MAPUA INSTITUTE OF

TECHNOLOGY Department of
Physics

E105: Friction

Yagi, Kenta B.
2014102958 BSME-2 Group 5
PHY10L-A4

SCORE:
Title page 20/20

Data Sheet 20/20

Analysis 30/30
Conclusion 15/30
TOTAL 85

Prof. Sarkhan Baun

Instructor
November 26, 2015
Analysis
Backtracking to the previous experiments, Experiment 104 is interrelated to
the experiment to be done. The reason is because the Laws of Motion and Forces
are still correlated to Friction. Frictional Forces or Friction which is categorized
under the type of force which is the Contact Force. Recalling Contact Force, it is
a force due to the interaction of two different
surfaces. Along with the Frictional Force,
Normal Force Coexist with it.

A Normal Force (N) is produced when a

body or an object is pressing against a surface,
trying to prevent the body from going through
the surface. This Force is always perpendicular
with respect to the surface. (Figure 1) Figure 1

Understanding the concept of Frictional Forces it is when a body that moves

on a certain direction like for example a book sliding on a table heading towards
someone. The force pushes the book to head to the receiver and yet there is
another force opposing the said motion, and it is known as Friction. It is either a
Static Friction or a Kinetic Friction. When friction between contact surfaces are
present, it generates sound, light, heat and energy. This is also referred to as
Retarding Forces or a Drag Force in the form of air resistance. (Figure 2)

Static Friction or Frictional Resistance opposes impending motion and is

greater to the point where the body is about to start. A Kinetic Friction takes place
when the body starts to move and it opposes two impending motions between
surfaces. While Kinetic Friction is a constant, Static Friction increases in
response to any increase in impending motion until maximum value is attained. If
the maximum value is reached, then the object will start to move.
 Figure 2
Frictional Force is Directly Proportional to Normal Force (N) which is
expressed

(1)

The Coefficient of Friction (µ) is value that shows the relationship between
the force of friction between two objects and the normal force between the
objects. It takes the place of k in equation (1).
(2)
=µ

If an object slides down on an inclined surface

due to its own weight, then the angle between the
horizontal and the inclination is called the Angle of
Repose or the Limiting Angle. (Figure 3)
Along the y – axis: ∑ = , =

Along the x – axis: ∑ = , =

The Coefficient of Friction can be computed by using: Figure 3

µ= = , µ=

(3)
By summing up forces along x and y – axes, and equating the forces to zero,
the theoretical value of is:

∑ =

= +Ø
(4)
but = µ

∑ =

=Ø
(5)

Therefore:
(6)
= µØ +Ø

Experiment 105 is entitled Friction. In this experiment, we are about to

observe the relationships between the Weight of the Pan and the Weight of the
Block. Furthermore, we are to analyze how does the Tangent of the Angle of
Repose related to the Coefficient of Friction.

For this experiment, there are two objectives. The first objective was to
determine the Coefficient of Friction (µ) between contact surfaces as one body
moves with a uniform motion. As discussed from the other experiments, an object
travelling at a uniform motion means that it is having a constant acceleration. The
next objective is to establish the relationship between the angle of repose ( ) and
µ.

The equipment used were a Friction Block which is used as the object the
will be travelling in the Dynamics Track. Also it is one of the body that will be
experiencing Friction. Along with the friction block, the other object experiencing
friction is the Dynamics Track because it is the surface wherein the block is being
in contact with. The End Stop is then attached near the end of the track. The Super
Pulley is clamped at the end of the track so that the motion of the block will follow
through the direction of the resultant converging the horizontal motion to a vertical
motion or vice versa. A Set of Weights will be placed in either the Friction block
or the Mass Hanger to measure the relationship between the two. Meterstick will
be used in measuring the height when the track is leveled. The Angle Indicator is
placed on the sides of the track to measure its angle of inclination. Lastly, the Iron
Stand levels the track during the preceding parts of the experiment. The Pivot
Clamp in the stand is used to secure the track.

