Friction

12/23/23 Dr. Sasho MacKenzie - HK 376 1

 What is Friction
• Friction is a force
• A frictional force can exist when two substances
contact each other.
• The molecules of each surface interact according
to Newton’s Laws of Motion.
• Friction always opposes motion, i.e., it is opposite
to the direction of velocity.
• If there is no motion, then friction opposes the
sum of all the other forces which are parallel to the
surfaces in contact.
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 Types of Friction

Dry Friction Fluid Friction

Occurs between the non-lubricated Occurs with fluids,or
surfaces of solid objects lubricated surfaces

Static Friction Dynamic Friction

When dry friction acts between
two surfaces that are not
moving relative to each other
> When dry friction acts
between two surfaces that are
moving relative to each other

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 Contact Force
• Force that occurs between objects that are in
contact with each other.
• Contact forces can be resolved into
components that are perpendicular and parallel
to the surfaces in contact.
• The perpendicular component is called the
normal force.
• The parallel component is called friction.

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 Contact Force in Running

Friction Force
Normal Force

Resultant
runner’s
force on
push
runner

During the push off phase in running, the normal force acts
upward on the runner, while the friction force acts forward on
the runner. The friction force is the only force capable of
moving the runner horizontally down the track. The normal
force can only accelerate the runner upwards.
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 Friction and the Normal Force

• The maximum frictional force is proportional to

the normal contact force.
• An increase in the normal force results in an
increase in the maximum friction.
• This is because the molecules on the two
surfaces are pushed together more, thus
increasing their interactions.

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  Weight means  Normal Force,
and therefore,  Maximum Friction

10 kg
5 kg

Surfaces are more compressed together and

there are more interactions between molecules

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 Friction and Surface Area
• Friction is not affected by the size of the
surface area in contact.
• If the normal force remains constant, but the
contacting surface area is increased, then the
normal force is spread out over more
molecules, thus the force on each molecule is
reduced.
– Amontons (1699)
• What about race car tires?

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 Calculating Friction
• Ff_max = FN

• Ff_max is the maximum force of friction

•  (Mu) is the coefficient of friction
• FN is the normal force
• Friction can range in value from -Ff_max to +Ff_max
 depends on the types of surfaces that are interacting.
It would be low for rubber on ice, but high for rubber
on asphalt. It also depends on whether the surfaces are
moving relative to each other ( static or dynamic )
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 Friction is not always = FF_max
Fapplied
Assume:
0 N 10.2 kg FFriction
25
10
50
FF_max = 50 N 50
40
100N
25 N
Static Friction Dynamic Friction
50
Ffriction
(magnitude)
What is the acceleration?
25
What is the normal force?
Calculate S?
10 Calculate D?

0 10 25 50
Fapplied
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 Friction Example
A 5 kg block of wood rests on a ceramic counter. If the
coefficient of static friction between the block and the counter
is 0.4, what horizontal force is necessary to move the block.

Fh Fh Free body
5 kg mg diagram
Ff
FN
Fy = may
FN – mg = may = 0
Normal force = FN = mg = 5 x 9.81 = 49 N FN = mg
Fx = max
Fh= Friction force = FN = 0.4 x 49 = 19.6 N Fh – Ff = max = 0
Fh = Ff
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 Horse Pulling Cart

According to Newton’s 3rd Law, these forces are equal and

opposite. So, if the horse pulls forward on the cart with the
same force as the cart pulls back on the horse, how will the
horse ever move the cart?

12/23/23 Dr. Sasho MacKenzie - HK 376 13

 Solution
Friction acts on the horse’s feet but very little acts on the wheels
of the cart. Drawing a free body diagram reveals the answer.
The horse and cart are one system so the forces in between them
are internal and cannot produce a change in motion of the system.

mg
N
Friction force N Force of friction on
resulting from the the wheel which
horse pulling back opposes the motion of
on the ground the horse-cart system
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 Tug of War
Fat Bastard vs. Phil Pfister
Fat Bastard Pfister
Pull Force = 3000 N Pull Force = 3000 N
Mass = 210 kg Mass = 120 kg
Height = 1.8 m Height = 1.8 m

Both competitors are wearing the same footwear which

has a coefficient of friction of 1.5 with the rubber floor
they are competing on. If both men employ the same
technique, who wins?

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 Two Free Body Diagrams
Fat Bastard Pfister

3000 N 3000 N

2060 N 1180 N

Ff = FN Ff = FN
2060 N = 1.5 x 2060 = 1.5 x 1180 1180 N
= 3090 N = 1770 N
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 Fat Bastard Wins
• Both competitors have a force of 3000 N
pulling on them from the rope.
• Fat Bastard’s extra mass gives him a potential
friction force (3090 N) which is greater than
the force of the rope, so he doesn’t move.
• Pfister’s maximum friction force (1170 N) is
less than the force of rope, so he is pulled
toward Fat Bastard.

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 Would it be better to pull up or down
on the rope?

• Suppose competitor A was taller than

competitor B.
• A would be pulling on an upward angle, while
B would be pulling on a downward angle.
• Who has the advantage?

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 Pulling Up On The Rope
rope Fy = may
FN – Fy1 – mg = may = 0

FN = mg + Fy1

Fx2
Friction force = Fx1 = FN
mg
Fy1
Bigger N, means larger
This component friction force
increases N
Fx1
FN
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 Pulling Down On The Rope
rope Fy = may
FN + Fy1 – mg = may = 0
This component
decreases N
FN = mg – Fy1
Fy1
Fx2
Friction force = Fx1 = FN
mg

Smaller N, means less

friction force

FN Fx1
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 Midterm Example Question
5k
g
y
Fx1
x
40

A 5 kg box is being pushed up a 40 incline with an acceleration

of 2 m/s/s. If the coefficient of dynamic friction between the
incline and box is 0.2, then what is the value of Fx1? Remember
that friction always opposes the direction of motion.

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