SPH3U9
STATIC FRICTION ON INCLINED PLANES
AGATHA CAMARILLO
Purpose
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate how different materials used to
construct an inclined ramp affects its static friction. There are several factors that affect the
force of friction between two materials, including the nature of their surfaces. Rougher
materials tend to have higher coefficients of friction compared to smoother surfaces.
Hypothesis
It was hypothesized that sandpaper, which has a very rough surface, can be inclined at a
very steep angle without an object sliding off of it, thus having the highest coefficient of
static friction.
Materials
0.037 kg wooden block Wooden Board Sandpaper
Plastic Paper towel Construction Paper
Bubble Wrap Tin Foil Wax Paper
Paper Masking Tape Protractor
Procedure
1. The sandpaper was taped to the wooden board using masking tape, so that it
covered as much surface area as possible.
2. A wooden block was placed close to the edge of one side of the wooden board.
3. The center of a protractor was aligned with one corner of the wooden board, on the
edge opposite to the wooden block.
4. The edge of the wooden board containing the block was slowly lifted up. Once the
block started to slide downwards, the angle at which it moved (according to the
protractor) was recorded in Table 1.
5. Steps 2-4 were repeated for two more trials.
6. The sandpaper was discarded and steps 1-5 were repeated for the following
materials: plastic, paper towel, construction paper, bubble wrap, tin foil, and wax
paper.
Data and Observations
Table 1: Angle of Movement for Different Materials
Angle (°)
Material Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
Sandpaper 33 32 28 31
Plastic 13 10 9 11
Paper Towel 30 31 26 29
Construction 21 20 19 20
Paper
Paper 18 17 18 18
Bubble Wrap 23 20 18 18
Tin Foil 22 20 19 20
Wax Paper 18 17 12 16
● Generally, the wooden block slid down the surfaces of the more textured/rougher
materials at a steeper angle
Analysis
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Based on the data from Table 1, the coefficient of static friction for each material could be
calculated and compared to its accepted coefficients:
Table 2: Coefficients of Static Friction
Material Calculated Accepted Percent Error
Coefficient Coefficient
Sandpaper 0.60 0.7 14%
Plastic 0.19 0.40 52%
Paper Towel 0.55 N/A N/A
Construction Paper 0.36 N/A N/A
Paper 0.32 0.55 41%
Bubble Wrap 0.32 N/A N/A
Tin Foil 0.36 0.4 10%
Wax Paper 0.29 N/A N/A
Sample Calculation (Coefficient of Sandpaper):
Θ = 31°
Fx = μN
mg sinΘ = μ(mg cosΘ)
μ = (mg cosΘ)/(mg sinΘ)
μ = tanΘ
μ = tan 31°
μ = 0.60
Sample Calculation (Percent Error of Coefficient of Sandpaper):
|(0.60 - 0.7/ 0.7)| x 100% = 14%
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Pre-Lab Questions
A. List some ways that friction can be reduced. Think about anything mechanical, how
can you reduce the amount of heat and make it run more efficiently?
Friction can be reduced by lubricating or smoothing a surface, such as through sanding
down or oiling a material. Furthermore, friction can be reduced by changing the type of
motion of an object. For example, rolling tends to produce less friction than sliding.
B. Think about a surface where increased friction dictates safety. List some ways that
friction can be increased.
Increased friction is especially important on gymnastics uneven bars, which prevents
gymnasts’ hands from slipping off the bars. For this particular surface, friction can be
increased by applying chalk to the bars. Other ways friction can be increased include
making a surface rough, and increasing the mass of an object.
Post-Lab Questions
1. What are some things (extraneous variables) that may have influenced your results?
One factor that may have influenced the results is the wooden board. There was a slight
curve in the middle of the board, which could have affected the angle at which the block
moved. Furthermore, the protractor was fairly unsteady as I held it, which could have
produced some error in regards to the angles recorded in Table 1. This error was evident in
Table 2, as the percentage error between the calculated coefficient based on results from
this experiment, as well as the accepted coefficient values, were quite high.
2. How could you modify your experiment to make it better?
This experiment could be improved by testing materials that would have more practical
real-world applications for inclined planes, such as metal and plastic used for playground
slides. Static friction is an important factor to consider in the aforementioned scenario, as it
dictates a child’s ability to properly use it.
3. Were you testing static or kinetic energy? How do you know?
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Static energy was being tested in this experiment. This is because the investigation
centered around the extent of which friction could hold an object in place depending on
the material of the surface.
4. Describe how you could change your procedure to remove one of the extraneous
variables.
With regards to the wooden board, this variable could have been better controlled by using
a sturdier material. For example, there were more rigid boards available for use during the
experiment. With regards to the protractor, this could have been avoided by securing the
protractor to the surface of my workspace, or using a larger protractor so that the values
could be read more easily.
Conclusion
Based on the results of this investigation, sandpaper produced the most friction to hold the
wooden block in place on the inclined plane, and thus has a higher coefficient of friction.
The wooden block began to slide on the surface at an average angle of 31°, and was found
to have a coefficient of static friction of 0.60, which was the highest among all tested
materials. This attests to one of the many factors that affect the amount of friction
produced by a material, in which rougher surfaces such as sandpaper tend to have high
coefficients of friction.
Bibliography
“Friction - Static and Kinetic.” UCSC Physics Demonstration Room, University of Santa Cruz,
[Link]/friction-static-and-kinetic/.
“Friction and Friction Coefficients.” Engineering ToolBox,
[Link]/friction-coefficients-d_778.html.
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