PHYS 1121 / 1131 / 1141

Physics 1A / Higher Physics 1A / Higher Physics 1A (Special)

Experimental Physics – Investigation 2

Static friction

Introduction
In this experiment you will be measuring the angle at which an object starts to move down a slope. You will be using
this angle to calculate the coefficient of static friction between the surface of your object and the slope.
This exercise is designed to give you an understanding about:
 separating forces into components
 frictional forces
 Newton’s first law.

What you will need

To undertake this exercise, you will need the following items:
 A ramp (this may be a plank of wood, a flattened cardboard box or even a large hard cover book)
 A ruler (at least 30 cm would be ideal)
 A full, unopened 1 litre carton of milk or fruit juice.
 Some kind of material that you can affix to the ramp to change the nature of the surface, such as a sheet of
sandpaper, paper, cloth, etc.

Presenting your responses and showing your working

The size of the spaces indicates the expected length of response. If you are typing into the PDF form, please avoid
typing a response larger than the space provided.

Some spaces have been provided in this exercise for you to show your working. If you are planning to print these
notes out (and then scan them for submission), you can write your working in these spaces. However, if you intend to
enter your responses directly into this PDF form, then you can insert photos of your working into the spaces. Please
ensure that the photos clearly show only the relevant working (you may need to crop or magnify your photos to do
this).

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 Maintaining the integrity of your own work
Photographic evidence

You must include a photograph of yourself with your student card, your equipment and a piece of paper clearly
showing the date, your name, student number and your UNSW photo ID card.

The photo below shows an acceptable example. Also, include a second photo of your UNSW photo ID card with your
name and photo clearly visible. Important note: You MUST provide these photos with your work. Work without the
photos will not be marked.

< Sample photo of equipment—your face, your student

card and paper with your name, student number and
date. You also need to include a close up of your
student card.

Insert photo – student with experimental set up Insert photo – Student card

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 Before the experiment
Read the following information before you attempt the experiment.
The following information may be helpful:

If you are using a 1 L carton of milk or juice, we can assume its mass is about 1 kg, and we can assume that the nature
of its surface (material, texture, etc.) is the same on each side.

mg sin θ Static friction can be modelled with the equation:

mg |f s , max|=μ s ∙|F N|
mg cos θ
θ

Newton’s first law tells us that when the object is static on the ramp, all the forces are in equilibrium. Draw a free
body diagram showing a mass at rest on an inclined plane. Make sure your vectors are drawn to scale.
(While we have not given you any values, you should scale your vectors so that they are appropriate sizes relative to
each other.)

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 By equating the forces parallel to the plane derive an expression for µs in terms of θmax, the maximum angle at which
the mass is stationary. Make sure you show and explain all your reasoning. Hint: think about how sin, cos and tan are
related.
Working space

⚠ When taking a photo to insert into this form, remember to turn your phone sideways so that the image is in
landscape orientation. Try to get only the relevant working in the frame and with sufficient magnification so that
the demonstrator can clearly read your work.

µs = tanθmax

We will keep the mass of the object the same throughout the experiment, but the exact mass of the object does not
matter when determining the coefficient of static friction. Explain, by referring to your equation and including words,
why this is.
In the last couple lines of working, when we equate the frictional force Fs = µsN to the down-the-plane
force of the object F = mgsinθ we find that mg appears on both sides of the equation (as N =
mgcosθ). This means that mg gets cancelled out, meaning that the mass (and the gravitational
acceleration) have no affect on the coefficient of the static friction).

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 Uncertainties

In this experiment, you will need to estimate uncertainty in an average value made from repeated trials

largest trial−smallest trial

Uncertainty =±
2

Two values agree with each other when the uncertainty bounds overlap. For example:
 7.9 ± 0.5 grams and 8.6 ± 0.7 grams agree with each other because the range 7.4 to 8.4 grams (7.9 ± 0.5)
overlaps with 7.9 to 9.3 grams (8.6 ± 0.7).
overlap

8.6±0.7 g
7.9±0.5 g
7 8 9

 2.6 ± 0.5 mL does not agree with 3.9 ± 0.8 mL because the range 2.1 to 3.1 (2.6 ± 0.5) mL does not overlap
with 3.1 to 4.7 (3.9 ± 0.8) mL.
no overlap
2.6±0.5 mL 3.9±0.8 mL
2 3 4

Conducting the experiment

Risk Assessment

It is important that you read and understand the risk assessment below.

