FRICTION 85

If the angle between the string and the wall is~ show that the coefficient of
friction must be not less than cosec ~' and that the normal force on the wall is
mg tan ({3/2). (Hint: As problem 5.1.)

5.3 A uniform circular hoop has a small body, with a mass equal to its own,
attached to a point on its rim, and is hung over a rough horizontal peg. Show that
if the angle of friction is greater than rr/6 the system can rest with any point of
the hoop in contact with the peg. (Hint: The external forces due to the weights of
the attached mass and the hoop itself are vertical; the direction of the total
reaction at the peg follows from this; use a free-body diagram with the peg at (J
to the vertical through the hoop centre.)

5.4 The body in figure 5.17 is stationary when the force Pis gradually applied.

lG p

1.2m
0.8m
~

Figure 5.17

What is the critical value of J1 so that the body tips before it slides? Assume accele-
rations are zero. (Hint: Use a free-body diagram insertingN and Fat each contact
point; use equilibrium conditions; if it tips one normal reaction must be zero.)

5.5 A uniform plank of length 5 m and mass 50 kg is standing on a horizontal

floor and leaning against a vertical wall. At the floor the coefficient of friction is
0.3 and at the wall 0.2.
(a) The plank is placed at an angle tan- 1 0.6 to the vertical. Can the magnitudes
of the normal reactions and the friction forces at the wall and the floor be
determined?
(b) Determine the ranges of values that are possible for these forces.
(c) Can the plank slip in the position given in (a)?
(d) Can the friction force at the floor ever be zero when the plank is in equilibrium?
(e) At what angle to the vertical must the plank be placed for slip to be about to
occur?
(Hint: As problem 5.1; see worked example 5.2 for (a), (b) and (c); for (e) use
total reactions and a geometrical approach.)

5.6 A uniform rod mass m and length Lis lying on a rough horizontal table. A
horizontal force Pis applied to the rod perpendicular to its axis at a distance
86 BASIC ENGINEERING MECHANICS

t)
kL(k > from one end so that it just moves. Show that the rod rotates about a
point distance hL from the same end and thatP= pmg(l- 2h), where h =
k - (k 2 - k + tF. (Hint: Choose an elementary length of the cylinder and thus
decide the frictional force acting on it; then consider the equilibrium of the whole
cylinder.)

5. 7 A thin sheet of metal is to be positioned for feeding into a press by use of a

simple jig consisting of two cylindrical rods, which.are parallel and at the same
level. The sheet is passed to the right over rod 1 and then under rod 2 and positioned
so that its centre of gravity is 2 m to the left of rod 1. The whole jig is now tilted
anticlockwise until the sheet slides out of the jig. Find the distance required
between the two rods if the sheet is to slide when at an angle of 60° to the hori-
zontal. For both sliding surfaces J.l = 0.2. Ignore the thickness of the sheet and the
diameter of the rods. (Hint: Consider the equilibrium of the forces on the sheet
under limiting friction.)

(5.8) Two rough uniform cylinders, having equal diameters but unequal masses
m 1 and m 2 (m 1 < m 2 ) rest in line contact with each other on a plane whose
inclination {3 is< 45°, the axes of the cylinders being horizontal.
If J.l is the same for all surfaces, show that the frictional forces at each contact
surface are equal and that for equilibrium to be possible the heavier cylinder must
be uppermost and that J.l > (m 2 + m 1 )/(m 2 - m 1 ). (Hint: Draw the separate free-
body diagrams inserting (with assumed directions) the friction and normal forces
at each contact point; use the equilibrium condition to answer the questions;
compare the ratio of F/N with p.)
5.9 Two cylinders lie in equilibrium on a rough inclined plane, in line contact
with one another with their axes horizontal. The upper cylinder radius a, is heavy
but the lower cylinder, radius b, has negligible weight. Show that if {3 is the
inclination of the plane to the horizontal then b >(a tan 2 {3)/4, that the coefficient
of friction between the heavy cylinder and the plane must be at least 1/[2 cot {3-
..J(a/b )} , and that the other coefficients of friction must be at least equal to
..J(b/a). (Hint: As for problem 5.8; all friction and normal force components can
be evaluated in terms of the weight and the dimensions of the heavy cylinder (use
the geometrical relationships). The condition forb arises from the fact that all
normal components must be > 0.)

