Friction
Friction
Friction is the form of force, which opposes the relative motion between the
two surfaces in contact and it acts on both the surfaces.
Factors that can affect Friction
1. The irregularities of a surface: If we move an object with has an irregular
or rough surface on another surface which is also irregular, the force of
Friction will be high in this case and the movement of the object would be
restricted.
2. The regularity of a surface or its smoothness: If the surfaces of either the
objects or are smooth, the force of Friction would be less and the object
would move easily over the surface. Even smooth surfaces have a certain
irregularity.
3. If two surfaces are pressed hard: the force of Friction increases between
two surfaces if they are pressed hard and hence the movement of the
object becomes restricted. However, if there is no pressure the object can
easily move.
Types of Friction
1. Static Friction: The Frictional force that comes into play until an
object starts moving is called static Friction. An object has to
overcome the static Friction force in order to start its movement.
2. Sliding Friction: Sliding Friction comes into play whenever an object
moves along the surface of another object. Such a movement is
called ‘slide’. Hence, sliding Friction is the force that opposes the
movement or slide of an object.
3. Rolling Friction: When an object is rolling on a surface the force of
Friction which acts upon it is called rolling Friction.
4. Fluid Friction: When an object moves in a fluid, the fluid exerts a fluid
Friction upon the object. It is also called air Friction (when the
medium of travel is air) and viscous Friction (when the medium of
travel is water).
Advantages of Frictional Force
Frictional force is necessary for various purposes in our daily lives such as:
• It allows us to walk on the earth surface.
• It allows us to write with a pen on a surface or a paper.
• It allows us to fix a nail in the wall.
• A moving object would never be able to come to the state of rest without
the Frictional force.
• It would not be possible to drive any automobiles on the road without the
Friction force.
• It would not be possible to construct any buildings without the Frictional
force.
Disadvantages of Frictional Force
• Frictional force results in wear and tear of objects such as the moving
parts of a machine, the tyres of a vehicle, sole of the shoes etc.
• It also results in the production of heat. In the case of machines, the
production of heat leads to wastage of energy.
• The Frictional force also leads to a decrease in the speed of a moving
object or some time stops it.