NATURAL SCIENCE FRESHMAN COURSE STREAM

Physics Lab Report

Coefficient of Static and Kinetic Friction

BY: Group 10 – CEBS - Section 2

GROUP MEMBER ID NUMBER

1 Abdi Dinka UGR/3014/17

2 Beamlak Bekele UGR/6012/17

3 Amanuel Zemene UGR/0079/17

4 Amanuel Mitiku UGR/6217/17

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: ATO EMIRU ASEFA

NAME OF LAB ASSISTANT: DR. GIZAW BIRHANU

DATE OF EXPERIMENT: 20/12/2024

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 4/1/2025

 Coefficient of Static and Kinetic Friction
Introduction:

Friction is a force that resists the relative motion or tendency of motion between two
surfaces in contact. It plays a crucial role in many everyday activities, such as walking,
driving, and the operation of machinery. There are two main types of friction:

 Static Friction: This is the frictional force that resists the initiation of motion
between two objects that are in contact but not yet moving.
 Kinetic Friction: This is the frictional force that resists the motion of two objects that
are already in motion.

The frictional force depends on the nature of the surfaces in contact and the normal force
(the perpendicular force exerted by a surface). The coefficient of friction is a dimensionless
number that represents the ratio of the frictional force to the normal force:

 Static coefficient of friction: μs = Fstatic / Fnormal

 Kinetic coefficient of friction: μk = Fkinetic / Fnormal

In this experiment, we aim to determine the coefficients of static and kinetic friction for a
single object, where the mass is varied by adding plates to it. As the mass of the object
changes, we will measure the force required to move the object and calculate the frictional
forces. By dividing the frictional force by the normal force (which is based on the object's
weight), we will compute the coefficients of friction. This experiment seeks to demonstrate
that the coefficients of friction remain constant, even when the mass of the object changes.

Objective:

The objective of this experiment is to determine the coefficients of static and kinetic friction
for an object, and to investigate whether these coefficients remain constant when the mass
of the object is changed by adding plates. By measuring the force required to overcome
static and kinetic friction and dividing it by the normal force (which is calculated based on
the object's mass), we aim to demonstrate that the coefficients of friction are independent
of the object's mass and depend only on the nature of the surfaces in contact.
Limitations:

 Surface Inconsistencies:
Variations in the texture or smoothness of the surface could lead to fluctuations in the
frictional forces, affecting the accuracy of the measured coefficients of friction.
 Measurement Accuracy:
The precision of the spring scale and human error in reading the force could result in
slight inaccuracies in determining the frictional force, leading to potential errors in the
calculated coefficients.
 Object and Plate Alignment:
Misalignment of the object or plates on the surface could affect the normal force
calculation, resulting in inaccurate measurements of the frictional force.

Theory:

Friction is the force that opposes the motion or tendency of motion between two surfaces
in contact. It can be classified into two types:

1. Static Friction: The force that resists the initiation of motion. It is given by Fstatic= μs
⋅Fnormal, where μs is the static coefficient of friction, and Fnormal is the normal
force (equal to the object's weight, m⋅g).
2. Kinetic Friction: The force that resists the motion of an object already in motion. It is
given by Fkinetic=μk⋅Fnormal, where μk is the kinetic coefficient of friction.

The coefficient of friction (μ) is calculated by dividing the frictional force by the normal
force:

μ=Fnormal / Ffriction

In this experiment, we measure the force required to move an object (either to start moving
or maintain motion) and divide it by the normal force to find the coefficients of static and
kinetic friction. The goal is to demonstrate that these coefficients remain constant even as
the object's mass changes.

Apparatus:
 Object 1 - a wooden block or any object with a measurable mass
 Object 2 - a mass hanging from a string attached to Object 1
 Additional Plates: To change the mass of the object 1 and 2 and consequently increase
the normal force and frictional force.
 Flat Surface: A smooth, horizontal surface where the object will be placed and pulled.
 Balance or Scale: To measure the mass of the object and the plates accurately.
 Pulley system - for hanging Object 2
Procedure:

1. Set up the apparatus:

o Place the object-1 on a flat, horizontal surface.
o Attach a pulley system to the edge of the table, ensuring the string is in place so
that it can be used to pull the object-1 smoothly.
o One end of the string should be tied to the object-1, and the other should be
attached to a known weight (object-2).
o Position the screen on the opposite side of the bench.
2. Measure the mass of the object:

o Use a balance or scale to measure the mass of the object. Record the mass value.
This will help calculate the normal force later.

