Assignment: The Ramp

SPH4U1: Physics 12 University

Benjamin Kamnitzer

October 15, 2023

Heather Kennedy
Testable Question:
What effect does a change in the angle of incline have on the force of static friction?

Independent Variable: Angle of incline

Dependant variable: Force of static friction

Hypothesis:
The hypothesis theorised before undergoing the experiment is as follows: If the incline
increases in comparison to the horizontal, then the force of static friction will decrease
(n.d., 2005).

(VHS course notes)

This is because the force of static friction (Ff) acting between the incline and an object
on the incline is inversely correlated with the angle of incline. To come to this hypothesis
the force of friction formula was used (Liana & Meere, 1962): Ff = µFN

Because the ‘µ’ is the friction constant which depends on the object, it was ignored
using variance (the µ will be kept the same throughout the different trials). So all that
was left was calculating, FN through this formula: FN = -Fg(y)

𝐶𝑜𝑠θ
To find Fg(y), the Fg must be solved and then imputed into the equation Fg(y) = 𝐹𝑔
to find
Fg(y) . 'θ' is going to be determined by the incline. The greater the incline compared to
the horizontal, the greater θ and therefore the less the 𝐶𝑜𝑠θ.
The positive direction is chosen to be down and to the left (when the incline is pointed).
𝐶𝑜𝑠θ
Fg is 9.18m/s2. So, Fg(y) = 9.18
.

By using variance the value 9.18 can be ignored (as it is a constant). This means (using
variance) that the greater 𝐶𝑜𝑠θ the greater Fg(y). And therefore the greater the incline (θ)
the less Fg(y). From here, the logic used above was implemented to the equations:

FN = -Fg(y) (so the greater the magnitude of Fg(y) the greater the magnitude of FN)
Ff = µFN (so the greater the magnitude of FN the greater Ff)

This means, the higher the angle of incline in respect to the horizontal, the less the force
of friction.

Materials:
● Digital stopwatch
● Round protractor
● Digital scale
● Cardboard (80cm x 20cm)
● A small marble
● An Iphone XS phone case
● A size 10 US mens right shoe
● An orange
● 10 books (15 cm in thickness)
(These common objects were used as they are all that could be found at home)

Procedure:
1. The materials were procured.
2. Each material tested (marble, iphone case, shoe, an orange) were weighted
using a digital scale
3. Books were stacked on top of each other until an angle of 15° was met when the
ramp was added on (step 5)
4. The height of the books was measured and recorded
5. The cardboard was placed on the books on one end and the floor on the other to
form a ramp of 80cm
6. Another book was placed on the floor on the end of the cardboard ramp to
ensure the cardboard could not slip down
 7. Using a protractor the exact angle of the cardboard ramp with respect to the
horizontal ground was measured
8. This measurement was written down on a data table
9. The first object (a marble) was placed at the top of the cardboard ramp
10. The stopwatch was started at the same time the marble rolled down the ramp (If
a force to get the object moving was needed, that was provided trying to ensure
not to cause a high acceleration in order to limit the impact on the result)
11. Once the marble reached the end of the ramp the stopwatch was stopped
12. The time indicated on the stopwatch was recorded on a data table
13. The stopwatch was reset
14. The steps 3 to 13, were repeated 4 more times, but the angle of the ramp was
changed (in step 3) to the values: 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°
15. The steps 3 to 14, were repeated 3 more times, but the material used in the trial
was replaced with the materials: the phone case, the shoe, and the orange

Observations:

While the experiment was conducted, unexpected things happened:

Applied Force: Once an applied force greater than the force of static friction was
overcome, adding more applied force did not change the magnitude of friction the
objects encountered. (Step 10) Furthermore, when no applied force was added and the
object was not in motion, the force of friction became the same as the force of gravity
pushing the object down the ramp.

Height of the object: The height the object was at when it started moving, had no
effect on the force of static friction (Step 4).

