Topic: Friction

I. Frictional Force (f)

The force that opposes the motion of an object when the object is in contact with another surface or object.

II. Properties of Friction

1. Friction acts parallel to the surfaces that are in contact and in the opposite direction of the motion of the
objects.
2. Friction is independent of the surface area in contact.
3. Friction depends on the nature of the materials in contact and the smoothness of their surfaces. The friction
between two pieces of wood is different from the friction between wood and glass.
4. Friction is directly proportional to the load or the force pressing the two surfaces together. The greater the
load the greater the friction.

III. Types of Friction

1. Static Friction occurs when two objects are not moving relative to each other. The initial force needed to get
an object moving is often dominated by static friction. In order to the start an object to move you need first to
overcome the static friction. It is usually greater than the kinetic friction. Static friction has a certain
maximum value called starting friction.

Static Friction = coefficient of static friction x normal force

f s = s N

2. Kinetic Friction occurs when the two objects are moving relative to each other and rub together. It always
acts opposite to the direction of the motion.

Kinetic Friction = coefficient of kinetic friction x normal force

f k = k N
IV. Coefficient of Friction ()
Is a unit less scalar value which describes the ratio of the friction force and normal force. Coefficient of friction
depends on the materials in contact.

Note:
1. The coefficient of kinetic friction is less than the coefficient of static friction.
2. The coefficient of rolling friction is less than the coefficient of kinetic friction.
3. The more slippery the surface the lesser is the coefficient of friction.

V. Units for Frictional Force

Quantity MKS system CGS system English System

Newton (N) Dyne Pound (lbf)

k or s Unitless Unitless Unitless

N Newton (N) Dyne Pound (lbf)

V. Coefficient of Static and Kinetic Friction of Various Materials in Contact

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VI. Problems

1. A horizontal force of 140 N is needed to pull a 60 kg box across the horizontal floor at a constant speed. What is the
coefficient of friction between the floor and box?
Ans. 0.238

2. A 70 kg box is slid along the floor by 400N force. The coefficient of friction between the box and the floor is 0.50 when
the box is sliding. Find the acceleration of the box.
Ans. 0.81 m/s

3. A 44-kg child steps onto a scale and the scale reads 430 N. What is the magnitude of the
normal force acting on the child?

4. A 10-kg block is set moving with an initial speed of 6 m/s on a rough horizontal surface. If the force of friction is 20 N,
approximately how far does the block travel before it stops?

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