Chapter: Friction
1. Explain why friction is both helpful and sometimes unwanted in our daily
lives.
Friction is helpful because it allows us to walk without slipping and helps vehicles
stop when brakes are applied. However, it is sometimes unwanted because it causes
wear and tear on moving parts and wastes energy as heat.
2. Describe two methods by which friction can be reduced in machines.
Friction in machines can be reduced by using lubricants like oil or grease, and by
making the surfaces of the moving parts smooth or using ball bearings.
3. Why do the soles of shoes have grooves or patterns? Explain your answer.
The soles of shoes have grooves or patterns to increase friction between the shoe
and the ground, which helps prevent slipping and provides better grip while
walking.
4. Explain why objects moving in fluids must have special shapes.
The objects moving in fluids must have a special shape to overcome the fluid
friction acting on them. Efforts are therefore made to minimise the friction, so
objects are given special shape having pointed fronts with little broader middle
portion which gets tapered at the back called streamlined.
5. Name the two factors on which the magnitude of frictional force depends.
Frictional force depends on:
The weight of the body and
The nature of the surface in contact.
6. What is meant by lubrication? Why do we lubricate the moving parts of our
vehicles? Name some lubricants and where they are used.
Lubrication means oiling the machines from time to time. Lubrication of the moving
parts is done to reduce friction between them. We can use oil or grease in machines.
Graphite can be used in machines which reach a very high temperature.
7. Explain why sliding friction is less than static friction.
During sliding, contact points do not get enough time to get interlocked properly.
Friction forces come into play when irregularities present in the surface of the two
objects in contact get interlocked with each other. When an object is in motion, the
sliding friction is smaller than the static friction as the interlocking during motion is
very small. Thus, sliding friction is less than static friction.
8. Give examples to show that friction is both a friend and a foe.
Friction is a friend in the below ways:
It helps us to walk.
It helps us to hold things.
It helps in grinding.
It helps in construction purposes.
It makes matchstick ignition possible.
Friction as a foe in the below ways:
It opposes motion.
It produces a lot of heat which results in wastage of energy.
It brings about wear and tear of machinery parts.
It leads to the application of more power in machines.
It produces noise in the machines.
9. What is a spring balance?
A spring balance is a device which measures the force acting on an object. It
contains a coiled spring. When a force is applied on it, the spring gets stretched. The
pointer moves on the scale showing the magnitude of the force.
10. When the two surfaces are pressed harder, friction increases. Explain why?
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.