Science 6

Quarter 3 W3
Kinetic Friction

LESSON
Have you ever wondered what is friction and what is force? How do we relate them
in our day-to-day activities? Since your childhood you might have often
come across the term “friction.” One of its best examples is the slowing down
of the vehicle on the road during the rainy season.

Friction is a natural phenomenon that occurs when there is contact between two
objects. When there is friction, there will be a loss of energy. Friction occurs
due to the roughness of the rubbing surface. During Friction, the molecules
in the surface will interact with each other. The force of friction will depend
on the material of the rubbing surface. It also depends on the speed or
intensity at which two surfaces come into contact with each other.

What is Kinetic Friction?

Kinetic friction is defined as a force that acts between moving surfaces.

A body moving on the surface experiences a force in the opposite
direction of its movement. The magnitude of the force will depend on
the coefficient of kinetic friction between two materials.

Friction is easily defined as the force that holds back a sliding object. The
kinetic friction is a part of everything and it interferes motion of two
or more objects. The force acts in the opposite direction to the way an
object wants to slide

If a car stops, we apply brakes and that is exactly where the friction comes
into play.
Kinetic friction occurs between moving objects, that is, when one object
moves on another object. A good example is when you ride a bicycle on a
road. The wheels of the bicycle move on the road. The bicycle will slow
down until it comes to a halt.

APPLICATION OF FRICTION IN OUR DAILY LIFE

1. Walking - Without friction between the shoes and the ground, you cannot walk
properly. If there is no friction, all of us would be sliding around without any
control over ourselves. While walking, you are pushing your foot back as you try
to step forward. Friction holds your shoe to the ground so you can walk around.

2. Driving - While driving vehicles and riding bicycles, friction occurs between the
wheels of the vehicle and the surface over which the vehicle is traversing. The
coefficient of friction determines the “stickiness” between two objects. If the
friction is zero, the vehicle would fail to move forward. It is only because of
friction that we are able to stop our vehicle.

3. Writing - All of us write using either pen or pencil in our daily life. The frictional
force is created when the tip of a pen or pencil is brought in contact with the
surface of the paper. In the case of writing with a ball-point pen, some sort of
adhesives forces is acting between the ball and ink. When you start writing with a
ball-point pen on paper, the ball starts rolling and the ink is deposited on the
surface of the paper. The rolling of the ball invites rolling friction to come into
play.

4. Rubbing of hands - Friction is responsible for generating warmth in your

hands. When two hands come in contact and are rubbed against each other, there
is some amount of resistance which comes into play. However, if you just put your
hands together, there will be no resistance, hence, no amount of friction. The
temperature will increase when the molecules move faster. This is why your hands
get warm when you rubbed them together.

5. Lighting matchsticks - The head of matchsticks contains inflammable

chemicals. When a matchstick is rubbed against a rough surface, some amount of
heat is generated and this heat is sufficient for the conversion of red phosphorous
to white phosphorous.

6. Skating on ice - Under the skate, the water acts as a lubricant, reducing friction
and helping in the sliding of the skate. By pushing off the ice with a force
perpendicular to the skate blade a skater propels forward.
ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: Who will roll forever?

Directions: Do the activity carefully. Then, answer the questions based on

your observations. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

Things needed: Pencil and ping-pong

ball. Procedure:

1. Roll a pencil on a table

2. Observe it for 1O seconds. What happened to the pencil?

3. Blow a ping-pong ball on a table.

4. Observe it for 10 seconds. What happened to the ball?

5. In your opinion, why did they stop rolling?

6. What is your conclusion in this activity?

Activity 2: Kinetic Friction or Not?

Directions: Identify whether the situations show the presence of kinetic friction. Put
a check (/) if it describes a kinetic friction and a cross (x) if it does not. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. A table on the area

2. A placemat on the table

3. A washing machine pushed along a floor

4. The bottom of a trashcan sliding against the concrete

5. Two cement blocks being slid into place next each other

6. A paper on the roller as it slides through a fax machine

7. The bottom of the coffee pot when slid out from the maker

8. A picture frame remains stationary inside the cabinet

9. A dresser’s legs on the carpet when being slid to another part of the room

10. The tube of a lotion bottle and the opening of the tube when the lotion is
being pushed out

Activity 3: Cite situation showing kinetic friction

Directions: Using the pictures below, cite situations on how kinetic

friction is being shown in the following activities. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. walking

2. lighting
a match

3. playing
in slides
4. riding
in a car

5. writing