NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)

SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING (SMME)

School Of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering,

NUST
ME-115 Engineering Mechanics (Spring 2025)

Name: Ibrahim Ahmad Qureshy CMS ID: 501973

Section: ME-16 B Group: A

Experiment: “Determining Coefficient of Static Friction Using Inclined

Plane Apparatus”

ABSTRACT: Friction is the force that opposes the motion of an object. In this experiment we will
measure the co-efficient of static friction for various materials using an Inclined Plane Apparatus. The
apparatus included in this experiment are an inclined surface along with blocks made of nylon, steel and
brass. In this procedure we place blocks on the inclined surface and slowly increase the angle of inclination
until the block began to slide. The angle at which the block began to slide is recorded, and then we
determine the co-efficient of friction by using the formula µ=tanɵ. This process is repeated for different
materials, including nylon, brass, stainless steel.

Objectives:
• To find the static coefficient of friction for blocks made of different materials.
• To learn about the application of 𝝁 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝜽

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 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)
SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING (SMME)

• APPARATUS:
The apparatus required to perform this experiment is:

• An adjustable inclined plane apparatus

• Nylon Block
• Brass Block
• Aluminum Block
• Steel Block

Theory:
Friction arises when two objects/surfaces interact, impacting motion in different ways. It resists the motion of an
object across a surface.

Co-efficient of Friction:
The coefficient of friction (u) is a dimensionless value that quantifies the frictional relationship between

two surfaces.

Forces being applied on the Blocks:

Multiple forces are being acted on the block as it is placed on the inclined surface. The weight of the object

can be broken down into components, with one part acting perpendicular to the surface and the other

parallel to it. The normal force opposes the perpendicular weight component, while friction and

gravitational pull influences the object's motion along the plane.

On the other hand, the vertical component of the weight and the frictional force are equal and

oppositely directed. So:

𝑁 = 𝑚𝑔𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 ------ (1)

𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝑚𝑔𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
𝜇𝑁 = 𝑚𝑔𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 ------ (2)
Putting (1) in (2), we get:
𝜇 𝑚𝑔𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = 𝑚𝑔𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
Upon simplification, we get:
𝝁 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝜽

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 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)
SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING (SMME)

Procedure:
1. Place the inclined plane apparatus on a flat surface and ensure that it is horizontal. We can make
sure of this by checking if the angle on the bar is 0.
2. Next, take a block at place it on the apparatus center.
3. Start tilting the apparatus slowly and steadily, make sure not to jerk it as this will cause the block to
slide and we will get an inaccurate reading of the angle.
4. Just as the block makes a small slip note the angle.
5. Repeat the previous step to obtain 2 more values and then get the average.
6. Calculate the value of co-efficient of static friction by using the formula:

𝝁 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝜽
7. Repeat the steps for the other blocks and note down the readings.

DATA AND CALCULATIONS:

Materials Readings of Slip Average of Coefficient of Friction

Angles Readings
𝜽𝟏° 𝜽𝟐° 𝜽𝟑° 𝜇𝑠 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝜽
𝜽°

Nylon 14° 15° 15° 14.67° 0.261

Brass 9° 10° 11° 10° 0.176

Aluminum 16° 15° 15.5° 15.5° 0.277

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 NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)
SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING (SMME)

Steel 19.5° 19° 16.5° 18.1° 0.326

Results and Discussion:

The static friction coefficients for each block were determined through calculations. Based on the collected
data, the coefficients of static friction follow this order:
𝜇𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑙 > 𝜇𝐴𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑚 > 𝜇𝑁𝑦𝑙𝑜𝑛 > 𝜇𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑠

This indicates that steel provides the highest resistance to motion on the inclined plane, making it more
difficult to slide compared to the other materials.

However, the accuracy of these values is subject to various influencing factors, including:

. Human error

. Faulty or imprecise apparatus

. Presence of rust on the inclined surface

. Irregular or uneven tilting of the inclined plane

Conclusion:
In conclusion, the static coefficient of friction was determined using an inclined plane setup. However, the
accuracy of the results was affected by the limitations. To improve precision and reliability, Alternative
methods should be explored for measuring the coefficient of static friction more effectively.

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