Engineering Science A ENG6801

Friction
Friction
When two surfaces are in contact, tangential forces, called friction forces, will develop if
one attempts to move one surface with respect to another.
there are two types of friction : dry friction, sometimes called Coulomb friction, and
fluid friction or viscous friction.

Properties:
 Friction is a force which is parallel to two contact surfaces.
 The direction of friction is opposite to the direction of the motion.
 Friction causes moving object to stop.
 Friction causes dissipation of energy.

motion

F
N

P = pushing/pulling force P
F = friction F
W = weight
N = normal reaction
W
The Laws of Dry Friction
Experiments show that:
(a) The friction force between the two dry surfaces is proportional to the normal force
between the two surfaces.
(b) The friction force is parallel to the two surfaces in contact.
(c) Relative motion will not start to take place below a certain level of the force. This force
is know as the static friction force, Fs.
(d) Once motion has started it will continue at a lower value of friction force, than that
required to start the motion. This leaser force is hnown as the kinetic friction force, Fk.

Fs
Fk

At Rest In Motion

1
P
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Typical values of coefficients of static friction for dry surfaces

Metal on metal 0.15-0.60

Metal on stone 0.30-0.70
Metal on leather 0.30-0.60

Metal on wood 0.25-0.50

Wood on leather 0.25-0.50

Stone on stone 0.40-0.70

Earth on earth 0.20-1.00

Rubber on concrete 0.60-0.90

Methods of Reducing Friction

a) Polish rough surface to smooth.

b) Add oil to contact surface.
c) Separate contact surface by air.
d) Install a bearing --- change sliding to rolling.

Advantages of friction

a) Use as brake to stop a car or a bicycle.

b) Friction on the tyres of cars causes it to move.
c) Friction on the shoes prevents body sliding down along inclined road.
d) Nails and screws are held in materials by friction.

Static friction (F s ) and kinetic friction (F k )

Static friction (F s ) is force keeping the object in equilibrium. It is increased as the pulling
force (P) is increased. The object will be started to move when the pulling force is larger than
the maximum Static friction (F s max ). When the object is moving, the friction is less than the
maximum static friction (F s max ). This smaller force is called kinetic friction (F k ). F s max >
Fk

F
F

P
static motion
Engineering Science A ENG6801

Coefficient of friction ( )

Friction (F) is proportional to normal reaction (N). The proportional constant is coefficient of
friction (). It is a material property between two contact surfaces.
Different materials have different coefficients of friction ().

F
By formula :- =
N
Fs
In static case :- s =
N
F
In motion case :- k = k
N

The resultant force R  N 2


 F 2 makes and angle  with the vertical axis and is call the
friction angle,
F
where tan   μ
N

Angle of friction ( )
R N
It is another way to find out the coefficient of friction ().

R = resultant of F and N

F 
= = tan 
N
F
Example 1

A horizontal force of 40 N just starts the motion of 10 kg block.

(a) Find the value of coefficient of fiction.
(b) What is the type of coefficient of friction?
(c) Find the value of the angle of friction.

Solution :
F 40
(a) = = = 0.408
N 10  9.81

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Engineering Science A ENG6801

(b) It is coefficient of static friction.

(c)  = tan 
0.408 = tan 
 = tan 1 0.408 = 22.2
Example 2

A block of 20 kg is rest on rough surface. Its coefficients of static and kinetic friction are 0.35
and 0.3 respectively.
(a) What is the value of the minimum force for starting the motion of the block?
(b) What is the value of the force required to keep the block to move in constant speed?

Solution :
Fs
(a) s =
N
F
0.35 =
20  9.81
F = 68.7N
F
(b) k = k
N
F
0.3 =
20  9.81
F = 58.9N
Example 3

A block weighing 730 kg is being pulled along a horizontal surface by a cable parallel to the
surface. If the coefficients of kinetic and static friction between the block and the surface are
0.4 and 0.45 respectively. Calculate the force in the cable.

Solution
730 kg

F
730 kg

Free Body Diagram  R

FV = 0 N = 730  9.8 = 7154 R
21.8 N
FH = 0 P = F

7154 N
P
Engineering Science A ENG6801

From Laws of Friction, F = k N

Force applied by the cable
P = F = k N = 0.4  7154 = 2862 N

The problem can also be solved by the polygon of

forces method. Noting that  = tan-1 0.4 = 21.8

Example 4

A block is at rest on a surface having coefficients of kinetic and static friction of 0.55 and 0.6,
respectively. If the maximum force that can be applied to the block acting at an angle of 30
above the surface, is 350 N, find the mass of block that can be pulled.

Solution
Mg
P P

30 30

M kg
R
N 

Free Body Diagram

FV = 0 N + P sin 30 = Mg

FH = 0 P cos 30 = F
F = s N
 cos30    cos30 
Mg  P    sin30    350    sin30    680
350NN
 μs   0.6 

Therefore, the mass of the block = 69.39 kg 30

Graphical solution
Mg = 680 N
 = tan 0.6 = 30.96
-1

N R

F
Engineering Science A ENG6801

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Engineering Science A ENG6801

Example 5

A horizontal force of 40 N just starts the motion of 10 kg block.

(d) Find the value of coefficient of fiction.
(e) What is the type of coefficient of friction?
(f) Find the value of the angle of friction.

Solution :
F 40
(a) = = = 0.408
N 10  9.81

(b) It is coefficient of static friction.

(d)  = tan 
0.408 = tan 
 = tan 1 0.408 = 22.2

Example 6

A block of 20 kg is rest on rough surface. Its coefficients of static and kinetic friction are 0.35
and 0.3 respectively.
(a) What is the value of the minimum force for starting the motion of the block?
(b) What is the value of the force required to keep the block to move in constant speed?

Solution :
Fs
(a) s =
N
F
0.35 =
20  9.81
F = 68.7N
F
(b) k = k
N
F
0.3 =
20  9.81
F = 58.9N

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Engineering Science A ENG6801

Tutorial -friction

(1) A horizontal force of 20 N just starts to move a box with weight 80 N. Find the value of
coefficient of static friction.
(0.25)
(2) Further to the above question, 18 N is required to keep the box moving. Find the value
of coefficient of kinetic friction.
(0.225)
(3) A horizontal force of 30 N just starts to move a 9kg object. Find the value of coefficient
of static friction and angle of friction.
(0.34, 18.8)
(4) A mass of 80 kg object is rest on a horizontal rough surface. Its coefficient of static and
kinetic friction are 0.21 and 0.18 respectively.
(a) Find the value of parallel force which just starts the object to move.
(b) Find the value of parallel force which keeps the object in moving.
(165N, 141N)