ALLIANZE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

FOUNDATION OF MEDICAL STUDIES 2011

PHYSICS LABORATORY REPORT

EXPERIMENT 1:
STATIC AND DYNAMIC

NAME

: NURUL HASANAH BINTI NOR IKHSAN

MATRIX NO. : CPM 33/11C

GROUP

:A

SEMESTER : III
DATE
TITLE
Static and dynamic
OBJECTIVE
To determine the
coefficient of a) Static
friction
b) Kinetic friction

THEORY

: 26.04.2011

Figure 1
Forces of friction is when an object is in motion on a surface or through a viscous medium,
there will be a resistance to the motion. This is due to the interactions between the object and its
environment. Friction that prevents motion from occurring is called static friction, fs while
the one that impedes a motion in progress is called kinetic friction, fk.
Referring to Figure 1, if force, F is increased, frictional force, f also increases and the
object will remain at rest (static). However, for a certain value of F, the object starts to move.
The frictional force at this stage is known as the limiting static friction force, fs which is the
maximum value of f.
f
s

R
f
s

m
g
where s = coefficient of
static friction
fs =static frictional force
R = normal reaction

When the object is in motion, the frictional force is known as kinetic friction, fk . The kinetic frictional
force is less than the static frictional force. That explains why it is difficult to move an object which is
initially at rest, but once it is set in motion, less force is needed to maintain the motion.
Fk = lR
where k = coefficient of static friction
fk =static frictional force
R = normal reaction
Since fk = fs , therefore s > k

APPARATUS
a)
b)
c)
d)

A wooden block
Two sets of slotted mass with hooks
A set of pulley with clamp
Plasticine

PROCEDURE

Figure 2
a) The mass of the wooden block, mb is weighed.
b) The apparatus is set up as in Figure 2. The string from the block must be tied up horizontally to the
pulley.
c) The slotted mass is added onto the hook gradually until the wooden block began to slip. The total
mass, mh is recorded. The step is repeated three times to get the average value of mh.
d) Different masses, mr are added onto the wooden block and step (c) is repeated.
e) Step (d) is repeated for at five different values of mr.
f) A graph of fs against R is plotted where fs = mhg and R = (mr + mh)g. The coefficient of static friction,
s is determined.
g) Step (c) is repeated with a little push exerted to the wooden block every time each mass is added. The
mass, mh is recorded when the block moved slowly and steadily along the plywood.
h) Different masses, mr are added onto the wooden block and step (g) is repeated.
i) Step (h) is repeated for five different values of mr.
j) A graph of fk against R is plotted where fk = mhg and R = (mr + mh)g. The coefficient of kinetic
friction, k is determined from the graph.
k) The results are recorded and tabulated in the table.

RESULT

PART A
Mass of wooden block, mb
Gravity

: 0.234 kg
-2
: 9.8 ms

mb + mr (kg)
0.2340
0.2540
0.2740
0.2940
0.3140

mh (kg)
mh3

mh1

mh2

0.0510
0.0560
0.0560
0.0710
0.0710

0.0510
0.0560
0.0660
0.0610
0.0710

0.0460
0.0560
0.0610
0.0610
0.0710

f s (N)

R (N)

0.4802
0.5488
0.5978
0.6301
0.6958

2.2932
2.4892
2.6852
2.8812
3.0772

mh ave
0.0490
0.0560
0.0610
0.0643
0.0710

Graph of fs(N) against R(N)

0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
fs(N)

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

2.2932

2.4892
2.8812

2.6852
3.0772

R(N)

PART B
Mass of wooden block, mb
Gravity

: 0.234 kg
-2
: 9.8 ms

mb + mr (kg)
0.2340
0.2540
0.2740
0.2940
0.3140

mh (kg)
mh3

mh1

mh2

0.0410
0.0460
0.0510
0.0510
0.0560

0.0410
0.0460
0.0510
0.0560
0.0560

0.0410
0.0460
0.0460
0.0510
0.0560

f k (N)

R (N)

0.4018
0.4508
0.4831
0.5155
0.5488

2.2932
2.4892
2.6852
2.8812
3.0772

mh ave
0.0410
0.0460
0.0493
0.0526
0.0560

Graph of fk(N) against R(N)

0.6
0.5
0.4
fk(N) 0.3

0.2
0.1
0
2.2932

2.4892
2.8812

2.6852
3.0772

R(N)

DISCUSSION
In both experiments, the coefficient of static and kinetic friction s and k. can be determined from the
gradient of the graph as each graph is and fk against R respectively.
Therefore, in part A, the coefficient of static friction, s is :
f s = s R
s = fs/R
= y2 y1
x2 x1
= (0.70 - 0.48)
(3.08 - 2.29)
= 0.22/0.79
= 0.28
In part B, the coefficient of kinetic friction, k. is :
f k = k R
k = fk/R
= y2 y1
x2 x1
= (0.55 - 0.40)
(3.08 - 2.29)
= 0.15/0.79
= 0.19
Static friction is a force that acts to keep an object from moving. At rest, the value of force exerted (F)
is equal to the value of static friction force (f s). Therefore, when F increases, fs also increase.
Theoretically, the value of s is greater than k as it needs more force to move an object from rest. But,
when the object starts to move, less force is needed to maintain the motion. Due to this, in the first
experiment of static friction, no external force (push) is applied on the block. While on the second
experiment of kinetic friction, an external force (push) is applied every time the masses are added to
enable the block to move. This is because kinetic friction is the force that acts when the object is in
motion. This experiment can be said successful because the value of s > k. in which s is 0.28 and k is
0.19.

CONCLUSION
The coefficient of static friction, s is bigger than kinetic friction, k. Hence, more force is needed to move
an object at rest but less force is needed to maintain the motion of a moving object.

PRECAUTION
a) The slotted mass must be added gently and carefully to avoid impulsive force acting on the object
which can ruin the actual result of the experiment.
b) The wooden block must be weighed together with the tied string and plasticine to get an accurate
mass of the wooden block.
c) The force applied on to the object must be constantly exerted to prevent any inaccurate results.
REFERRENCES
Laboratory manual, Static and Dynamic.
Chapter 2: Dynamic and Rotational Motion by Pn. Arihasliza Ariffin.