3. Attach the pulley system and weights:

o Place the object on the flat surface, ensuring that the pulley is aligned and free
from any obstruction.
o Hang a known mass from the pulley system. This mass will provide the pulling
force to move the object. (m2.g)

4. Measure the static friction:

o Gradually increase the weight on the pulley system until the object-1 just begins
to move.
o Record the force (measured by the tension in the string= m2.g) required to start
moving the object. This is the static frictional force.
o Calculate the normal force Fnormal as Fnormal = mobject⋅g, where mobject is the
mass of the object, and g is the acceleration due to gravity.
o Calculate the coefficient of static friction μs using the formula:

μs= Fstatic / Fnormal

5. Measure the kinetic friction:

o Once the object starts moving, reduce the hanging mass gradually to create a
situation where the object is moving with a constant velocity.
o Give the object a push so it starts moving and observe whether it keeps moving
or stops. If the object stops, the reduction in the hanging mass is sufficient to
overcome the kinetic friction.
o If the object continues to move at a constant speed, the reduction in hanging
mass is balanced with the kinetic friction force. Record the hanging mass when
this balance occurs.
o The force required to keep the object moving at constant speed is the kinetic
frictional force, which can be calculated from the tension in the string.
o Calculate the coefficient of kinetic friction μk using the formula:
 μk= Fkinetic / Fnormal

6. Repeat with additional plates:

o To vary the mass, add plates to the object. This increases the normal force, which
should result in higher frictional forces.
o Repeat all the steps by adding a mass.

Data:

Coefficient of static friction:

Mass of object 1 Normal force of Mass of object 2 Maximum static Coefficient of

+ mass of the object 1 (in N) (in gm.) friction (in N) static friction
plates (in gm.) (N=m1.g) (ffs= m2.g) (µs=ffs/N)
(Weight of (Weight of
object1) object)
M1=240 2352 M1=110 1078 0.458

M2=284 2783.2 M2=130 1274 0.457

M3=306 2998.8 M3=155 1519 0.501

M4=360 3528 M4=185 1773.8 0.503

Coefficient of kinetic friction:

Mass of object 1 + Normal force Mass of object 2 Kinetic friction Coefficient of

mass of the plates of object 1 (in gm.) (in N) kinetic friction
(in gm.) (in N) (ffk= m2.g) (µk=ffs/N)
(N=m1.g) (Weight of
(Weight of object)
object1)
M1=240 2352 M1=90 882 0.375

M2=284 2783.2 M2=105 1029 0.369

M3=306 2998.8 M3=120 1176 0.392

M4=360 3528 M4=140 1372 0.388

Data Analysis:
For static friction
Coefficients of static friction are:

 µs1= 0.458, when mass = 240gm

 µs2= 0.457, when mass = 284gm
 µs3= 0.501, when mass = 306gm
 µs4= 0.503, when mass = 360gm

Average static friction:

µs = (0.458 + 0.457 + 0.501 + 0.503)/4 = 0.480

Uncertainty:
The standard deviation is σ = 0.0223

Graph:

For kinetic friction

Coefficients of kinetic friction are:

 µk1= 0.375, when mass = 240gm

 µk2= 0.369, when mass = 284gm
 µk3= 0.392, when mass = 306gm
 µk4= 0.388, when mass = 360gm
Average kinetic friction:

µk = (0.375 + 0.369 + 0.392 + 0.388)/4 = 0.381

Uncertainty:
The standard deviation is σ = 0.0094

Graph:

Results:
A. For static friction

 The average static friction is 0.480 ± 0.0223

B. For kinetic friction

The average kinetic friction is 0.381 ± 0.0094

Conclusion:

In this experiment, we investigated the coefficients of static and kinetic friction by varying
the mass of an object on a flat surface and measuring the frictional forces acting on it. The
objective was to determine the coefficients of both static and kinetic friction and analyze
whether these coefficients remain constant when the mass is changed.

From the data collected, the coefficients of static friction and kinetic friction were found to
be relatively consistent, although there were slight variations with changes in mass. The
average static friction coefficient was calculated to be approximately 0.480, with a
standard deviation of 0.0223, while the average kinetic friction coefficient was 0.381, with
a standard deviation of 0.0094.

Despite the changes in mass, the values for the static and kinetic friction coefficients
showed only small fluctuations, which suggests that friction is largely dependent on the
nature of the contact surface between the object and the surface rather than the mass of
the object. This is consistent with theoretical expectations, where the frictional force is
proportional to the normal force, and the frictional coefficients remain relatively constant
over a range of masses.

In conclusion, the experiment demonstrates that the coefficients of both static and kinetic
friction can be considered constant for a given set of conditions, even when the mass of the
object is varied. This provides valuable insight into how friction behaves in real-world
applications, where surface properties and contact forces primarily govern the frictional
forces experienced.

Questions:

1. What are the factors that greatly affect the coefficients of static and kinetic friction?
 Surface Material: Rougher surfaces create more friction.
 Normal Force: Greater normal force (weight) increases friction.
 Surface Texture: Smoother surfaces reduce friction.
 Temperature: Changes in temperature can alter friction.
 Lubricants/Contaminants: Lubricants reduce friction, while contaminants may
increase it.
2. How will µs and µk vary if we place standard mass on top of the wooden block?
 μs and μk will remain constant, but the frictional force will increase because the
added mass increases the normal force, which increases the frictional forces (both
static and kinetic).
3. Is friction beneficial? Cite real life situations to assert your point.

Yes, friction is beneficial in many cases:

 Walking: Prevents slipping.

 Braking: Helps slow or stop vehicles.
 Writing: Enables writing on paper.
 Sports: Provides grip.
 Tires: Ensures traction for vehicles.

REFERENCES:

1. Phys 1011 – Lab Manual

2. Physics Laboratory Manual - Third Edition – by David H. Loyd
3. PHYSICS LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS- Seventh Edition – by Jerry D. Wilson