DOHA MODERN INDIAN SCHOOL
SCIENCE
NOTES
Grade-08 CHAPTER-10
FRICTION
Answer the following:
1. Write two main properties of friction.
Answer:
It is produced when one body is made to move upon the other.
It always tries to prevent movement and tries to stop the body.
It wears off the surface of contact of 2 bodies.
It is always in a direction opposite to the direction of motion.
2. You spill a bucket of soapy water on a marble floor accidently. Would it make it easier or
more difficult for you to walk on the floor? Why?
Answer:
The layer of soap makes floor smooth due to which the friction is reduced and the foot
cannot make a proper grip on the floor. Therefore it is difficult to walk on a soapy floor
and we start to slip on the floor.
3. What are the various types of friction? Explain.
Answer:
There are mainly three types of friction:
Static friction: The friction existing between a stationary object and the surface on
which it’s resting is called static friction. This type of friction is more powerful than
others. We need a lot of energy to overcome such type of friction.
Sliding friction: The friction between the two surfaces in contact when one of them
just slides over the other is called sliding friction. It is also known as kinetic
friction. It is less than static friction.
Rolling friction: When one body rolls over the surface of another body, the
resistance of its motion is called rolling friction. Rolling friction is less than sliding
friction. It is thus the least friction of three types of friction, i.e., Static friction >
Sliding friction > Rolling friction.
4. Explain why sportsmen use shoes with spikes?
Answer:
Sportsmen use shoes with spike to increase the friction between shoes and the surface.
The shoes with spike do not slip while they run or play.
5. Iqbal has to push a lighter box and Seema has to push a similar heavier box on the same
floor. Who will have to apply a larger force and why?
Answer:
The heavy object will be pressed hard against the opposite surface and produces more
friction. So Seema will have to apply a larger force due to more friction.
6. Explain why sliding friction is less than static friction.?
Answer:
The two sliding objects find less time to get interlocked against each other. So they get
less friction. Therefore sliding friction is always less than static friction.
7. Give examples to show that friction is both a friend and a foe?
Answer:
Friction is a friend:
(i) Friction allows us to grip and catch different objects.
(ii) It helps us to walk comfortably on the surface.
(iii) It helps to minimise the speed or to stop the moving objects.
(iv) It helps us to write on paper or blackboard.
(v) The things do not move from their place due to the friction between the surfaces.
Friction is a foe:
(i) Friction causes wear and tear in objects.
(ii) It causes damage to the parts of machines and tools which further require money to
get them repaired.
(iv) It reduces the speed of moving objects, so more force is required.
(v) It does not allow the free movement of objects.
8. When the two surfaces are pressed harder, friction increases. Explain why?
Answer:
The friction is caused by the interlocking of irregularities in the two surfaces. It is
obvious that the force of friction will increase if two surfaces are pressed harder. This
can be experienced by dragging a mat when nobody is sitting on it and when a person is
sitting on it.
9. How does the friction depend on the nature of the surface?
Answer:
Nature of the surface is one of the factors affecting friction. When we move on any
surface, we apply a force to overcome the interlocking of the surfaces. Rough surfaces
have a larger number of irregularities and greater frictional force.
10. We use ball bearings between the hub and axle of ceiling fan and bicycles. Why?
Answer:
The rolling friction is smaller than the sliding friction. In most machines, sliding is
replaced by rolling by using ball bearings to reduce friction. This is why ball bearings are
used between the hub and axle of ceiling fan and bicycle.
11. Why are lubricants applied between the moving parts of a machine?
Answer:
When lubricants are applied between the moving parts of a machine, a thin layer is
formed there and moving surfaces do not directly rub against each other. Interlocking of
irregularities is avoided to a great extent and the movement becomes smooth.
12. People often rub their hands in winter. Why?
Answer:
Friction produces heat. When we rub our hands together, friction arises between them
and heat is produced. This makes our hands warm. This is why people often rub their
hands in winter.
13. Explain increasing and decreasing friction with suitable examples.
Answer:
In our daily life, in many cases we increase or decrease friction for our own convenience.
Some examples are given below:
Increasing friction:
Soles of our shoes are grooved to provide the shoes better grip on the floor so that we can
move safely. Similarly tyres of vehicles are treaded to increase friction to provide better
grip.
We increase friction by using brake pads in the brake system of bicycles and automobiles.
Gymnasts apply some coarse substance on their hands to increase friction for better grip.
Kabaddi players rub their hands with soil for a better grip of their opponents.
Roads are made rough to prevent from slipping.
Handle of cricket and tennis are made of rough materials to get better grip.
Decreasing friction:
A few drops of oil are poured on the hinges of a door, the door moves smoothly.
A bicycle and motor mechanic uses grease between the parts of these machines to reduce
friction.
By polishing surfaces, sprinkling powder on carrom board, we reduce friction.
Wheel and ball bearings are used in machines and vehicles to reduce friction.
14. What do you mean by fluid friction? How can fluid friction be reduced?
Answer:
The gases and liquids are called fluids. All of them exert force of friction on solid bodies
moving in either of them. The force exerted by fluid is called drag.
It depends on speed of the object with respect to fluid.
It also depends on the shape of the object and the nature of the fluid.
It is obvious that when objects move through fluids, they have to overcome friction
acting on them. In this process, they lose energy. Efforts are, therefore, made to reduce
friction. So, the objects are given special shapes.
Birds and fishes have to move about in fluids all the time. Their bodies must have
evolved to shapes which would make them lose less energy in overcoming friction. Such
shapes are called streamlined. The streamlined shape helps to overcome the friction
between objects and fluids. The objects have pointed fronts with little broader middle
portion which gets tapered at the back.
This is why shapes of aeroplanes, ships and all vehicles are designed to have shapes
which minimise fluid friction.
15. Give an example to show that friction due to air is much smaller than friction due to
liquid.
Answer:
As we move our hands through air we can easily do so. But doing this same process in
water is quite tough for us to do.
16. Why are spaceships provided with heat shield?
Answer:
Spaceships are provided with heat shields to protect them during exit and reentry of the
earth’s atmosphere. If they didn’t have these shields, the ship would burn up.