Associated Risk rating with

Tasks Hazards Risk controls
risks controls

Falling ramp,
Raising ramp
support and Foot injury Wear enclosed footwear Low
end
test object

Using a
container Container Slipping of
Clean up spills as soon as they occur. Low
filled with may leak spilt liquid
liquid

By proceeding with the experiment, you are agreeing to follow these risk control methods and conduct the experiment
safely. If you have any doubts about your ability to complete the experiment safely then you should not proceed –
contact your course convenor.

✓ Check this box to signify that you agree to follow these risk controls. Your work will not be marked if
you have not agreed to these conditions.

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 Part A – Baseline coefficient of friction for your box and ramp
In this part, you will measure the coefficient of static friction for a side of the carton, and you will use this as a
baseline to compare other coefficients that you will determine in Parts B and C.

1. Measure the length of your ramp.

Length of ramp (with units), L 290mm

Describe the nature of the surface of your ramp. What material is it made of? Does it appear dull or glossy? Does
it have any features that you think might affect its surface friction?

The ramp is a placemat made of cork with a glossy paper-plastic finish on the top. It is pretty slippery and, the
only thing’s that’d affect its surface friction would probably be if it was either wet or if it wasn’t cleaned
properly before usage.

2. Set up your ramp. You will need to be able to change the angle of the ramp so that you can accurately measure
the maximum angle at which the object stays static on the ramp (the slope at which it just starts to move down the
slope). You will need to work out how to do this, you could use a car jack, chair or a stack of books to support
one end of the ramp.

To measure the maximum angle of the ramp θmax, use the length of your ramp L, the height at one end h, and
trigonometry. Write an expression that you could use to do this.

θmax =sin−1 ( hL )

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 3. Place the carton on one of its sides on the ramp. Increase the angle of your slope from horizontal towards the
vertical until the box just starts to move. Using the expression in step 2, determine the angle of the ramp and enter
it into the table on the next page.

MILK
1L

4. Repeat the measurement two more times so that you have measurements for three trials.

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Ramp end height h 89mm 86mm 83mm

Ramp angle θmax 17.87 degrees 17.25 degrees 16.63 degrees

Coefficient of friction µs 0.3225 0.3105 0.2987

Coefficient of static friction, μs ± ∆ μ s 0.3106 ± 0.01190

Note: Since we have measured µs three times here under the same conditions, we can use
largest trial−smallest trial
uncertainty=
2
Working space
Trial 1+ Trial 2+Trial 3 0.3 225+0.3 105+0. 2987
μs = ¿ ¿ 0.3 105666 …¿ 0.3 106(4 s . f .)
Number of Trials 3

largest trial−smallest trial 0.3225−0. 2987

∆ μ s= ¿ ¿ 0.01 190(4 s . f .)
2 2

Therefore,

μs ± ∆ μ s=0. 3106 ±0.01 190

Part B – The effect of surface area on the coefficient of static friction

In this part, we will investigate whether surface area influences the coefficient of friction. We will assume that the
nature of the surfaces on each side (material, texture, etc.) is the same.
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 1. Measure the surface area of the side of the carton investigated in Part A and record it here, with units (uncertainty
is not necessary for surface area, we want to look at how surface area affects the coefficient of friction, if it does,
in broad terms).

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Surface area of carton side in Part A (with units) 17 550 mm

Predict whether the surface area will have an effect on the coefficient of static friction. Make sure you justify
your prediction.
I think that changes in surface area won’t affect the coefficient of static friction.

As the Pressure of the object (Force per Unit of Area) is inversely proportional to the Surface Area in contact
with the slope,
F
P=
A
The effects of change surface area are cancelled out by the changes in pressure that happen because of the
changes in surface area. This means that the coefficient of static friction remains proportional to the force,
meaning that it remains unaffected; the same.

