What is friction?
Friction is a contact force that occurs between two surfaces that are sliding, or trying
to slide, across each other. It acts against the movement of an object.
For example, when you try to push a book along the floor, friction makes this difficult.
Friction always works in the direction opposite to the direction in which the object is
moving or trying to move. Friction always slows a moving object down.
What Causes Friction?
Friction is caused due to the irregularities on the two surfaces in contact. So, when one
object moves over the other, these irregularities on the surface get entangled, giving
rise to friction.
The more the roughness, the more irregularities and more significant will be the
friction.
What are frictional forces?
When an object is moving there are almost always forces which act against it unless it is
in a vacuum as in space. These are frictional forces and act in the opposite direction to
the movement. Frictional forces make it more difficult for objects to move.
• Frictional forces occur in many different situations.
• Frictional forces stop us from slipping when we walk and slow down a cyclist
when they stop pedaling.
• Friction is a contact force and acts against the movement of an object.
What are the different types of Friction?
There are three types of friction, and they are classified as follows:
• Static friction
• Sliding friction
• Rolling friction
Static Friction
This friction occurs when a body rests on the ground. For example, while trekking, the
friction between your shoe and the ground help in climbing the mountain.
Sliding friction
This friction occurs when a body slides on the ground. For example, while writing with a
pencil the pencil lead slides on the paper. The friction between lead and the paper is good
enough to leave a watermark on the paper.
Rolling friction
This type of friction occurs between rolling objects and the ground. For example, the
friction between the tires and the ground, etc.
Why do we need friction?
The amount of friction depends on the materials from which the two surfaces are made.
The rougher the surface, the more friction is produced. Friction also produces heat. If
you rub your hands together quickly, you will feel them get warmer.
Is friction helpful?
Friction can be a useful force. There are many examples of where friction is a useful
force. For example, friction is why we do not slip when we walk along the pavement. It is
also useful for bikes and cars. Without friction, they would not be able to accelerate, turn
or brake. It prevents our shoes slipping on the pavement when we walk and stops car
tyres skidding on the road. When you walk, friction is caused between the tread on
shoes and the ground. This friction acts to grip the ground and prevents sliding.
Can friction be harmful?
Friction can also be harmful in certain situations. For example, when the mechanical
parts of a bike, like the chain and axles, rub together the friction can cause the metal to
wear away.
Friction also causes objects to heat up. For example, rubbing hands together on a cold
day to keep warm. The friction between the palms of your hands causes them to heat
up. Friction between moving objects causes heat energy to be given out to the
surroundings.
Sometimes we must reduce friction. We can limit the amount of friction using lubrication.
Substances like motor oil can be used to stop metal parts from rubbing and wearing
away. We use oil to reduce the friction between the moving parts inside a car engine.
The oil holds the surfaces apart and flows between them. The reduced friction means
there is less wear on the car's moving parts and less heat produced.
Air resistance and drag.
Drag is the force which acts against the movement of an object when it moves through
a fluid (a liquid or gas). The faster the object moves the more drag it experiences. When
the fluid is air, drag is usually described as air resistance. The effects of air resistance
can be reduced by streamlining the object, which will allow the moving object to go
faster for the same thrust force. Cycling teams and Formula 1 motor racing teams work
to reduce the effects of air resistance. They design cars, helmets and bikes which are
streamlined so that the cyclist or car can travel as quickly as possible.