FRICTION

What is Friction.
• Friction is a force that resist the movement of two
contacting surfaces that slides relative to one another
• The molecules of each surface interact according to
Newton’s Laws of Motion.
• Friction always opposes motion, i.e., it is opposite to
the direction of velocity.
• If there is no motion, then friction opposes the sum of
all the other forces which are parallel to the surfaces in
contact.
Types of Friction
• There are two types of friction: dry or Coulomb friction and fluid friction. Fluid
friction applies to lubricated mechanisms. The present discussion is limited to dry
friction between non lubricated surfaces.
Dry Friction
Occurs between the non-lubricated surfaces of solid objects.
Two types of dry friction are:
• Static Friction
When dry friction acts between two surfaces that are not moving relative to each
other
• Dynamic Friction
When dry friction acts between two surfaces that are moving relative to each other
Friction cont…
Fluid Friction
Occurs with fluids,or lubricated surfaces

Coefficients of friction
• The theory of dry friction or Coulomb friction, predicts the maximum
friction forces that can be exerted by dry, contacting surfaces that are
stationary relative to each other
• It also predicts the friction forces exerted by the surfaces when they are
in relative motion, or sliding
• Surfaces that are not in relative motion are considered first
 Coefficients of friction
The static Coefficient
• The magnitude of the maximum friction force that can be exerted between two
plane dry surfaces in contact is f= µsN…………….(1)
where N is the normal component of the contact force between the surfaces and µ s
is a constant called the coefficient of static friction
• The value of µs is assumed to depend only on the materials of the contacting
surfaces and the conditions (smoothness and degree of contamination by other
materials) of the surfaces.
The static Coefficient
• Equation(1) determines the magnitude of the maximum friction force but not its
direction
• The friction force is a maximum and equation is applicable when two surfaces are
on the verge of slipping relative to each other. We say that slip is impending, and
the friction forces resist the impending motion.
Coefficients of friction
The kinetic coefficient
• According to the theory of dry friction, the magnitude of the friction force
between two plane dry contacting surfaces that are in motion (sliding) relative to
each other is f = µkN ……………………(2)
where N is the normal force between the surfaces and is the coefficient of kinetic
friction
• The value of µk is assumed to depend only on the compositions of the surfaces
and their conditions
Coefficient of friction cont..
•Maximum static-friction force:
Fm   s N

•Kinetic-friction force:
Fk   k N
 k  0.75 s
•Maximum static-friction force and kinetic-friction force
are:
- proportional to normal force
- dependent on type and condition of contact surfaces
- independent of contact area
 The Laws of Dry Friction. Coefficients of Friction
•Four situations can occur when a rigid body is in contact with a horizontal surface:

• No motion, • Motion impending,

• No friction, • Motion,
(Px < Fm) (Px = Fm)
(Px = 0) (Px > Fm)
 Angles of Friction

• It is sometimes convenient to replace normal force N and friction force F by their

resultant R:

• No motion • Motion

Fm  s N Fk  k N
tan  s   • Motion impending tan  k  
• No friction N N
N N
tan  s   s tan  k   k
 Angles of Friction
• Consider block of weight W resting on board with variable inclination
angle q.

•No friction • Motion

• No •Motion impending
motion
Angles of friction
• The angle of friction (θ) and its magnitude (R) is expressed into the normal force
N and friction force f as shown in figures (a) and (b)
f

R θ

(a)
(b)
Angles of friction
• The normal force and friction force at figure (b) are related
to R and θ by
f= R sin θ……………….(3)
N=R cos θ………………(4)
• The value of θ when slip is impending is called the angle of
static friction θs, and its values when surfaces are sliding
relative to each other is called the angle of kinetic friction θk
• Using equations (1) – (4), the angles of static and kinematic
friction in terms of coefficients of friction is
tan θs =µs and tan θk =µk
Sample problem
1.Determine the maximum angle θ which the adjustable incline may
have with the horizontal before the block of mass m begins to slip. The
coefficient of static friction between the block and the inclined surface
is µs.
Solution
Solution: The free-body diagram of the block shows its weight W = mg, the normal
force N, and the friction force F exerted by the incline on the block. The friction
force acts in the direction to oppose the slipping which would occur if no friction
were present

Equilibrium in the x- and y- directions requires

[∑Fx=0] mg sin θ – F =0 F=mg sin θ………........(1)
[∑Fy=0] -mg cos θ + N=0 N= mg cos θ…………...(2)

• Dividing the first equation by the second gives F/N =tanθ. Since the maximum
angle occurs when F= Fmax= µs N, for impending motion we have
µs = tan θmax or θmax = tan-1 µs
Sample 2
2. Determine the magnitude and direction of the friction force acting on the 100-kg
block shown if, first, P = 500N and, second, P = 100N. The coefficient of static
friction is 0.20 and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.17. The forces are
applied with the block initially at rest
FBD
 Solution
Solution
There is no way of telling from the statement of the problem whether
the block will remain in equilibrium or whether it will begin to slip
following the application of P. It is therefore necessary to make an
assumption by take the friction force to be up the plane as shown by
the solid arrow
Equilibrium equations
• [∑Fx=0] P Cos 20 + F- 981sin 20 =0
• [∑Fy=0] N - Psin20 -981cos 20 = 0
CONT…

