Examples:

1. A 12 kg box on a horizontal table is pushed by a horizontal force of 60 N as shown on the

right.
If the coefficient of friction is 0.4, will the box move?

12kg

Known:
Mass (m) =12kg
Acceleration of gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s2
Weight (w) = m g = (12 kg) (9.8 m/s2) =117.6 Newton F 60 N
Required:Comparison between the pushing force and the R force
12 kg
Solution
F = μR = 0.4 x 117.6N = 47.04 N
The pushing force, 60 N, is greater than this.
Therefore the box will not move.

2. A 600 grams package lying on a horizontal surface is attached to a 600

400kg
g
horizontal string which passes over a smooth pulley.
When a mass of 400 grams is attached to the other end of the string, the
package is on the point of moving.
Find μ, the coefficient of friction. 400 kg
Known:
Mass (m) =0.6 kg (package), 0.4 kg (other object)
Acceleration of gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s2
Weight (w) = m g = (0.6 kg ) (9.8 m/s2) = 5.886 Newton
Weight (w) = m g = (0.4 kg) (9.8 m/s2) = 3. 924 Newton

Solution R
The forces acting on the package are as shown.
Since the vertical forces are in equilibrium, R = 0.6g
On the point of moving, F = μR = μ0.4g and F = T
F T
As the pulley is smooth, the tension in the string, T = 0.4g

This gives μ 0.6g = 0.4g and so μ = 2/3

0.6kg
3. A force of 18 N acts on a particle, of mass 7.5 kg, at an angle of 30 ◦ above the horizontal. The
particle is on a rough horizontal plane. Given that the particle is on the point of slipping, what is
the coefficient of friction, between the particle and the plane?

Solution R
The figure shows the forces acting on the particle.
18 N
Resolving vertically:
R = 7.5g − 18sin30◦
Resolving horizontally: F
F = 18 cos30◦
As the particle is on the point of slipping, friction mg
is limiting (F = FMAX), so F = µR:

18 cos 30o = µ (7.5 g – 18 sin 30o)

µ = 18 cos 30o / (7.5 g – 18 sin 30o) = 0.24

EXERCISES PROBLEMS

1. An object slides down an inclined plane with constant velocity. Determine coefficient kinetic
friction (μk). g = 9.8 m/s2

Known:

w = weight, wx = horizontal component of weight, points along the incline, wy = vertical
component of weight, perpendicular to the inclined plane, N = normal force, f

k = the force of the kinetic friction.

Known:
Mass (m) = 1 kg
Acceleration of gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s2
weight (w) = m g = (1 kg)(9.8 m/s2) = 9.8 kg m/s2 = 9.8 Newton
wx = w sin 30o = (9.8 N)(0.5) = 4.9 Newton
wy = w cos 30o = (9.8 N)(0.5)√3 = 4.9√3 Newton
Normal force (N) = wy = 4.9√3 Newton
Wanted: coefficient kinetic friction (μk)
Solution:
Object slides down an inclined plane with constant velocity so that the net force = 0.
∑F = 0
wx – fk = 0
wx = fk
wx = μk N
5 = μk (5√3)
μk = 5 / 5√3
μk = 1 /√3
μk = 0.58

2. An object rests on a horizontal floor. The coefficient static friction is 0.4 and acceleration of

gravity is 9.8 m/s2. Determine (a) The maximum force of the static friction (b) The minimum
force of F 

Solution:

Known:
Mass(m) = 1 kg
The coefficient static friction (μs) = 0.4
The acceleration of gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s2
Weight (w) = m g = (1 kg) (10 m/s2) = 10 kg m/s2 = 10 Newton
Normal force (N) = w = 10 Newton
(a) The maximum force of the static friction 
(b) The minimum force of F
Solution:
(a) The maximum force of the static friction
fs = μs N
fs = (0.4) (9.8 N) = 3.92 Newton
(b) The minimum force of F
If the force F is exerted on the object but the object isn’t moved, so there must be the force of
static friction exerted by the floor on the object. If the object will start to move, the force of the
static friction is exceeded, there must be the force of the kinetic friction. Object start moves if F
is greater than the maximum force of the static friction.
So, the minimum force of F = maximum force of the static friction = 3.92 Newton.

3. 1 kg box is pulled along a horizontal surface by a force F, so the box is moving at a constant
velocity. If the coefficient kinetic friction is 0.1, determine the magnitude of the force F! (g = 9.8
m/s2)

Known:
The coefficient kinetic friction (μk) = 0.1
Box’s mass (m) = 1 kg
Acceleration of gravity (g) = 9.8 m/s2
Weight (w) = m g = (1 kg) (9.8 m/s2) = 9.8 kg m/s2 = 9.8 Newton
Normal force (N) = w = 9.8 Newton
Wanted: F
Solution:
Newton’s first law states that if no net force acts on an object, every object continues in it’s state
of rest, or constant velocity in a straight line.
So if the object moves at a constant velocity, there must no net force (ΣF = 0). Force F is exerted
on the object in the right direction so that the force of the kinetic friction is exerted on the object
to the left direction.
∑F = 0
F – fk = 0
F = fk
The force of the kinetic friction:
fk = μk N = (0.1) (9.8 N) = 0.98 Newton
object moves with constant velocity, F = fk = 0.98 Newton

4. A box is sliding up an incline that makes an angle of 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal.
The coefficient of kinetic friction between the box and the surface of the incline is 0.2. The
initial speed of the box at the bottom of the incline is 2 m/s. How far does the box travel along
the incline before coming to rest?
 
 
Solution:
The first part in the problem is to find an acceleration of the motion. The acceleration is due to
gravitation force and the friction force and has the following form:
a = gsin(θ) + µk gcos(θ) = 9.8 * sin(20o) + 0.2 * 9.8 * cos(20o) = 5.2 m/s2
 
The second part is to write down the kinematic equations of motion. In this problem we need to
use the relation between the traveled distance and initial and final (the final velocity is 0)
velocities:

v i 2 = 2as

where s is the traveled distance. Then

s = v i 2 /2a = 4 / (2) (5.2) = 0.38 m

5. A block weighing 80 N rests on a plane inclined at 30 degrees to the horizontal. The

coefficients of static and kinetic friction are 0.2 and 0.1 respectively. What is the minimum
magnitude of the force F, parallel to the plane, that will prevent the block from slipping?

Solution:
The minimum force corresponds to the condition that the static friction force has the maximum
value, which is 0.2*normal force. To find the normal force and the external force we need to
write down the condition of equilibrium: the net force is 0. Then we rewrite this equation in
terms of x and y-components (x axis is parallel to the plane).
 
The x-component of the second Newton's law has the form:
mgsin(θ) = ƒs + F

 
The y-component:
mgcos(θ) = n

Then since ƒs = µsn, we obtain

F = mgsin(θ) - ƒs = mgsin(θ) - µs mgcos(θ) = mg[sin(θ) - µscos(θ)]

Then
F = 80 [sin(30o) – 0.2 * cos(30o)] = 26 N