Friction
- An opposing force which comes into effect, when two surfaces in contact try to move
relative to one another, is called friction.
- Friction always opposes the motion of an object.
- The force of friction acts in the opposite direction in which an object moves.
Cause of frictional force:
- Friction is caused by interlocking of irregularities present on the surfaces in contact.
- For a rough surface, larger is the number of irregularities on its surface and hence greater
will be the friction.
- For a smooth surface, irregularities are less and interlocking is less and hence has very
less friction.
Note: The spring balance is a device which is used for measuring force acting on an object.
Types of friction
1. Static friction:
The force of friction that comes into play between the surfaces of two bodies before the body
actually starts moving is called static friction.
It is a self-adjusting force, that is only as much as is necessary to prevent the motion.
2. Limiting friction:
The maximum value of static friction that develops on a body, when the body just tends to
move over the surface of another body is called limiting friction.
3. Dynamic Friction or Sliding Friction: The force of friction acting between the two
bodies, when they are sliding upon one another with a uniform speed is called dynamic
friction or sliding friction. The dynamic friction is little less than limiting friction.
Example:
> A block being slid across the floor
> A washing machine pushed along the floor.
> Rubbing both the hands together to create heat
Q. The dynamic friction is little less than limiting friction. Why?
Ans: When the body is placed on a surface and is at rest, there exists an adhesive force
(attractive force) between the body and surface and the irregularities are more tightly
interlocked. Due to this reason, a large amount of force is required to break this adhesive
force, thus the limiting friction.
On the other hand, when the body is moving, less force is required to keep the irregularities
unlocked. Hence the dynamic friction is less as compared to limiting friction.
Laws of Limiting Friction
1. Limiting friction always opposes the motion of a body and acts in the direction opposite to
the direction of applied force.
2. Limiting friction depends upon the nature of surfaces in contact with each other.
3. Limiting friction increases with the increase in the weight of the body and vice versa.
4. Limiting friction is independent of area of contact between two surfaces; provided the
weight of the body and the nature of the surface does not change.
Rolling Friction
- The force of friction between two bodies, when one body is made to move over another
body like a roller or wheel is called rolling friction.
-
How is rolling friction caused?
As a roller or wheel moves over a surface, it temporarily alters the surface by creating a
depression due to its weight.
During this interaction, the roller or wheel undergoes temporary deformation at the point
where it contacts the surface. These deformations result in the formation of a sort of inclined
plane in the direction of the roller or wheel's motion. Thus, a force is required to overcome
this temporary, but continuously forward moving inclined plane.
Examples of rolling friction
1. Trains have steel wheels on steel tracks, so they don't deform much. This means they can
go fast with less difficulty.
2. New suitcases have small wheels that don't deform much, so they're easy to pull around.
3. Roller skates have tiny wheels that don't deform a lot, helping skaters zip around quickly.
4. When cars or bikes go on roads, the wheels and road kind of deform a bit, making it
harder to move. If tires don't have enough air, it's even tougher because they deform more.
Too much air makes the ride bumpy and brakes tricky.
Note: Rolling friction will increase, if the surface is soft and it forms a large depression at the
point of contact of the wheel with a given surface and vice versa for hard surfaces.
Note: As the area of contact is less in the case of rolling than in the case of sliding, rolling
friction is less than the sliding friction.
Q. What do you mean by 'streamlined shape'? Name an object which usually has a
streamlined shape?
A. A streamlined body is the one which is pointed at the ends and broad at the middle. It
helps to lower the friction between a fluid (air and water), and an object moving through that
fluid.
Example: To reduce friction -
- Cars, boats and aeroplanes usually have a streamlined shape.
- Fishes also have streamlined shapes.
- The body of birds have a streamlined shape.
Fig: Streamlined shape
Q. Explain why objects moving in fluids (air or water) should have streamlined shape.
A. The frictional force in a fluid depends on the shape of the body. By giving objects a
special shape, that is streamlined shape, the force of friction acting on it can be minimised.
Hence, it becomes easier for the body to move through the fluid.
Advantages of friction:
1. A person can walk on any surface or climb a mountain because of the friction
developed between the surface and the shoes.
Note: (A surface without friction will be slippery and making it difficult to maintain
grip.)
2. Friction is responsible for keeping screws and nails fixed in wood
3. Car brake leathers (shoes) have rough surfaces to maximise friction when brakes are
applied.
4. Car tyres have grooves which provide the necessary grip with the road due to friction
to avoid slipping. Worn-out tyres, without grooves, can lead to accidents because
they may slip on the road, so they are replaced.
5. Athletes wear spiked shoes to enhance friction and avoid slipping during activities
Disadvantages of friction:
1. Friction makes machines use more energy, and this extra energy is lost as heat.
2. Friction leads to wear and tear in machines, making them stop working properly.
3. Friction slows down moving vehicles to a greater extent.
Friction as a necessary evil:
Friction is considered a necessary evil because, without it, things couldn't be set in motion or
brought to a stop in daily activities like walking, writing etc. However, friction also has
disadvantages, such as wasting energy, causing wear and tear, and slowing down motion.
So, it's essential yet comes with disadvantages.
Methods to reduce friction:
1. By polishing the surface, polishing makes the surface smooth and friction can be reduced.
2. Streamlining the bodies for reduced air/water friction.
3. Converting sliding to rolling friction, e.g., using small wheels or ball bearings.
4. Using lubricants such as oil or grease.
5. Using soap solutions for high-speed machines
6. Using fine powders like graphite or talcum as lubricants.
Q.
(a) What is a lubricant?
(b) How does a lubricant reduce friction?
(c) What kind of lubricant is used in (i) a sewing machine, (ii) the axle of a tractor?
Ans:
- A lubricant is a substance, usually organic, used to reduce friction and heat produced
between two surfaces in contact.
- The lubricant separates the two surfaces in such a way that the interlocking of
irregularities are greatly reduced as the spaces between them are filled with the
lubricant.
- (i) For light machines (sewing machine), less viscous oils are used as lubricants,
(ii) whereas for heavy machines (axle of a tractor), more viscous oils or grease is
used.
Q. Why is friction called a perverse force?
A. Frictional force always acts in the direction opposite to the direction of motion, i.e., it
always opposes motion. Hence, it is called a perverse force.
Q. Name two solid lubricants and state where they are used?
A. Two solid lubricants are graphite and molybdenum disulfide. They are used in various
applications, such as in machinery parts where liquid lubricants may be impractical or
ineffective.
Note: Talcum powder is used in filling up irregularities in the carrom board so that coins
move faster without any friction.
Q. Why do meteors burn on entering Earth's atmosphere?
A. Meteors enter Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds, causing very high friction
with air. This friction generates such high temperatures that the meteors catch fire and
create shooting stars.