FRICTION

ACT 1: Unir las palabras con la que tiene significado similar.

KINETIC/ DYNAMIC STATIC rubbing against size

MAXIMUM APPLIED Amount push /pull
VALUE FRICTION Touching used
IN CONTACT MAGNITUDE
not moving relationship
RATIO RESISTANCE
Moving movement against
COEFFICIENT FORCE
Greatest measurement

ACT 2: Completar el texto con las palabras de la izquierda en la act 1.

Coefficient of Friction
The coefficient of friction, u, is a scalar. It is the 1………………………….between the normal force, N, of one object
on another and the force of resistance, R. This ratio differs according to the materials2………………………….. A
rubber tyre on a road has a high 3………………………….whereas a piston inside a cylinder has a low one. There are
two basic kinds of 4…………………………..
Static Friction: µs
Static friction is what makes stationary objects difficult to move. The direction of this force is along the contact
surface and it is equal and opposite to the 5……………..………….force. The magnitude of the 6………………….
friction force is given by fs = µ.N, where µ is the coefficient of friction and N is the normal. 7………………………….
Kinetic Friction: µk
Kinetic (or 8…………………………..) friction is created by movement. The direction of chis force is opposite to the
direction of motion of the object. The 9…………………………..of the kinetic friction force is given by f1r. = µ1c.N.
The kinetic friction force is less than the 10…………………… static friction force.

ACT 3: Estudien esta figura. El

alumno A describe la figura pero hay
algunos errores. Corrijan las palabras en
azul para que las oraciones sean verdaderas.
El alumno B también describe la imagen.
Unan las oraciones correctas de A con las
de B.
 ACT 4: Leer el texto y responder:
1- ¿Qué es exactamente la fricción?

2- ¿Cómo puede la fricción afectar el diseño de una máquina?

3- ¿Cuándo podría ser útil la fricción en una máquina? ¿ Cuándo no deseada?

Friction: blessing and curse

When two objects are in contact and one object is moved past the other, a force is created which resists the
movement of the objects: it is called friction. Friction occurs in all machines and is usually considered
detrimental to the machine's efficiency, but there are times when it is required for the correct functioning of a
5 machine. Although the effect that friction has on an engineering system depends on the nature of the materials
that are in contact, certain facts are known to be consistent for all materials.

In many mechanical design specifications, engineers must bear in mind several principles of friction. These
are, specifically:
10 • Friction is a force that opposes movement between two objects.
•There is always some friction when two touching objects move relative to one another.
•To initiate movement from a standstill, more force is needed to overcome friction than the force required to
maintain a constant speed when the objects are already in motion.
• Generally speaking, the smoother the surfaces, the lower the friction,
15 •Friction can be reduced by lubrication and by good design.
If friction is not taken into account by engineers beginning work on a design, the results are both costly and
damaging. Any machine with bearings loses a certain amount of power in overcoming the friction in the
bearings, but the friction also causes wear and heat. As surfaces wear, one of two things can happen. Either
greater friction is caused by the worn parts, requiring more power to overcome it; or good contact is lost between
20 the surfaces, causing machine failure. Where corollary heat is generated, the components can reach very high
temperatures and their material properties can change.
In order to reduce friction, the surfaces that are in contact need to be made smoother, In addition to
machining (or polishing], this can be done in two ways. Firstly, a lubricant can be added to reduce the coefficient
of friction and so minimize wear and heat. There are many types of lubricants: thick or thin oil; powders, like
25 talc; solids, such as graphite, and even acoustic lubrication, i.e., sound. Secondly, the components can be
designed so that the friction is minimal. A ball bearing, consisti.ng of many balls rolling freely in a groove, is an
example of a part designed to overcome friction: the friction of the rolling balls is lower than the sliding friction
between a shaft and its housing,
Many examples of components that are affected by friction can be found inside an internal combustion
30 engine. The pistons require lubrication because they slide up and down inside the cylinders, Without lubrication,
this sliding would quickly cause overheating and the engine would seize - the pistons might even weld
themselves to the inside of the cylinders. Gears and cams too require careful lubrication: components are often
subject to pitting as a result of erosive wear, which is a common cause of car engine inefficiency.
The lubrication system also provides oil to the moving parts of the engine. Before being pumped to the
35 relevant parts of the engine, however, oil must be passed through a filter in order to remove dirt which would
otherwise create friction and cause wear to components. For the same reason, frequent oil changes with the
machine at rest are necessary to prevent dirt causing damage.
Not all friction is harmful to the performance of a car, however. Some parts of cars are deliberately designed
to dissipate energy through friction - brake pads and tyres, for example. In fact, most engineering systems usually
40 contain a mixture of parts that require lubrication to reduce friction and parts that deliberately wear out, using
friction 'usefully'.
ACT 5: Volver a leer. Dos estudiantes parafrasearon parte del texto. ¿Qué parte es? ¿Cuál está
mejor logrado?

ACT 6: Estas son palabras del texto. ¿Qué tipo de palabras es cada una? Completar el resumen
usando algunas de estas palabras. Busquen palabras con significado similar.

OCCUR (….) 1.
MACHINE (…) 2. Friction is a force which 1……………… when two
2
………………………. which are in contact move
CONSIDER (….) 3.
relative to each other. In a 3……………………. friction
EFFECT (….) 4.
is generally considered to be 4……………………to the
MOVEMENT (….) 5.
system as it 5………….……… heat and wear, and
NEED (….) 6. extra power is 6………….……… to overcome it.
DAMAGING (….) 7. Lubrication and careful polishing are used by designers to
CAUSE (….) 8. help 7………………… the8 ……...………… of
COMPONENT (….) 9. friction.

REDUCE (….) 10.

ACT 7: Este es otro grupo de palabras del texto. ¿Cuál es la palabra base? ¿Qué sufijo o prefijo
se está usando? ¿Qué tipo de palabras es cada una? ¿Qué significan en el texto?

COSTLY BEARING FAILURE LUBRICANT

PERFORMANCE FREELY PITTING HARMFUL