PHY 110

MECHANICS 1

LABORATORY REPORT (EXPERIMENT 5)

NAME OF STUDENT & ID NUMBER 1. WIDYAN MIZA BINTI ZULKHAIRI ( 2022891608 )

2. NUREEN NISRENA BINTI ROSDI ( 2022871498 )
3. NAJI AISYAH SOFIYAH BINTI AMRI ( 2022886286 )
4. MUHAMMAD HAFEITZ BIN ZAINUDIN ( 2022880194 )
CLASS AS12O1K
LECTURER’S NAME DR. AHMAD FAIROZ BIN AZIZ
NAME OF EXPERIMENT FRICTIONAL FORCE
DATE OF EXPERIMENT 2/12/2022
DATE OF SUBMISSION 22/12/2022
 HYPOTHESIS

The hypothesis presented is that the coefficient of friction will depend on, and increase in proportion
to, not only the obvious object-to-object contact, but on the time the weight puts force on the block as
well

OBJECTIVE

To determine the coefficient of static friction of different surfaces.

THEORY

Force and velocity are vector quantities that have both magnitude and direction. Velocity is the speed
in a specified direction, with which a given object is travelling. Force exists when the object
accelerates, or undergoes a change in its velocity. A body at rest, or in equilibrium exhibit resultant
force or the sum of all forces acting on the body, is zero. Gravity is an attractive force that exists
between two masses. The magnitude of the force depends on the magnitude of the masses. The
gravitational force that acts on an object on Earth is approximated as,

𝐹𝑔𝑔 = 𝑚𝑔

where m is the mass of the object and g is the gravitational acceleration. The magnitude of the
gravitational force exerted on an object is referred to as its weight.
The normal force is a contact force that acts in the normal direction or perpendicular to the contact
surface between two objects. Figure 5.1 shows the free body diagram of a mass, m, lying on a horizontal
surface, where the normal force, N, is equal in magnitude to the gravitational force, mg.

mg

Figure 5.1 Free body diagram of a mass lying on a horizontal surface.

 Friction is the force that resists the relative motion of one surface in contact with
another. There are two types of friction: static and kinetic. Static friction is the friction that
acts on an object that is at rest. Static friction is the force that must be overcame in order to
move a static object. The maximum value of static frictional force is given by
𝑓𝑠,𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝜇𝑠 𝑁
where 𝜇𝑠 is the coefficient of static friction and N is the normal force. The coefficient of static
friction is a dimensionless constant that depends on the object and the surface it is laying upon.
Kinetic friction is the friction that acts on a moving object and the kinetic frictional
force is given by,
𝑓𝑘 = 𝜇𝑘 𝑁,
where 𝜇𝑘 is the coefficient of kinetic friction and N is the normal force.
In this experiment, the frictional force between a wooden block and the rubber
surface on a horizontal and inclined plane will be measured, and from the plotted data, the
coefficients of static friction will be obtained.

APPARATUS:
1. Wooden block (rubber covered at one side)

2. 50 g masses

3. 10 N spring scale

4. string and table top.

PROCEDURE:
1. The mass of wooden block was measured and recorded as M,
2. The apparatus has set up as shown in Figure 5.2.
3. the table top has been make sure is stable and horizontal to the ground.
4. The spring scale and the wooden block was attached with a string. Spring scale was
placed horizontally on the tabletop. Make sure the rubber side of the block
5. A 50g = mass, m was placed on the wooden block.
6. The spring is pulled slowly, and once the block starts to move, the spring scale’s
reading is recorded the value as Fs were tabulated in Table 5.1.
7. Step 4 until 5 were repeated for 3 trials.
8. Another 50 g mass on the wooden block was added and step 5 and 6 were
repeated. Repeat the steps until the total of m = 500 g mass is on the wooden block.
9. Repeat step 1 until 8, this time, make sure the rubber side of the block facing upward.
Tabulate the data in Table 5.2.
 mass
spring scale wooden block
rubber

Table top

Figure 5.2: The apparatus setup.