The first part of the experiment is Determining the

Coefficient of Friction. It is where an object will be pulled
by a certain resultant and observing what mass of the
resultant can make the object be able to move. The set – up
was placing the Dynamics Track on a flat surface. One end
of the string will be tied on the Friction Block while the
other end is attached to the Mass Hanger. The block is
placed gently on the track (Figure 4) and the mass hanger is
left suspended, and the string rests on the super pulley
(Figure 5). Adjustments are done to the string so that the
block will have a space or room for its displacement. Also to Figure 4
be noted is that the path of the mass hanger should be clear from any object to
prevent mistakes. After placing the equipment accordingly, different set of weights
are being added to the mass hanger and the block. The movement of the block is
the main concern in this experiment. In the first trial, after noticing the movement
of the block, the weight on the mass hanger is recorded and also the weight of the
block. During the preceding trials, it is needed to add a small amount of weight on
the block (Figure 6) and so does the mass hanger (Figure 7) to test what different
masses will be needed to make the block move. Each trial consists of different
masses being placed on both the block and mass hanger. An initial slight push is
needed to make the block move smoothly across the track. The procedure repeats
itself until five trials are met. Once the data has been gathered, the relationship
between the weight of the mass hanger and Friction Block is graphed. Also to be
noted, mass of the mass hanger which is 5 g is always considered during the
whole experiment.

Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7

 Table 1 shows that data gathered during the first part of the experiment. The
initial mass of the Friction Block is 138.9 g. The Weight of the Block + the Weight
added ( ) is the initial weight of the Friction Block with the additional weight
coming from the slotted mass. After each trial, different sets of masses are placed
on top of the block making each trial different than the others. The Weight of the
Pan + the Weight added ( ) on the other hand is the initial mass of the Mass
Hanger plus the different set of slotted mass that is placed on it. The initial mass of
the Mass Hanger is 5 g and it is accounted in measuring the weight as it is being
increased. Lastly, the Coefficient of Friction (µ) which is computed by dividing the
Weight of the Pan + the Weight added by the Weight of the Block + the Weight
added. The Coefficient of Friction is computed for each trial and after calculating
their corresponding coefficients. Once done the coefficient friction is computed,
their average is then solved. The average of the coefficient of friction we obtained
was 0.2681.

Table 1. Determination of the Coefficient of Friction

Trial ( +), ( +), Coefficient of Friction,
µ

1 138.9 g 35 g 0.2519
2 158.9 g 40 g 0.2517
3 168.9 g 45 g 0.2664
4 178.9 g 50 g 0.2795
5 188.9 g 55 g 0.2912
Average coefficient of friction, µ 0.2681
 Figure 8 shows the relationship between the Weight of the Pan + Weight
added and the Weight of the Block + Weight Added. It can clearly be seen that the
relationship adjoining the two is Directly Proportional which means that as one
of the components increases, there is a need to increase the other component to
make the object move or slide. If there’s not enough force to pull the object even if
it’s slightly pushed, then no uniform motion will be seen.

Part A: Determination of Coefficient of Friction

Weight
60
of Pan
+
Weight 55
Added 55
50
50
45
45
40
40
35
35
30
138.9 158.9 168.9 178.9 188.9
Weight of the Block + Weight Added

Figure 8
The next part of the experiment is Determining the Angle of Repose. The
Angle of Repose is again the angle between the incline and horizontal wherein it
is a moment when the block slides down by itself due to its own weight (Figure
9). This is done by letting the object slide down from a certain inclination and
observing what angle makes the block move with a uniform sliding motion. The
difference between the set – up for this part of the experiment is that the string
from the Friction Block is removed and the Dynamics Track is leveled or inclined
Figure 9

Figure 10

to a certain angle. The block is placed at the center of the

track while the track itself is being inclined to a certain
angle that can make the block move. The motion of the
block being observed in this part should be similar to the
motion during Part A. The Dynamics Track is now
clamped to the Iron Stand to incline it to a certain height.
After determining the height for
 the block to be in motion, it is
again given an initial slight push to
make it slide smoothly on the
track. The vertical distance and
horizontal distance is measured (Figure 10). The Vertical
Distance is measured from ground to the height of the
inclination while the Horizontal Distance is measured
starting from the base of the Iron Stand to the end of the
Track. Recording the vertical and horizontal distance, five
trials should be done in total with different heights and
while the horizontal changes depending on it.

