Nosurfaceisperfectlysmooth.Everysurfaceiscomposedofcrestsand
fallsasshowninfigb.Itistheinterlockingofthecrestsofonesurfaceintothefallsoftheother
surfacewhichproducestheresistanceagainstthemovementofonebodyovertheotherbody.
Whentheforceexertedissufficienttoovercomethefriction,themovementensuresandthe
crestsarebeingshearedoff.Thisgivesrisetoheatandraisesthelocaltemperature.Thisisalso
thereasonofthewearofthecontactsurfaces.Thisphenomenonoffrictionnecessitatesthe
presenceofluidfilmbetweenthetwosurfacestoavoidwearofsurfaces.Theprocessofcreating
thefluidfilmiscalledlubrication
5.2TypesofFriction
Frictionisofthefollowingtwotypes.
5.2.1StaticFriction

Itisthefrictionactingonthebodywhenthebodyisatthestateofrestorthefriction
called into play before the body tends to move on the surface is called static friction. The
magnitudeofthestaticfrictionisequaltotheappliedforce.Itvariesfromzerotomaximum
untilthemovementensures.
5.2.2DynamicFriction
Itisthefrictionactingonthebodywhenbodyisinmotioniscalleddynamicfriction.
Dynamicfrictionisalsoknownaskineticfriction.Themagnitudeofthedynamicfrictionis
constant.
Thedynamicfrictionhastwotypes
i. SlidingFriction
ii. ii.RollingFriction
i.Slidingfriction
Theslidingfrictionactsonthosebodies,whichslideovereachotherforexamplethe
frictionbetweenpiston,andcylinderwillslidefrictionbecausethemotionofthemotionofthe
pistonincylinderisslidingandthereissurfacecontactbetweenpistonandcylinder.
ii.RollingFriction
Therollingfrictionactsonthosebodieswhichhavepointcontactwitheachotherfor
examplethemotionofthewheelontherailwaytrackistheexampleofrollingmotionandthe
frictionbetweenthewheelandrailwaytrackisrollingfriction.Itisexperimentallyfoundthat
themagnitudeoftheslidingfrictionismorethantherollingfrictionbecauseintherolling
frictionthereisapointcontactratherthansurfacecontact.
5.3LimitingFriction
Themaximumfriction(beforethemovementofbody)whichcanbeproducedbythe
surfacesincontactisknownaslimitingfriction.Itisexperimentallyfoundthatfrictiondirectly
variesastheappliedforceuntilthemovementproducesinthebody.

LetustrytoslideabodyofweightwoveranotherbodybyaforcePasshowninfig
AlittleconsiderationwillshowthatthebodywillnotmovebecausethefrictionFwhich
preventsthemotion.ItshowsthattheappliedforcePisexactlybalancedbytheforceoffriction
actingintheoppositedirectionofappliedforceP.ifweincreasetheforcePbyincreasingthe

weightinthepan,thefrictionFwilladjustitselfaccordingtoappliedforcePandthebodywill
not
move.Thustheforceoffrictionhasapropertyofadjustingitsmagnitudetobecomeexactly
equalandoppositetotheappliedforcewhichtendstoproducethemotion.Thereishowevera
limitbeyondwhichthefrictioncannotincrease.Iftheappliedforceincreasesthislimittheforce
offrictioncannotbalanceappliedforceandbodybeginstomoveinthedirectionofapplied
force.Thismaximumvalueoffriction,whichactsonbodyjustbegintomove,isknownas
limitingfriction.Itmaybenotedthatwhentheappliedforceislessthanthelimitingfrictionthe
bodyremainsatrest,andthefrictioniscalledstaticfriction,whichmayhaveanyvalueszeroto
limitingfriction.
5.4NormalReaction
Let us consider a body A of weight W rest over another surface B and a force P acting
on thebodytoslidethebodyonthesurfaceBasshowninfig
R

Body

Surface

W=mg
AlittleconcentrationwillshowthatthebodyApressesthesurfaceBdownwardequalto
weightofthebodyandinreactionsurfaceBliftthebodyinupwarddirectionofthesame
magnitudebutinoppositedirectionthereforethebodyinequilibriumthisupwardreactionis
termedasnormalreactionanditisdenotedbyRorN.
Note
ItisnotedtheweightWisnotalwaysperpendiculartothesurfaceofcontactandhence
normalreactionRisnotequaltotheweightWofbodyinsuchacasethenormalreactionis
equaltothecomponentofweightperpendiculartosurface.
5.5CoEfficientofFriction
Theratiooflimitingfrictionandnormalreactioniscalledcoefficientoffriction
andisdenoted by .
LetR=normalreaction
AndF=forceoffriction(limitingfriction)
= Co efficient
of friction F/R
=
F=R
5.6LawsofFriction

Theselawsarelistedbelow:
5.6.1LawsofStaticFriction
Theforceoffrictionalwaysactsinadirectionoppositetothatinwhichthebodytendsto
move.
Themagnitudeofforceofstaticfrictionisjustsufficienttopreventabodyfrommoving
anditisequaltotheappliedforce.
Theforceofstaticfrictiondoesnotdependupon,shape,area,volume,sizeetc.aslongas
normalreactionremainsthesame.
Thelimitingforceoffrictionbearsaconstantratiotonormalreactionandthisconstant
ratioiscalledcoefficientofstaticfriction.
5.6.2LawsofDynamicFriction
Whenabodyismovingwithcertainvelocity,itisopposedbyaforcecalledforceof
dynamicfriction.
Theforceofdynamicfrictioncomesintoplayduringthemotionofthebodyandassoon
asthebodystops,theforceoffrictiondisappears.
Theforceofdynamicfrictionisindependentofarea,volume,shape,sizeetc.ofthebody
solongthenormalreactionremainsthesame.However,tosomeextentitvarieswiththe
magnitudeof
velocityofthebody.Forceofdynamicfrictionishighforlowspeedsandlowforvery
highspeeds.
Theratioofforceofdynamicfrictionandnormalreactiononthebodyiscalled
coefficientofdynamicfriction.