Physics: When two objects are placed one over the other, there is an initial force needed to start

moving one of the objects. That is because the friction between the two objects opposes the motion. The force needed is different for each set of 2 surfaces, even if all the other variables are kept constant. By finding the force at which the wooden block starts moving, the coefficient of friction between the two surfaces can be found. The force needed to start moving the wooden block should be greater for two surfaces with a high coefficient of friction, and the force should be lower for two surfaces with a low coefficient of friction. The purpose of this experiment is to find which surface is most suitable for the cafeteria. If the force needed to start moving is lower, that means the chance of slipping on that surface is greater, so in this experiment I am looking for a material that has a high coefficient of friction with other materials. Because the force will equal the mass of the weights multiplied by the gravitational constant and the gravitational constant will be simplified later during the data processing, only the mass of the weights is needed as initial data. Controlled Variable: The second material (clean metal, concrete, and brick). Dependent Variable: The mass of the weights needed so the object starts moving. Independent Variables: Type and weight of the wooden block, area of contact between surfaces. Materials: -block of wood -clean metal -concrete -brick -motion detector -low friction ramp -string -set of weights -pulley -hook -balance Procedure: -Record the weight of the block of wood before starting. -To measure the friction between the block of wood and the clean metal you need to place the clean metal on a table and the block of wood on the top of the metal. -Tie the string to the block of wood and put the string through the pulley at the edge of the table. -Make sure the string is perfectly horizontal by adjusting the height of the pulley. -Add the hook at the end of the string. -Start adding weights on the hook and find how much weight you can add without the block of wood moving. -Remove the weights and repeat the experiment 2 more times for the clean metal. -Repeat the whole procedure for concrete and for brick.

Data Collection
Mass (kg) 0.98 +/- 0.005

Wooden block

Mass of the wooden block used.

Surface tested Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Clean metal Clean metal Clean metal

Weight pulling down (kg) 0.31 +/- 0.005 0.40 +/- 0.005 0.37 +/- 0.005

Raw data collected from the first set of trials, with the clean metal and the wooden block.

Weight pulling down (kg) Trial 4 Concrete 0.63 +/- 0.005 Trial 5 Concrete 0.59 +/- 0.005 Trial 6 Concrete 0.62 +/- 0.005 Raw data collected from the second set of trials, with concrete and the wooden block. Surface tested Weight pulling down (kg) 0.58 +/- 0.005 0.55 +/- 0.005 0.58 +/- 0.005

Surface tested Trial 7 Trial 8 Trial 9 Brick Brick Brick

Raw data collected from the third set of trials, with the brick and the wooden block.

Data processing To get the actual coefficient of friction out of the force, you need to use the following process: It is known that: Frictional Force (Ff) = Coefficient of friction (c) * Normal Force (N) N = mass of the wooden block (mb) * g Fp = mass of weights (mw) * g And because the string is parallel to the table: Ff = Force pull (Fp) So: c * m * g = mw * g To simplify the equation, it can be divided by g: c * m = mw Because we are looking for c, the equation can be re-arranged: c = mw/m So, the coefficient of friction between two surfaces equals the mass of the weights divided by the mass of the wooden block.
Surface tested Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Trial 9 Clean metal Clean metal Clean metal Concrete Concrete Concrete Brick Brick Brick Weight pulling down (kg) 0.31 +/- 0.005 0.40 +/- 0.005 0.37 +/- 0.005 0.63 +/- 0.005 0.59 +/- 0.005 0.62 +/- 0.005 0.58 +/- 0.005 0.55 +/- 0.005 0.58 +/- 0.005 Coefficient of friction(pure) 0.32 +/- 0.005 0.41 +/- 0.006 0.38 +/- 0.005 0.64 +/- 0.006 0.60 +/- 0.006 0.63 +/- 0.006 0.59 +/- 0.006 0.56 +/- 0.006 0.59 +/- 0.006

For more accurate values, take the average of the coefficients for each type of material. For the uncertainty of the average use this formula: Uncertainty = sqr( ( uncertainty1 ^ 2 + uncertainty2 ^ 2 + uncertainty3 ^ 3 ) / 2 )
Average coefficient of friction (pure) 0.37 +/- 0.007 0.62 +/- 0.007 0.58 +/- 0.007

Clean metal Concrete Brick

Conclusion According to my hypothesis, Concrete should be the material that resists motion the most of all the materials tested, because it has the highest coefficient of friction. In conclusion, the floors in the cafeteria should be made out of concrete, because it has the highest coefficient of friction, meaning that it resists motion the most, so the chances of slipping and falling in the cafeteria will be decreased. My procedure was limited because I could only test a few materials that the floors are made of. Another limitation was the use of the block of wood. I should have used some kind of rubber block, or even a flat shoe, because those come closest to the shoes students wear in the cafeteria, and the coefficient of friction differs for every pair of materials. I think I could have improved the experiment by polishing the block of wood, and making sure that all the surfaces are .