Results:

The following measurements were taken from a height of 15m, while the object was at
rest (static friction). In some cases, an applied force was applied to differentiating
degrees in order to get the maximum friction an object could exhort. To do this force
was applied to the point right before the object would start moving.
Raw data:

How does the angle of an incline interact with the force of static friction applied to the
object: At 15m
Sleepy Dog File Cabinet Refrigerator
(applied force of (applied force of (applied force of Piano (applied Crate (Applied
0N) 100N) 400N) force of 300N) force of 1300N)
Force Force Force Force Force
of of of of of
Angle Friction Angle Friction Angle Friction Angle Friction Angle Friction
(°) (N) (°) (N) (°) (N) (°) (N) (°) (N)
15.0 14.2 15.0 284.0 15.0 828.3 15.0 852.0 15.0 1987.9
30.0 12.7 30.0 254.6 30.0 742.6 30.0 763.8 30.0 1782.3
45.0 10.4 45.0 207.9 45.0 606.3 45.0 623.7 45.0 1455.2
60.0 7.4 60.0 147.0 60.0 428.8 60.0 441.0 60.0 1029.0
75.0 3.8 75.0 76.1 75.0 221.9 75.0 228.3 75.0 532.7
Discussion:

Background information:

Friction can come in two different ways: kinetic friction and static friction. Both types of
friction are calculated by using a coefficient of an object’s friction and the normal force
being applied to the object. The Normal Force is the force opposite to gravity that keeps
objects stationary (in the vertical direction) on the ground . Hence the normal force of an
object is directly correlated to the orientation of an incline and gravity. This means that
as the incline is increased the gravity pushing the object towards the incline is
decreased and hence the normal force and force of friction is decreased.

Patterns and Trends:

The information and data from the tables and graphs provided do support the trends of
the hypothesis. As seen visually in the graphs, an increase in the angle of inclined
resulted in a decrease in the force of static friction between the incline and the object. In
all 5 cases, the graph looks almost identical. For example in the sleeping dog scenario,
the force of friction at 15° was 14.2N, but at the angle of 75° the force of friction was
3.8N clearly indicating a downwards trend. This data strongly suggests that an increase
in the angle of incline, will result in a decrease of static friction being applied to the
object. Therefore, I will accept my hypothesis. The graphs all have different force of
friction values, but the trend line (a linear line), all show the same trend.

In the procedure stated above this is how the force of friction would be measured:

First, the data provided from the procedure would be gathered in one place. Then using
1
the kinematic formula ∆𝑑 = 𝑣𝑖∆𝑡 + 2
𝑎∆𝑡2 , the acceleration would be measured.
Finally, the force of gravity would be calculated using this formula: Fg = ma.

The Fg would be split into its ‘x’ and ‘y’ components. Using the formula Fg(y) = -FN and
the coefficient of friction for the object used the force of friction would be calculated
using the formula: Ff = µFN.

Error Analysis:

Humidity: Humidity which may have an effect on the force of static friction was not
measured. More humidity would cause there to be less friction. In future experiments a
digital hygrometer can be used to measure the humidity in the room and hence the
humidity that the object will interact with (Lian, 2017).

Measurement tools: All of the data measured was only measured to two decimal
places (+/- 0.01N). This means the data is only so precise. In future experiments more
precise measurement tools can be used to get more accurate data.

Temperature: Temperature may have an effect on an object's frictional force. The

temperature was not measured before each trial. In future experiments it would be
important to measure temperature and keep this value consistent throughout the
experiment (Lian, 2017).

Conclusion:
In conclusion, This experiment does answer the question of the experiment: What does
a change in the angle of incline have on the force of static friction? The results of the
experiment do back-up the hypothesis. The greater the angle of an incline in regards to
the horizontal, the less the impact of friction will have on the object. These results may
lead to further questions that could potentially be investigated. Some of these questions
include:
● Once the object is in motion, how does the angle of incline affect the kinetic
friction between the object and the surface?
● How does the surface area of an object on an incline affect the coefficient of
friction between the object and incline?
● How does the mass of an object on an incline affect the coefficient of friction
between the object and the incline?
● How does humidity affect the coefficient of friction at different angles of incline?
Reference Page:
TMW Media. (2005). Stream Classic Cinema, indie film and top documentaries.
Kanopy. https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/102623?vp=torontopl

VHS. (n.d.). Assignment: The Ramp. Virtual high school.

https://lms.virtualhighschool.com/d2l/le/enhancedSequenceViewer/64510?u
rl=https%3A%2F%2F7373ee8e-81ee-4ff2-abda-d6a83ec1978f.sequences.
api.brightspace.com%2F64510%2Factivity%2F1178525%3FfilterOnDatesA
ndDepth%3D1

Liana, Meere (1962, October 1) Finding the coefficient of static friction on slope.
Physics Stack Exchange.
https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/267324/finding-the-coefficient
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nd%20the%20critical,%CE%BCs%3Dtan%CE%B8c

Lian, C. (2017, March 10). Effect of temperature and relative humidity on friction
and wear ... Taylor & Francis online.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10402004.2017.1306636