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The Physcis Teacher Volume 43 Issue 8 2005 (Doi 10.1119/1.2120388) Carvalho, Paulo Simeão Sampaio e Sousa, Adriano - An Inexpensive Technique To Measure Coefficients of Friction With Rolling Soli
The Physcis Teacher Volume 43 Issue 8 2005 (Doi 10.1119/1.2120388) Carvalho, Paulo Simeão Sampaio e Sousa, Adriano - An Inexpensive Technique To Measure Coefficients of Friction With Rolling Soli
Solids
Paulo Simeo Carvalho and Adriano Sampaio e Sousa
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A
for Teaching Physics
pparatus
Erlend H. Graf, Column Editor
Department of Physics & Astronomy, SUNYStony Brook,
Stony Brook, NY 11794; egraf@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
548 DOI: 10.1119/1.2120388 THE PHYSICS TEACHER Vol. 43, November 2005
Downloaded 04 Dec 2012 to 152.3.102.242. Redistribution subject to AAPT license or copyright; see http://tpt.aapt.org/authors/copyright_permission
Apparatus
Experimental procedure
cylinder,
xL1
x = x L x All you need for this experiment is
a flat inclined surface, a protractor, a
xL2 1
= g (sin 3k cos )t2. (8) solid cylinder (we have used one with
2 44.5-mm diameter and 47.0-mm
The time elapsed for N complete length), a small brush, a measuring
rotations ( = 2NR) can be deter- tape and some ink (permanent ink
mined from Eq. (7), will be just fine). Glue the brush
Fig. 2. Representation of the positions
handle to one of the cylinders bases
marked by the cylinder when it com- 1
pletes each rotation. 2 N R 2 so that the hair stands just a bit out-
tN = . (9) side the border (see Fig. 4). Choose
k g cos
a value for the slope of the incline
D Therefore, the difference xN for N and measure it with the protractor.
complete rotations is given by Drop some ink into the brush and
tan put the cylinder at the top of the
2R x N = N R 3 . (10) incline. Carefully rotate the cylinder
k
until the hair almost touches the sur-
If we could mark the positions face. By doing this, you will get the
tan c tan
where the cylinder completes each first mark on the surface when the
rotation on the surface of the incline, cylinder starts to move. You are now
Fig. 3. Graph of the distance between we would get a diagram like the one ready to start your experiment (see
two successive marks on the incline vs in Fig. 2. The distance between two Fig. 5).
tan , according to Eq. (11). The jump successive marks, Let the cylinder roll down freely.
1 1
at c is proportional to ;
D = xL(N + 1) x LN Measure the distance between the
therefore it vanishes k c
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Apparatus i.e., at some points the cylinder rolls
and slips, and at others it only rolls.
Fig. 4. One of the bases
Such a situation could be found in
of the aluminium cylinder.
The brush handle is glued
other experimental measurements,
in such a way that the hair so teachers and students should be
stands just a bit outside aware of it.
the border.
Conclusion
We have shown in a very easy and
inexpensive way how to measure the
coefficients of static and kinetic fric-
tion with rolling objects. This meth-
Fig. 5. Experimental setup od can be used in any middle school
used. The cylinder is ready laboratory lacking equipment such as
to go along the incline. sensors and computers; you just need
a small brush, a measuring tape, and
some ink. Results are easily compared
with the theory, but we recommend
that Eqs. (10) and (11) be conceptu-
ally discussed in the classroom and
interpreted in terms of the cylinders
motion (simultaneous rolling and
slipping, angular and linear speed in
each instant tN, and so on).
35
References
30 1. R.A. Serway and R.J. Beichner, Phys-
Fig. 6. Distance between ics for Scientists and Engineers with
the two first successive Modern Physics, 5th ed. (Saunders
25 marks made by a pol- College Publishing, New York,
D / cm
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