Coefficient of Friction

Essay by kimmCollege, UndergraduateA+, February 2008

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AbstractIn this experiment, the coefficient of friction was determined with the use of an inclined plane setup with wood as the object used to test friction. From the data gathered, it can be implied that the coefficient of static friction will always be higher than that of the coefficient of kinetic friction no matter how heavy an object may be and that the coefficient of friction will depend on the surface an object comes into contact with.

IntroductionThe component parallel to the surface with results from motion along the surface is called force of friction, denoted by f. This frictional force opposing the motion is due to the presence of very small projections and depressions. Even a smooth surface, the projection & depression of the two surfaces in contact interlock, giving resistance to motion along the surface. The force of friction where the object is still at rest to the point when it is about to move is called static friction, denoted by fs.

The force of friction when a body is in motion is called kinetic friction, denoted by fk. For the same two surfaces in contact, kinetic friction is always less than static friction.

TheoryFriction is the force of two surfaces in contact, or the force of a medium acting on a moving object. This force is called frictional force. There are two types of frictional force, Kinetic frictional force and static frictional force.

Frictional force is equal to the coefficient of kinetic or static friction times the normal force. The coefficient of static friction is defined as the ratio of the maximum static friction force (F) between the surfaces in contact to the normal (N) force. The coefficient of kinetic friction is defined as the ratio ofthe kinetic friction force (F) between the surfaces in contact to...