Lab # 3 - Static and Kinetic Friction Name: ____________

Copyright R. Mahoney 2014

The purpose of this lab is to explore the nature of static and kinetic sliding
friction. In the lab, you will use a wooden box with soft velcrose on the bottom, a
metal slide with built-in protractor, a "bubble" angle checker, and weights. Grams
are indicated as gm.

Horizontal Test

In this part of the lab, you'll attempt to determine the static coefficient of friction
between the "velcrose" box and the metal slide, as the box is dragged
horizontally across the slide.

Use the "bubble" angle checker to see if the metal slide is truly horizontal when it
reads zero degrees. What zero error, if any, do you read? Answer: _____ deg
Using coins or paper clips, shim your metal slide as necessary to eliminate any
zero error measured.

We will use grams measured as the equivalent of weight (or force) in this lab.

What is the weight of the wooden box? Mass: ________ gm

Place the "velcrose" box on the horizontally set metal slide. Place 700 gm of
weight into it uniformly, attach a string to its eyehook, and hang a weight holder
(on the other end of the string) over the slide's pulley. Make sure that the pulley
allows the string to be horizontal when taut, i.e. make sure that the string does
not lift or push down the front of the box when it pulls the box. Very gradually
add weights to the suspended weight holder until the board starts to move (the
change will be abrupt). Do not drop weights onto the holder.

What is the weight needed (holder included) to get the box to start moving?
Starting Force = F0 = ________ gm

What is the total weight of the box with the added 700 gm?
Total Box Weight = W0 = _________ gm

Dividing F0 by W0 , we obtain our first value for the static coefficent of friction for
velcrose sliding on metal. Answer: __________

Now try this same procedure for three more trials, sequentially adding 150 more
gm to the "velcrose" box with each trial. Calculate the new values of the total box
weight, find the new starting forces, and determine three new values for the static
coefficient of friction of wood on metal.

Total Box Weight (gm) Starting Force (gm) Coefficient

W1 = __________ F1 = __________ __________

W2 = __________ F2 = __________ __________

W3 = __________ F3 = __________ __________

Average your four values for the static coefficient of friction, soft velcrose on
metal. Answer: __________

This is your first experimental measurement of the static coefficient of friction,

soft velcrose on metal.

Q1: For the horizontal test, is the static coefficient a friction a function of the total
box weight or not?

Q2: Why can we dispense with changing gm mass to weight in newtons?

Inclined Tests

In this part of the lab, you'll attempt to determine the static and kinetic sliding
coefficients of friction between the "velcrose" box and the metal slide by finding
their corresponding critical angles.

Part A: Add 700 gm to the otherwise empty box, and place it on the metal slide
(set to the horizontal position). Make sure that the added weights inside the box
are distributed uniformly, and that they won't shift when the metal slide is raised
up. The box should be "open side up".

Very gradually and gently lift the slide up, watching the angle of inclination
change. Without tapping on the board, find the angle at which the wooden box
spontaneously starts to slide. This is your static critical angle. Do this test four
additional times, until you are sure that you have obtained your best estimate of
the static critical angle. When starting each test, wait a while for the "bonds to
set" between box and slide.

Angles of inclination to start movement, no tapping:

(1) _____ (2) _____ (3) _____ (4) _____ (5) _____ deg

Average angle of inclination to start movement, no tapping: _____ deg

What is the tangent of the this average angle? Answer: ________

This is your second experimental measurement of the static coefficient of friction,

soft velcrose on metal.

Now perform this same test, one trial, but with a total of 1000 gm added to the
box. Again, the box should be "open side up".

What is the angle of inclination to start movement, no tapping?

Answer: ________ deg

What is the tangent of the above angle? Answer: ________

Q2: For the static incline test, is the static coefficient a friction a function of the
total box weight or not?

For your two experimental measurements of the static coefficient of friction, wood
on metal, find their average, and the % difference between them.

Average: __________ Percent Difference: __________

Part B: Now perform the same test again, with the original 700 gm added to the
otherwise empty box, but this time gently tap the metal slide at its top as you
increase its angle of inclination. Look for the angle at which the box starts sliding
down the inclined board, but at a seemingly constant speed. This is your kinetic
sliding critical angle.

For consistency, you should set the angle first, and then tap. If no movement
occurs, then set the angle slightly higher and tap again. Perform this test four
additional times, until you are sure that you have obtained your best estimate of
the kinetic sliding critical angle (the angle at which uniform (constant) motion
occurs with tapping).

Angles of inclination to start movement, with tapping:

(1) _____ (2) _____ (3) _____ (4) _____ (5) _____ deg

Average angle of inclination to start movement, with tapping: _____ deg

What is the tangent of the this average angle? Answer: ________

This is your one and only experimental measurement of the kinetic sliding
coefficient of friction, soft velcrose on metal.

Q3: For soft velcrose on metal, how does your experimental kinetic sliding
coefficient of friction compare to your average experimental static coefficient of
friction? Is one larger than the other, or are they the same value?

Systematic Errors

Give two non-trivial systematic errors for this experiment.