However, if there are any dramatic changes in the measurements, they’d most likely have something to do with
the stability of the object, where the centre of gravity becomes a factor, meaning that greater care would be
needed in making those measurements where the centre of gravity is very high (e.g. when the carton is
standing upright).

2. Stand your carton on the ramp on a different side to the one you used in Part A.
Determine its coefficient of friction by conducting three trials just like you did in Part A. Measure its surface area
and record all your data in the space below.

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Ramp end height h 85mm 84mm 87mm

Ramp angle θmax 17.04 degrees 16.84 degrees 17.46 degrees

Coefficient of friction µs 0.3066 0.3026 0.3145

2
Surface area of carton side (with units) 1 170 0 mm
Coefficient of static friction, μs ± ∆ μ s 0.3079 ± 0.01190

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 3. Place your carton on the ramp on a different side to the ones you used previously. Again, measure its coefficient
of friction and surface area.

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Ramp end height h 87mm 82mm 88mm

Ramp angle θmax 17.46 degrees 16.42 degrees 17.66 degrees

Coefficient of friction µs 0.3145 0.2948 0.3185

2
Surface area of carton side (with units) 540 0 mm
Coefficient of static friction, μs ± ∆ μ s 0.3093 ± 0.01185

4. Answer the following questions

According to your results, does coefficient of friction have any dependence on surface area? Make your
judgement with reference to your coefficients and uncertainties.
According to my results, my hypothesis of the coefficient of friction having no dependence on the surface area
was supported.

Measurement 1 (SA = 17500mm 2): 0.3106 ± 0.01190

Measurement 2 (SA = 11700mm 2): 0.3079 ± 0.01190

Measurement 3 (SA = 5400mm 2): 0.3093 ± 0.01185

From Measurement 1 to Measurement 3, where the largest change in surface area occurs (around a 60%
decrease in size), the change in the surface area lies well between the range of possible measurements for
Measurement 1 (as does Measurement 2).

Similarly, the uncertainties also remain either the same or very similar across the different measurements
showing that the change in surface area has a negligible effect on the friction.

If you had more time, you could measure the coefficients of friction on the remaining sides. Why would it be
useful to do this?
Having more diversity in data helps with making more accurate judgements, as more variables can be assessed
meaning that a sounder judgement can be made. However, as only one of the other sides had a significantly
different side (the top as there is a bottle cap), that side can be said to have a relatively more meaningful
contribution to the experiment (as the surface area is actually different).

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 Part C – The effect of the nature of a surface to its coefficient of friction.
1. Record your baseline coefficient of static friction for the carton/ramp surfaces here, for reference.

Coefficient of static friction measured in Part A, μs ± ∆ μ s 0.3106 ± 0.01190

Predict whether the nature of the surface will have an effect on the coefficient of static friction. Make sure you
justify your prediction.
As the coefficient of static friction is to do with the amount of force the material of the surface can withstand
(or return), the nature of the surface will influence the coefficient of static friction.

2. Affix your surface material to the ramp so that it does not move (such as with sticky tape).

What surface are you using?

The rubbery underside of my mousepad.

3. As before, conduct three trials using one side of the carton to determine your new surface’s coefficient of static
friction.

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Ramp end height h 210mm 213mm 220mm

Ramp angle θmax 46.40 degrees 47.26 degrees 49.34 degrees

Coefficient of friction µs 1.050 1.082 1.164

2
Surface area of carton side (with units) 17 550 mm
Coefficient of static friction, μs ± ∆ μ s 1.099 ± 0.05700

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 4. Answer the following question.

Does the nature of the surface influence the coefficient of static friction? Make your judgement with reference to
the coefficients and their uncertainties.

Yes, the nature of the surface definitely does affect the coefficient of static friction.

Where comparatively to the previous measurement (with the old surface),

0.3106 ± 0.01190

this new surface (of considerably courser, matt-finished material – rubber) has a much higher coefficient of
static friction:

1.099 ± 0.05700.

The increase in the coefficient is around 300% and is well out of the bounds of the initial measurements
uncertainties.

Part D – Design your own experiment

If you had more time and resources, you could also investigate another factor that might have an effect on the
coefficient of static friction.