RESULTS:

Mass of wooden block with rubber surface, M = ( 110±0.1 ) g Table 5.1:

Rubber Surface towards the Floor

Total Static friction force, Fs (± N)

Total
Mass, m mass,
weight,
(± g) M+m W (± N) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
(± g)
50 160 1.57 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
100 210 2.06 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.37
150 260 2.55 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.53
200 310 3.04 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.80
250 360 3.53 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.00
300 410 4.02 1.2 1.0 1.2 1.13
350 460 4.51 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.33
400 510 5.00 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.53
450 560 5.49 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.77
500 610 5.98 2.0 2.0 1.8 1.93
Table 5.2: Non-rubber Surface towards the Floor

Total Static friction force, Fs (± N)

Total
Mass, m mass,
weight,
(± g) M+m W (± N) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
(± g)
50 160 1.57 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.26
100 210 2.06 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.13
150 260 2.55 2.8 2.8 3.0 2.86
200 310 3.04 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4
250 360 3.53 3.8 4.0 4.0 3.93
300 410 4.02 4.4 4.4 4.6 4.53
350 460 4.51 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.20
400 510 5.00 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.73
450 560 5.49 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4
500 610 5.98 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0

ANALYSIS:
1. Draw and label the free body diagram of the wooden block.
2. Plot graph of static friction force, Fs against normal force, N for the rubber surface
and non-rubber surface.
3. Use the gradients obtained from the graph to calculate the coefficient of static friction,
µs for each surfaces.
4. Compare and discuss the coefficient of static friction, µs obtained.

QUESTIONS:
1. How can anti-lock brakes stop a car in a shorter distance than regular brakes?

2. From your experiment, which material has the highest coefficient of static friction?

3. Does this agree with your hypothesis? What do you think determines the coefficient
of static friction?
4. Once the mass begins to slide does it move smoothly, or does it undergo stop and go
motion? Explain the motion.
DISCUSSION
1. Anti-lock brakes keep the wheels turning which means there is more friction between the tires
and the road. However, since static friction is larger, anti-lock brakes do pump the brakes so
that the tires do not experience kinetic friction but static the force of static friction keeps a
stationary object at rest. Once the force of static friction is overcome, the force of kinetic
friction is what slows down a moving object which in turn slows the car faster and at a shorter
distance The larger the coefficient of friction, the greater the frictional force from breaking. A
larger frictional force means the car stops in less time and less distance

2. In this experiment, the wooden block with the rubber surface has the highest coefficient of
static friction. As the objects are slowly tilted, the force of static friction must increase from
zero to counteract the component of the force of gravity that acts along the interface.

3. Yes, I agree with my hypothesis. It is because the relative motion of one surface in contact
with another determines the coefficient of static function. The coefficient of static friction can
be calculated with the formula :

µs = F/N
F = static force of friction
µs = coefficient of static friction
N = normal force

4. When the mass begins to slide, it moves to undergo stop-and-go. It is because the amount of
friction that inter-surface interactions can provide is limited, not unlimited. To prove this, the
object’s weight mg provides a vertical downward which is called Normal Force, causing a
friction force between the object and the plane. A body at rest remains at rest, or, if in motion,
remains in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by a net force. An object sliding
across a table or floor slows down and goes back due to the net force of friction acting on the
object.
CONCLUSION
Due to the inconsistent force in this experiment when pulling the block, it is best when one
person pulls the blocks 3 trials. Also, some of the experiment cannot be measured, therefore a
larger and more sensitive dynamometer is needed in the future. This makes the data more
accurate and less erroneous. In conclusion to my report, static friction’s force will and should
always be greater than that of Kinetic Friction due to that more force is needed in exerting
force to be able to move an object while that Kinetic Friction, all it has to do is to maintain.
Adding to that different materials will make the frictional force vary while the best way to
reduce the frictional force to move the block would be the rolling method since the
insignificant frictional force was observed in this method.

REFERENCES
1. http://tuhsphysics.ttsd.k12.or.us/Research/ib00/Baumer/forceof.htm
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/friction-coefficient
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjypCDNSavw
4. https://carsafetyphysics.weebly.com/physics-of-anti-lock-brakes--how-they-work.html