FRICTION-1 SUCCESS STUDY CIRCLE 9438224466, 9040224466

Friction: If we slide or try to slide a body over another surface, the motion of the body is resisted by bonding
between the body and the surface. This resistance is called friction.

 The force of friction is parallel to the contact surfaces and opposite to the direction of intended or relative
motion.
 There are three types of frictional forces
i. Static friction ii. Dynamic friction iii. Rolling friction
 If a body is at rest and no pulling force is acting on it,force of friction on it is zero. If a body is at rest and no
pulling force is acting on it, force of friction on it is zero.
 If a force is applied to move the body and it does not move,the friction developed is called static friction,
which is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the applied force (static friction is self adjusting
force).
 If a force is applied to move the body and it moves,then the friction developed is called dynamic or kinetic
friction.
 When a body rolls on the surface of another body friction developed is called as rolling friction
 It is due to the deformation at the point of contact and depends on area of contact.

|f|

smax
= sN
N
s = F

F k = kN
fs
0 F
Static region Kinetic region
w

Note-i: If you are walking due east, then the friction on the feet is due east and the friction on the surface is
due west.

Note-ii: Engine is connected to rear wheels of a car. When the car is accelerated, direction of frictional
force on the rear wheels will be in the direction of motion and on the front wheels in the opposite direction
of motion
Note-iii:In cycling ,the force exerted by rear wheel on the ground makes the force of friction to act on it in
the forward direction. Front wheel moving by itself experience force of friction in backward direction.
Note-iv: If the pedaling cycle is accelarating on the horizontal surface, then the forward friction on the rear
wheel is greater than the backward friction on the front wheel.
Note-v:When pedaling is stopped,the frictional force is in backward direction for both the wheels.
(1) Static friction : The opposing force that comes into play when one body tends to move over the surface of
another, but the actual motion has yet not started is called static friction. R
(i) If applied force is P and the body remains at rest then static friction F = P. P
(ii) If a body is at rest and no pulling force is acting on it, force of friction on it F

is zero. mg
Fig. 5.1

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(iii) Static friction is a self-adjusting force because it changes itself in accordance with the applied force and is
always equal to net external force.
(2) Limiting friction : If the applied force is increased, the force of static friction also increases. If the applied force
exceeds a certain (maximum) value, the body starts moving. This maximum value of static friction upto which body
does not move is called limiting friction.
(i) The magnitude of limiting friction between any two bodies in contact is directly proportional to the normal
reaction between them.
Fl ∝R or Fl =μ s R
(ii) Direction of the force of limiting friction is always opposite to the direction in which one body is at the
verge of moving over the other
(iii) Coefficient of static friction : (a) μs is called coefficient of static friction and is defined as the ratio of force
F
μs =
of limiting friction and normal reaction R
0 0 0
(b) Dimension : [ M L T ]
(c) Unit : It has no unit.
(d) Value of μ depends on material and nature of surfaces in contact that means whether dry or wet ; rough
or smooth polished or non-polished.
(e) Value of μ does not depend upon apparent area of contact.
(3) Kinetic or dynamic friction : If the applied force is increased further and sets the body in motion, the
friction opposing the motion is called kinetic friction.
(i) Kinetic friction depends upon the normal reaction.
Fk∝ R or F k=μ k R where μk is called the coefficient of kinetic friction
(ii) Value of μk depends upon the nature of surface in contact.
(iii) Kinetic friction is always lesser than limiting friction F k <F l  μk < μ s
i.e. coefficient of kinetic friction is always less than coefficient of static friction. Thus we require more
force to start a motion than to maintain it against friction. This is because once the motion starts actually ;
inertia of rest has been overcome. Also when motion has actually started, irregularities of one surface have little
time to get locked again into the irregularities of the other surface.
(iv) Kinetic friction does not depend upon the velocity of the body.
(v) Types of kinetic friction
(a) Sliding friction : The opposing force that comes into play when one body is actually sliding over the
surface of the other body is called sliding friction. e.g. A flat block is moving over a horizontal table.
(b) Rolling friction : When objects such as a wheel (disc or ring), sphere or a cylinder rolls over a surface,
the force of friction that comes into play is called rolling friction.
 Rolling friction is directly proportional to the normal reaction (R) and inversely proportional to the
radius (r) of the rolling cylinder or wheel.
R
Frolling =μ r
r
μr is called coefficient of rolling friction. It would have the dimensions of length and would be measured in
metre.
 Rolling friction is often quite small as compared to the sliding friction. That is why heavy loads are
transported by placing them on carts with wheels.
 In rolling the surfaces at contact do not rub each other.

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 The velocity of point of contact with respect to the surface remains zero all the times although the
centre of the wheel moves forward.
Laws of Friction:
 Friction is directly proportional to the normal reaction acting on the body.
 The law of static friction may thus be written as fsα N , fs = µsN = fl where fl is limiting friction

Generally 0 static friction  fl

 Coefficient of static friction ( µ s) depends on the nature of the two surfaces in contact and is independent
of the area of contact.
 Static friction is independent of the area of contact between the two surfaces
fk
 Coefficient of kinetic friction ( µ )k= , It is independent of velocity of the body.
N
fR
 Coefficient of rolling friction ( µ )R=
N
 Rolling friction depends on the area of the surfaces in contact.
Note : µ S > µ K > µ R
 Friction depends on the nature of the two surfaces in contact i.e., nature of materials, surface finish,
temperature of the two surfaces etc.

Angle of Friction
Angle of friction may be defined as the angle which the resultant of limiting friction and normal reaction
makes with the normal reaction.
N
fl S
By definition angle  tan  =
N fs P

is called the angle of friction

Resultant Force Exerted by Surface on Block

In the above figure resultant force S= √ F 2 +R2

Hence the range of S can be given by, mg≤S≤mg √ μ2 +1

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