Forces and Motion Basics - Friction
Forces and Motion Basics - Friction
Part 2 – Friction
a. How does the Friction screen differ from the Net Force and Motion screens?
The net force screen shows two forces acting on one object to see which has more force. The
motion screen shows one force acting upon another object to see how much force is needed
to push it. The friction screen shows a force pushing on object on a surface with no wheels to
help it move
Sam not pushing Sam pushing but the box not Sam pushing and the box
moving moving
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Forces and Motion: Basics Trish Loeblein & Amy Rouinfar
Forces and Motion using PhET’s Force and Motion Basics HTML5
Part 2 – Friction
When you push a heavy box, it pushes back at you with an equal and opposite force (Third Law) so that the
harder the force of your action, the greater the force of reaction until you apply a force great enough to
cause the box to begin sliding.
b. Check your sketches using the sim and make corrections if needed. List any new ideas you
discovered.
My predictions were true for the first two photographs, but I was intended to reduce the
friction force in the third photo. Between the thing and the air, it is travelling through, air
friction occurs. It's also known as drag. This force is determined by the object's shape,
substance, speed of movement, and viscosity of the fluid. When you push a heavy box, it
pushes back with an equal and opposite force (Third Law), therefore the harder you push,
the greater the force of reaction until you apply a force strong enough to cause the box to
slide. The box's acceleration is zero because it is at rest, thus the forces must balance. Using
Newton's Second Law, we may deduce that. There is no force of friction since the box has no
tendency to move. The sliding friction force opposes the movement of two sliding contact
surfaces against each other. This force is determined by the type of contact surfaces
(materials and level of finish) as well as the weight applied perpendicular to the motion
direction (Normal force).
c. What do you notice about the similarities and differences between the Applied Force arrow
and the Friction Force arrows in each situation?
For the first situation, Sam is not pushing therefore is no contact force between the box and
him, so the applied force and friction force arrows are not present.
For the second situation where Sam is pushing but the box is not moving, the lengths of the
applied force arrow and the frictional force are the same. Friction is directed opposite to the
movement of the box.
For the third situation where the box moving, it can be noticed that the box is accelerating
and the arrow of the applied force is longer than that of the friction. This means that there is
a net force to the right of the box.
3. How can you make the Friction Force more? What shows you that the force is more?
We can make the friction force more by seeing how much more the applied force was. If the value of
applied force is less than limiting friction, then friction will increase and will be equal to applied force. As
applied force exceeds limiting friction, then kinetic friction comes into play.
5. Have Sam try to move the refrigerator. What’s different from pushing the box?
a. In the table, draw the Sum of Forces arrow for the different cases:
b. Were you able to move the refrigerator? If not, what would you have to change? Describe
what you did.
Yes, because there was less friction.
6. Try pushing other things; you can even stack them. What have you discovered?
I have discovered that Sam cannot be able to push any weight above 100kg with the normal amount
of friction. However, if we are able to drop the amount of friction that is applied, we can therefore
push even up to 300kg.
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Forces and Motion: Basics Trish Loeblein & Amy Rouinfar
Forces and Motion using PhET’s Force and Motion Basics HTML5
Part 2 – Friction
7. Can you find different ways to make the Sum of Forces arrow change?
a. List at least three:
1-Increase the acceleration
2-You could increase the force applied.
3-Reduce friction.
4-Turn off friction.
5-Change the object you’re pushing.
9. Using your answers to Question #8, what general statement can you make about the relationship
between net force and how fast an object changes its speed.
A net force on an object changes its motion, the greater the net force, the greater the acceleration.
The heavier the object, the more force needed to be applied.
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Forces and Motion: Basics Trish Loeblein & Amy Rouinfar