5.10 (a) If for the wedge and block shown in figure 5.18 Q = 100 Nand (J = 40°,
find the value of P required to lift the block.
(b) If P = 100 N and (J = 40° fmd the value of Q required to make the block
descend.
(c) What should be the value of (J so that the wedge is locked (i) for any value of
P, (ii) any value of Q?
Disregard the masses of the wedge and the block and take J.l at all surfaces as
0.3. (Hint: Use the total reactions and hence draw triangles of forces for each
body; solve for Q andP. For (c) examine the relevant triangle to find the critical
values of 8.)
FRICTION 87

r
p

Figure 5.18

5.11 The mechanism shown in figure 5.19lies in the horizontal plane. AB slides
in guides and carries a pin E which slides in a slot on the arm CD. The latter
rotates freely on an axle at D. The coefficient of friction at each of the sliding
surfaces at R, SandE is 0.35.

Figure 5.19
(a) Find the maximum value of() at which a couple applied to CD can move AB
to the left.
(b) Determine the value of the axial force that needs to be applied at B to move
AB to the left when a clockwise couple having moment 50 N m is applied to CD
and() has the value found in (a). Ignore the thickness of AB.
(Hint: Use separate free-body diagrams; the directions of the total reactions are
determined from the relative movement. For (a) consider equilibrium of AB, for
(b) consider equilibrium of both AB and CD.)

5.12 The mechanism shown in figure 5.20 lies in the horizontal plane and con-
sists of a rigid rod AB with cylindrical ends sliding in mutually perpendicular slots.
ll for all sliding surfaces is 0.3.
(a) If Q = 0 determine the minimum value of() at which P can move AB.
(b) If Pis removed, can Q cause movement at the value of() determined in (a)?
(c) If Q = 100 N and () = 40° determine the magnitude of P so that motion is
impending (i) in the anticlockwise direction (ii) in the clockwise direction.
(Hint: Use a free-body diagram with limiting friction conditions. For (a) consider
the case when there is no resultant moment on AB to cause motion; similarly for
(b). Solve (c) using a polygon or triangles of forces, or by moments.)
88 BASIC ENGINEERING MECHANICS

Figure 5.20

5.13 The force required to tether a ship is 10000 N. The rope used to do this is
wound four complete turns around a cylindrical post, the remaining length L
lying on the ground. If the rope has mass 20 kg/m and the coefficient of friction
between the rope and the floor and between the rope and the post are 0.1 and
0.2 respectively, determine L to prevent slipping. Disregard the mass of the rope
except where it contacts the floor. (Hint: Use the ratio of tensions and the force
required to move the rope in contact with the floor.)

5.14 A belt-and-pulley system consists of a driving pulley A with outside radius

0.2 m and a driven pulley B with outside radius 0.4 m. The distance between the
axes of the pulley shafts is 1 m. If the coefficients of friction between the belt
and the pulleys are 0.2 at A and 0.15 at B determine at which pulley the belt first
slips. What is the maximum torque that can be transmitted through the driven
pulley if the allowable tension in the belt is 800 N?
Will it always be true in a two-pulley system, with J1 the same for both pulleys,
that the criterion for slipping is at the smaller pulley?

5.15 A belt is attached at its two ends to two pins at the same level and distanced
apart. A uniform cylinder- diameter d and mass m, to the surface of which a
small body, mass m, is attached- is placed to lie in the belt with its axis horizon-
t
tal. If the length of the belt is greater than rrd and J1 between belt and cylinder is
0.2, determine the angular position 8 of the small body from the vertical line
through the centre of the cylinder at which the cylinder will just slip in the belt.
(Hint: Consider the equilibrium of the pulley with the attached mass; relate the
tensions.)

