Essay On Coefficient Of Friction

The objective of this lab is to determine the coefficients of static and kinetic friction between a block of wood and wooden table. It was hypothesized that the mass of the object would not impact the coefficient of friction. It was also hypothesized that the coefficient of static friction would be larger than the coefficient of kinetic friction.

Introduction Friction is a force between two surfaces that provides traction to conduct most human activities. At a microscopic level, all surfaces are rough, and when they slide against each other, there is a resistance to slide that needs to be overcome by the application of a force. This force is called the force of friction. It can be either static or kinetic. It is static when the force acts on a stationary object, and is kinetic when it acts on a moving object.

An important aspect of the force of friction is the amount of resistance offered the surface under consideration. The force of friction is:

Ff = µFN

As such: µ = Ff/FN

Since the movement of the block is at constant velocity, FA= Ff

Where Ff =

When an attempt is made to push a car from rest on concrete, the coefficient of static friction is so high (almost 1). However, once the car starts to move, it is easier to keep pushing it because the coefficient of kinetic friction is lower (almost 0.8). Similarly, when an attempt is made to push a car from rest on a wet road, the coefficient of static friction is not that high (almost 0.6). However, once the car starts to move, it is easier to keep pushing it because the coefficient of kinetic friction on wet road is lower (almost 0.4). Furthermore, when an attempt is made to push a car from rest on snow, the coefficient of static friction is lower (almost 0.3). However, once the car starts to move, it is easier to keep pushing it because the coefficient of kinetic friction on snow is lower (almost