Name: ________________________________

Partners: _____________________________________________________________________

Coefficient of Friction Lab

MATERIALS:
Friction Cart, Hanging Mass Kit, String, Pulleys, Table

SETUP:

Friction Cart
Pulley & String

Hanging Mass

PROCEDURE:
- Set up system as shown above with WOOD SIDE DOWN of friction cart
- Attach the hanger to the string and over the pulley
- Add masses to the hanger until the wood block just begins to move.
o Use the “tap method” to get friction cart moving if needed
- Record the total hanging mass in the data table on the next page
- Add weights into the opening of the wood block and repeat experiment, again until the system
just begins to move.
- Graph and analyze your results to find μ (as explained in Questions 3 and 4)

FREE-BODY DIAGRAM:

In the space below, draw the FBDs for the wood block as well as for the hanging mass.

Wood Block Hanging Mass

Name: ________________________________
Partners: _____________________________________________________________________
DATA and CALCULATIONS: Be sure to show the correct units!

Normal Total
Mass of cart Weight of Total Friction
Force of cart hanging
& any added cart & any hanging mass Force of
TRIAL and any weight
masses added masses (on pulley) system
added masses (on pulley)
(kilograms) (Newtons) (kilograms) (Newtons)
(Newtons) (Newtons)
1

1) Show one trial’s worth of calculations below. Make sure to show EQUATIONS and UNITS!

2) What friction force are you measuring? Explain. (In other words… where is the friction force being
applied and how are you finding it from this setup)?
Name: ________________________________
Partners: _____________________________________________________________________
3) Prepare a graph of Force of Friction (y-axis) vs Normal Force (x-axis). Be sure to label the axes
appropriately and make a line of best fit!

4) From your graph, determine the coefficient of friction (μ) between the block and the table. Show your
work below.
y 2− y 1
Slope=
x 2−x 1

5) Will the type of surfaces sliding matter? Justify your answer by repeating Trial 1 with the sandpaper
side of the block on the table. What did you find out? Does that agree with your understanding of the
coefficient of friction? Explain.

6) Will the surface area of the block matter in your calculations? In other words, if the block were simply
wider, but all other parameters kept the same, would the coefficient of friction change? Explain.
Name: ________________________________
Partners: _____________________________________________________________________
Name: ________________________________
Partners: _____________________________________________________________________