5.16 An electric motor drives a pulley of radius 0.2 m through a clutch. The
pulley is fitted with a belt with angle of lap 150°, and J1 between the belt and the
pulley is 0.25. The clutch plate has inner and outer radii 0.3 m and 0.6 m, and J1
is 0.2. Determine the required end load on the clutch if the clutch is to slip just
before the belt, when the tension on the tight side of the belt is 500 N.
5.17 A screwed shaft moving in a fixed guide has a mean diameter 0.5 m and lead
0.25 m, J1 = 0.05. For an axial load of magnitude 1000 N determine the torque
required (a) to just sustain the load in equilibrium and (b) to move the shaft
against the load. (Hint: For (a) which way is motion impending?)
FRICTION 89

5.18 A screwed shaft moving in fixed guide carries an end load of 500 N. The
thread has a mean diameter 0.15 m and a lead 0.05 m; fJ. is 0.2. Find the magnitude
and sense of the torque on the shaft required to (a) move the shaft against the
load, (b) move the shaft in the direction of the load.
What should the mean diameter be in order that the torque should be zero in
case (b)?

5.19 A body mass 1000 kg is to be lifted by means of a screw jack consisting of a

screwed spindle moving in a fixed guide. The body cannot rotate and is carried on
a thrust plate, which acts as a thrust bearing for the top face of the spindle. The
top face of the spindle is made 0.3 diameter and the pressure may be assumed to
be uniform. The thread has a mean diameter 0.1 m and a lead 0.02 m; fJ. at both
sliding surfaces is 0.2
(a) Find the torque required to be applied to the spindle to raise the load.
(b) Will the load stay in position if this external torque is removed?
(c) What should the lead be if the load is to be on the point of descending without
assistance when the torque is removed?
(Hint: Consider the friction torques (in magnitude and sense) at both thread and
thrust bearing.)

5.20 In the thrust bearing of figure 5.14, r 1 = 0.1 m, r 2 = 0.3, a= 60° and fJ. = 0.05.
The end load is 10 000 N. Obtain a conservative estimate of the friction torque.

5.21 A flat thrust bearing is to have the inner radius one-third that of the outer
radius. It carries a load of 20 000 Nand the pressure p (assumed uniform) is to be
50 000 N/m 2 • Determine the radii and the torque required to overcome friction.
Assume fJ. = 0.08.
If the bearing wears until pr = constant what will then be the maximum
pressure and the torque required to overcome friction?

5.22 A rope passing over a pulley is used to lift a body mass 20 kg. What force,
applied vertically downwards on the other end of the rope, is required in the
following cases: (a) the pulley is locked on its axle and the rope slips on the pulley,
with fJ. = 0.3; (b) the pulley rotates on its axle, the clearance being sufficient for
contact to be made along a single horizontal line. The ratio of the outside radius
of the pulley to the radius of the axle is 10:1 and fJ. is again 0.3. (Hint: For (b)
consider the equilibrium of the pulley noting that the reaction of the axle on the
pulley is tangential to the friction circle.)

5.23 The wheel of the container in figure 5.16 has outside radius R 0 , and axle
radius ra; the coefficient of friction between the wheel periphery and its contact
surface is f.J.o and at the axle is f.l.a· Find the relationship between IJ.o and IJ.a, assum-
ing ra ~R 0 , in order that slip will first occur at the wheel periphery.

5.24 The carrier in figure 5.21 has impending motion up the plane. Its total mass
90 BASIC ENGINEERING MECHANICS

Figure 5.21
is 100 kg, its centre of gravity is at G; the friction circle of the axle is of 0.1 m
radius and J1 at the road surface is 0.5.
(a) In the impending motion will slip take place at the road surface or at the axle?
(b) What is the magnitude of P and the value of 8?
(Hint: Decide the direction of the reaction of the road on the wheel; consider the
equilibrium of the carrier.)