1. Identify a factor whose influence on friction you could investigate in a similar manner to parts A–C.
Temperature

2. Predict whether this factor will or will not have a significant effect on the coefficient of static friction.
It will have a significant effect, depending on the magnitude of the temperature changes relative to the thermal
responsiveness of the material.

3. Give a clear method that you could use to investigate this. You do not need to perform this experiment.
Remember, a method needs to at the very least identify the independent variable and how you will vary it; a
dependent variable and how you will measure it; and some controlled variables and you will keep them constant.
Independent Variable: Temperature (modify the temperature of the environment)

Dependent Variable: Coefficient of Static friction (calculated using h and L like the above experiment)

Controlled Variables:

- Object: solid mass which remains mostly unaffected in the temperature ranges to be measured

- Ramp

- Surface material

- Controlled temperature variations/maintain a controlled environment (insulated controlled temperature

chamber)
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 - Measurement technique

- Time (for the object and the material to reach thermal equilibrium)

- Altitude (as that affects reactivity of materials to temperature changes)

Procedure:

1. Select a suitable object which remains negligibly unaffected by the temperature ranges to be tested.
2. Prepare ramp by adding selected frictional surface on top of it (sticky tape around the edges will do).
3. Measure the static friction of the object to the ramp at room temperature.
4. Utilizing the temperature-controlled chamber, vary the temperature at regular intervals, giving ample
time between variations for the temperature of the ramp and the object to be at equilibrium before
taking measurements.
5. Conduct measurements of the ‘h’ and using its relationship to L, find the coefficient of static friction at
each temperature interval.
6. Repeat these measurements at least 3 times at each temperature interval to ensure an increased change
of accuracy and /or reliability.
7. Analyse the data by comparing the coefficients of static friction against the temperatures used using
appropriate statistical methods to draw relationships (alongside making sure that uncertainty is always
taken account for).
8. Draw conclusions based off the findings, supporting them with scientific reasoning and evidence from
the data.

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 Part E – Conclusion
In light of your results, is |f s , max|=μ s ∙|F N|a good equation to model static friction? Comment on the limitations of
this model.

This equation, in light of the results is a very good, generalised equation to model static friction. However, it does
not consider a multitude of other possible factors which could affect the static friction such as temperature, the
atomic interactions of the materials, etc.

Through this experiment this equation has shown its worth in being a good predictor and indicator of change in
friction from material to material, with also the ability to take into account for Pressure and Surface Area having no
effect on the frictional coefficient, but besides that, it is too generalised to make any significant detailed remarks of
any material, let alone explain the processes behind the changes in the friction.

It serves itself well as a model for predicting outcomes, but other than that, it’s second best use would be for
student’s, allowing them to have an introductory overall understanding of how friction generally works.

— END —

Submission

Ensure that:
 You have agreed that you will follow the risk controls recommended in the risk assessment
 You have included photographs of you, a piece of paper with the date, name and student number, and the
equipment, and your student card
 A close-up photograph of your student card
 All the relevant results and calculations in the have been recorded in the spaces provided
 Answers to questions are completed.

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 Marking rubric

Criteria Possible marks

0
Agreed that you will follow risk controls
but will not be
Clear photographic evidence that you have conducted the investigation
marked without
A close up of your student card
these
Before Experiment
1
Draws a scaled free body diagram
Derives an expression for µs in terms of θmax 1

Comments on the significance of mass on µs 1

Part A
1
Derives an expression for θmax in terms of h and L
Conducts and records three trials to determine baseline µs 1

Determines a value for µs and its uncertainty 1

Part B
2
Collects and records data for other sides of the carton
Calculates µs and its uncertainty for other sides of the carton 1
Provides reasonable answers to questions 2
Part C
1
Collects and records data for new surface
Calculates µs with its uncertainty for new surface 1
Assesses the effect of surface nature on the coefficient of static friction 2
Part D
Identifies a relevant factor that might affect the coefficient of friction and predicts its 1
significance
Suggests a logical method to investigate the effect of the factor 2
Part E
2
Assesses the model of static friction with some appropriate reasoning
Total 20

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