Case I: P = 500N
• Substitution into the first equation gives F= -134.3N
• The negative sign tells us that if the block is in equilibrium, the friction force
acting on it is in the direction opposite to that assumed and therefore is down the
plane, as represented by the dashed arrow
• It cannot reach a conclusion on the magnitude of F, however until there is
verification that, the surfaces are capable of supporting 134.3 N of friction force.
• By substituting P = 500N into the second equation, gives N = 1093N
• The maximum static friction force which the surfaces can support is then
Fmax =µsN
Fmax = 0.20(1093)= 219 N
• Since this force is greater than that required for equilibrium, it concluded that, the
assumption of equilibrium was correct and the force, F = 134.3 N down the plan.
SOLUTION

Case II: P = 100N

• Substitution into the two equilibrium equations gives F=242N and N= 956N

• The maximum possible static friction force is

Fmax =µsN

Fmax = 0.20(956)= 191.2 N

• It follows that 242N of friction cannot be supported. Therefore equilibrium cannot exist, and the
correct value of the friction force is obtained by using the kinetic coefficient of friction
accompanying the motion down the plan = µkN= 0.17(956) = 162.5 up the plane
Sample problem 2
• What weight W is necessary to start the system of blocks shown in
below moving to the right? The coefficient of friction is 0.10 and the
pulleys are assumed to be frictionless.
Solution

FBD
Sample 3
• A 100 lb force acts as shown on a 300 lb block placed on an inclined plane. The
coefficients of friction between the block and plane are Us = 0.25 and Uk = 0.20.
Determine whether the block is in equilibrium and find the value of the friction
force.
 SOLUTION:

• Determine values of friction force and normal reaction force from

plane required to maintain equilibrium.
• Calculate maximum friction force and compare with friction force
required for equilibrium. If it is greater, block will not slide.
• If maximum friction force is less than friction force required for
equilibrium, block will slide. Calculate kinetic-friction force.
Determine values of friction force and normal
reaction force from plane required to maintain
equilibrium
 Fx  0 : 100 lb - 53 300 lb  F  0

F  80 lb
Solution cont

 Fy  0 : N - 54 300 lb  0

N  240 lb

•Calculate maximum friction force and compare with friction force required
for equilibrium. If it is greater, block will not slide.
Fm   s N Fm  0.25240 lb  48 lb

The block will slide down the plane.

•If maximum friction force is less than friction force
required for equilibrium, block will slide. Calculate
kinetic-friction force.

Factual  Fk   k N
 0.20240 lb

Factual  48 lb
Applications of friction
• Effects of friction forces such as wear, loss of energy and generation
of heat are often undesirable
• But many devices cannot function properly without friction forces and
may actual be designed to create them
• A car’s brake work by exerting friction forces on the rotating wheels,
and its tires are designed to maximize the friction forces they exert on
the road under various weather conditions
• Devices in which friction forces play important roles includes wedges,
screws, bearing, clutches and belts
Wedges
• A wedge is a machine that is often used to transform an applied force into much
larger forces, directed at approximately right angles to the applied force
• Wedges also can be used to slightly move or adjust heavy loads
• A wedge is in general a triangular object which is placed between two objects to
either hold them in place or is used to move one relative to the other.
Wedge cont..

• Block as free-body • Wedge as free-body

 Fx  0 :  Fx  0 :
•Wedges - simple machines used to raise  N1   s N 2  0   s N 2  N 3  s cos 6  sin 6
heavy loads.  Fy  0 : P0

•Force required to lift block is  W   s N1  N 2  0  Fy  0 :

or  N 2  N 3 cos 6   s sin 6  0
significantly less than block weight.    or
R1  R2  W  0
•Friction prevents wedge from sliding   
P  R2  R3  0
out.
•Want to find minimum force P to raise
block.
 Wedge example
• The uniform stone in fig D(a) has a mass of 500kg and is held in the horizontal
position using a wedge at B. If the coefficient of static friction is µs = 0.3 at the
surfaces of contact, determine the minimum force P needed to remove the wedge.
Assume that, the stone does not slip at A.
solution

The minimum force P requires F = µsN at the surfaces of contact with the wedge.
The free body diagrams of the stone and wedge are shown in Figure D (b). On the
wedge the friction force opposes the impending motion and on the stone at A,
FA≤µNA, since slipping does not occur there. There are five unknowns.

• Three equilibrium equations for the stone and two for the wedge are available for
the solution.
Solution cont..
From the free-body diagram of the stone;
∑MA=0; -4905(0.5m) + (NBcos 7°N)(1m)+(0.3NBsin7°N)(1m)=0, NB =
2383.1 N
Using the result for the wedge, then
∑Fy = 0; Nc – 2383.1cos 7°N – 0.3 (2383.1 sin 7°N) = 0
Nc = 2452.5 N
∑Fx = 0;
2383.1 sin7°N – 0.3(2383.1 cos7°N) +P - 0.3 (2452.4 N) =0
P= 1154.9N= 1.15kN
• Since P is positive, the wedge must be pulled out, but if P were zero, the
wedge would remain in place (self-locking).