Chapter 6

Force and Motion II

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

Friction
• Friction is a force between two surfaces that are sliding, or trying to slide, across each other.

• It prevents our shoes from slipping on the pavement when we walk.

• It stops car tyres from slipping on the road.

• Sometimes we want to reduce friction. For example, we use oil to reduce the friction between the
moving parts inside a car engine.

• Many other examples in our daily life: driving of a vehicle on a surface, applying brakes to stop a moving
vehicle, walking on the road, writing on a notebook/ blackboard, drilling a nail into a wall, lighting a
matchstick, etc…

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

Friction
• If we either slide or attempt to slide a body over a surface, the motion is resisted by a bonding between the body
and the surface.

• The resistance is because of the frictional force 𝒇 or simply friction.

• Friction force is always:
1) directed along the surface,
2) opposite the direction of the intended motion

If the body does not slide, the frictional If there is sliding (motion), the frictional
force is a static frictional force 𝒇𝑠 force is a kinetic frictional force 𝒇𝑘

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

Properties of Friction
Static friction force 𝒇𝒔:

The magnitude of 𝑓Ԧ𝑠 has a maximum value 𝑓Ԧ𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑥 that is given by

𝒇𝒔, 𝒎𝒂𝒙= μs FN
where,
μs is the coefficient of static friction
FN is the normal force

Kinetic friction force 𝒇𝒌:

The magnitude of 𝑓Ԧ𝑘 is given by

𝒇𝒌= μk FN
where,
μk is the coefficient of kinetic friction
FN is the normal force

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

Example:
A 2.5 kg block is initially at rest on a horizontal surface. A horizontal force F = 60 N is
applied to the block as shown in the figure. The coefficients of friction for
the block and surface are 𝜇s = 0.40 and 𝜇k = 0.25. Determine the magnitude of the
friction force acting on the block.

Solution:
The block is pushing the surface with its weight W = Fg = mg = 2.5 × 9.8 = 24.5 N
⸫ the normal force on the block FN = 24.5 N
There are 2 types of friction forces:
1) The static fraction force:
𝑓Ԧ𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑥= μs FN = 0.4 × 24.5 = 9.8 N
Note: ⸪ the applied force F > fs ⟹ the block will move (if F was less than fs, the block will
stay at rest because the force F is not enough to overcome the friction)

2) The kinetic friction force appears after the object moves:

𝑓Ԧ𝑘= μk FN = 0.25 × 24.5 = 6.1 N

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

 The Drag Force and Terminal Speed

• The drag force is present everywhere around us.

• Drag forces appear whenever there is motion in air or water or in any

other fluid.

• When objects travel through fluids (a gas or a liquid), they will

encounter resistive forces called drag forces.

• The drag force always acts in the opposite direction to fluid flow.

• If the body’s motion exists in the fluid-like air, it is called aerodynamic

drag. And, if the fluid is water, it is called hydrodynamic drag.

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

The Drag Force and Terminal Speed

The magnitude of the drag force D (N) is determined by:

1
𝐷= 𝐶 𝜌 𝐴 𝑣2
2

C: is the drag coefficient (dimensionless)

: is the density of the air or fluid (kg/m3)

A: is the cross-sectional area of the object in a direction perpendicular to the motion (m2)

V: is the velocity of the object (m/s2)

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

The Drag Force and Terminal Speed

When an object falls from rest through air, the drag D is directed
upward; its magnitude increases as the speed increases. This force
D opposes the downward gravitational force Fg on the body. Upward
If the object falls long enough, the speed increases which makes Drag Force
D
the drag increase until D = Fg and the acceleration becomes zero.
In this case, the object falls with a constant speed called the
“terminal speed vt”.
Force due
1 2𝐹𝑔
𝐶 𝜌𝐴 𝑣𝑡2 = 𝐹𝑔 ⟹ 𝑣𝑡 = to Gravity
2 𝐶𝜌𝐴
Fg

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

Example:
A raindrop with radius R 1.5 mm falls from a cloud that is at height h = 1200 m above the ground. The drag
coefficient C for the drop is 0.60. Assume that the drop is spherical throughout its fall. The density of water w
is 1000 kg/m3, and the density of air a is 1.2 kg/m3. What is the terminal speed of the raindrop.

Solution:
4
2𝐹𝑔 2×𝑚𝑔 2×𝑉𝜌𝑤 𝑔 2×3𝑉𝜌𝑤 𝑔
Terminal speed 𝑣𝑡 = = = =
𝐶𝜌𝐴 𝐶𝜌𝐴 𝐶𝜌𝐴 𝐶𝜌𝐴

4 4
𝐹𝑔 = 𝑚𝑔 = 𝑉𝜌𝑤 𝑔 = 𝜋 𝑅3 𝜌𝑤 𝑔 = × 3.14 × 1.5 × 10−3 3
× 1000 × 9.81 = 138.6 × 10−6 𝑁
3 3

2𝐹𝑔 2 × 138.6 × 10−6

𝑣𝑡 = = = 7.4 𝑚/𝑠
𝐶𝜌𝐴 0.6 × 1.2 × 𝜋 (1.5 × 10−3 )2

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

Uniform Circular Motion Forces

When a body moves in a circle at constant speed, it is said to be in uniform circular motion.

𝑣2
It has a centripetal acceleration 𝑎 =
𝑟
𝑟
and the periodic time (time to complete one circle) 𝑇 = 2𝜋
𝑣
where r is the radius of the circle, and v is its speed.
Examples of this motion are: rounding a curve in a car, and orbiting satellites

General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101

Example: A race car of mass 10 kg moving in a circular motion has a centripetal acceleration of
13 m/s2. If the radius of the motion is 2 m, what are the linear speed and the periodic time of
the car ? calculate the centripetal force in the radial direction.
Solution:
𝑣 = 𝑎 × 𝑟 = 13 × 2 = 5.1 𝑚/𝑠
𝑟 2×3.14×2
𝑇 = 2𝜋 𝑣 = = 2.5 𝑠
5.1

𝑣2
𝐹𝑟 = 𝑚𝑎𝑟 = 𝑚𝑟 = 10 x 13 = 130N

11
General Physics For Science Students-PHY1101