Table 2 shows the set of data during each trial of the experiment. The
Vertical Height (h) is first tested on a height of 29 cm and after noticing the block
sliding down the track, it is confirmed that it is an Angle of Repose. The
Horizontal Distance (b) is measured from each end of the track, starting from the
end of the track touching the ground below the other end. The is the ratio
between the two legs of the right triangle being formed by the track and the
ground. is acquired by using the inverse tangent.
Table 2. Determination of the Angle of Repose
Trial Vertical Height, Horizontal Distance,
h b

1 29 cm 116 cm 29 / 116 14.04 ⁰

2 31 cm 115 cm 31 / 115 15.09 ⁰

3 33 cm 114.5 cm 33 / 114.5 16.08 ⁰

4 35 cm 114 cm 35 / 114 17.07 ⁰

5 37 cm 113 cm 37 / 113 18.13 ⁰

The last part of the experiment

is about the Determination of

Maximum Force that Causes
Uniform Motion. The set – up in this
part is a combination between the
first two parts. The string is again
attached to the Friction Block and
the Super Pulley is also clamped to Figure 11

the edge of the track. The Angle Indicator is also fastened on the side of the track
to easily determine its angle. The Focus now in leveling the track is about the
angle of inclination not the height of it. It is inclined at a 20⁰ initially (Figure 11)
and after each trial it will be altered. Once the track is inclined, the string is set to
rest on the pulley to connect the two directions (Figure 12). And using Newton’s
First Law of Motion, we determine the Theoretical Value of the Weight of the Pan
+ Weight Added that will cause the block to slide up with a constant speed. By the
time the first trial is completed, record the data obtained for further use. During the
next trial, a 50 g of weight is mounted on the block and another 3⁰ angle is added
to the initial angle (Figure 13) to deter what difference would it result if the
inclination is changed. Again, different sets of weights are placed to the Mass Hanger
and making sure that the block will move at a uniform motion upward. The slight
push is still applied to make it move smoothly. The data is recorded if the block slides
correspondingly. Doing this for five trials with different sets of angles and weights on
the Mass Hanger. After computing for the experimental value
for , the Percentage Difference will be computed.

Figure 13

Figure 12

Table 3 shows the data used and obtained during the part of the experiment. The Ø symbol is
used to represent the angle being used. The angle starts at 20⁰ and it is being increased 3⁰ by every trial.
The Theoretical Value for the Weight of the Pan + Weight Added ( ( )) is computed by first
multiplying the Average Coefficient obtained in Table 1 and the Weight of the Block + Weight Added and
Ø . The product of these is added to the product of the Weight of the Block + Weight Added and Ø . The
Experimental Value for the Weight of
 the Pan + Weight Added ( ( )) is observed during the experiment, hence, it is
compared to the actual value. The Percentage Difference is computed by getting the
absolute value of the difference of Calculated Value and Experimental Value. It is
divided by the Calculated Value and multiplied by 100.

The smallest percentage error that we obtained was on Trial 4 which is

0.090% making our approximation somewhat close to the computed value. While
the biggest error was on Trial 1 which is 3.030%.

Table 3. Determination of Maximum Force that Causes Uniform Motion

Trial Ø () () Percent Difference
1 20⁰ 82.50 g 85 g 3.030 %
2 23⁰ 88.55 g 90 g 1.637 %
3 26⁰ 94.36 g 95 g 0.678 %
4 29⁰ 99.91 g 100 g 0.090 %
5 31⁰ 103.46 g 105 g 1.488 %
Conclusion:

The Friction is independent of the size of the area of contact and the speed
of the object from moving. This means that even if you have two heavy objects of
the same mass, where one is half as long and twice as high as the other one, they
still experience the same frictional force when you drag them over the ground.
This makes sense, because if the area of contact doubles, you may think that you
should get twice as much friction. But when you double the length of an object,
you halve the force on each square centimeter, because less weight is above it to
push down. Note that this relationship breaks down when the surface area gets too
small, since then the coefficient of friction increases because the object may begin
to dig into the surface.

The Coefficient of Friction was the value that shows the relationship
between the force of friction between two objects and the normal force between the
objects. The Coefficient of Friction on an object in remains constant when the
object is travelling in uniform motion. The Value of the Weight of the Block +
Weight Added is Directly Proportional to the Value of the Weight of the Pan +
Weight Added.

The relationship between the Angle of Repose and Coefficient of Friction is

that they are equal to each other. That’s why the average Coefficient of Friction on
Part A is somehow similar to tan from Part B. Furthermore, the Coefficient of
Friction is dependent on the ratio of the legs of the right triangle formed.

It is necessary to observe the Uniform Motion of the block in each

procedure of the experiment because it means that there is no net force acting upon
it. Because of that, it’s made possible for the magnitude of the Kinetic Friction
equal to the component of the weight force.