Analysis

Physics is a broad topic to be discussed, there are many chapters,

experimentations, discoveries and it is pretty sure that there will be more plenty of
it every day because the world is changing and we are adapting to it. Physics is a
topic where you can learn how a simple thing change, move and work. In the
previous experiments, we took up Forces, Kinematics and Motion, one dimension
and two dimension and for this part, we took up Friction.
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid surfaces,
and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of
friction: Dry Friction resists relative lateral motion of two solid surfaces in contact
and is subdivided into static friction and kinetic friction. The second type is Fluid
friction, it describes the friction between layers of a viscous fluid that are moving
relative to each other. Lubricated friction is a case of fluid friction where lubricant
fluid separates two solid surfaces. Skin friction is a component of drag, the force
resisting the motion of a fluid across the surface of a body. Internal friction is the
force resisting motion between elements making up a solid material while it
undergoes deformation.
When two surfaces come in contact move relative to each other, the two
surfaces converts kinetic energy into thermal energy and that is why heat is formed
when you rub to stones or your skin to other skin. Frictional resistance to the
relative motion of two solid objects is usually proportional to the force which
presses the surfaces together as well as the roughness of the surfaces. Since we
know that the normal force or the perpendicular force to the surfaces is the one that
affects the frictional force.

Friction is not itself a fundamental force. Dry friction arises from a

combination of inter-surface adhesion, surface roughness, surface deformation, and
surface contamination. The complexity of these interactions makes the calculation
of friction from first principles impractical and necessitates the use of empirical
methods for analysis and the development of theory.
For the dry friction, there are three laws that we should understand. First is the
Amontons First Law where it states that the force of friction is directly
proportional to the applied load. Second law is, Amontons Second Law where it
states that the force of friction is independent of the apparent area of contact. The
last law is the Coulombs Law of Friction, it states that kinetic friction is
independent of the sliding velocity.
The frictional force is also presumed to be proportional the coefficient of friction.
However, the amount of force required to move an object starting from rest is
usually greater than the force required to keep it moving at constant velocity once
it started. Therefore two coefficients of friction are sometimes quoted for a given
pair of surfaces a coefficient of static friction and a coefficient of kinetic friction.
Before further elaborating about the coefficients of the two types of dry friction,
let us further elaborate what are the two about. First is that static friction is friction
between two or more solid objects that are not moving relative to each other. For
example, static friction can prevent an object from sliding down a sloped surface.

For the figure above, there is a force F that pulls the object to the left but there
is also a frictional force f s that is being exerted on the right. On that figure, we
can clearly see that the amount of force that is given on the right side is also the
frictional force therefore showing how static friction works. The coefficient of
static friction, typically denoted as s , is usually higher that the coefficient of
kinetic friction.
On the other hand, Kinetic (or dynamic) friction occurs when two objects are
moving relative to each other and rub together (like a sled on the ground). Kinetic
friction is now understood, in many cases, to be primarily caused by chemical
bonding between the surfaces, rather than interlocking asperities; however, in
many other cases roughness effects are dominant, for example in rubber to road
friction.

As the figure shown above, there is still force F that pulls the object to the left
and there is also a frictional force f k that pushes the object opposite to force
F

but in this figure, there is a little acceleration that is added on force F and

this demonstrates how kinetic friction is made. The coefficient of kinetic friction is

typically denoted as k , and is usually less than the coefficient of static friction
for the same materials.
Frictional force is found to be directly proportional to the normal force (N)
which is mathematically expressed as:
f N
f =kN

The coefficient of friction () takes the place of k which is the constant of

proportionality. Thus:
f =N

F
or

the figure shown above, it explains that if the body slides down the incline due to
its own weight, the angle between the horizontal and the incline is called angle of
repose. In the previous experiment, if we are measuring along the
y-axis, the formula will be
F y =0, f =Wcos

And if we are measuring along the x-axis, the formula will be

 F x =0, f =Wsin .

The coefficient of friction is equal to the tangent of the angle of

repose.
=

f Wsin
=
, =tan
N Wcos

The main objective of this experiment is to determine the

coefficient ( ) between contact surfaces as one body moves
with uniform motion and to establish the relationship between the
angle of repose ( ) and . The materials that we used for this
experiment are as follows, string, meter stick, pan, wooden block,
platform balance, inclined plane with pulley and set of weights.
The materials that are used are photographed and below are the
set of photos.

Before we do this experiment, our professor told us that we should do the same
procedures like the same as the previous experiment but only without the
photogates and the smart timer. Also, rather than the dynamic cart, the wooden
block is used to determine the coefficient of friction and to make this experiment
be successful. Also we are notified to take be extra careful on handling the
materials since they are school properties and that we should clean the surfaces of
the wooden block and plane by wiping them with a piece of scratch paper or tissue
to remove the dust and other particle and the we should make sure not to touch the
surfaces that you will use in this experiment to avoid contamination.

There are three parts for this experiment, the

first part is to determine the coefficient of
friction, second is to determine the angle of
repose and lastly, the determination of
maximum force that causes uniform motion.
For the first part (Table 1) we followed the said
procedures in the manual to lessen the error
that we would make in this experiment. First,
we position the wooden plane horizontally and
we must make sure that the measurements of
the weights of the block and pan are correct.
Then, we tied one end of the string to the
blocks hook and the other end to the pan
passing over the pulley of the plane. Next is we
should slowly add weights on the pan until you
observe a uniform sliding motion of the block
along the plane. We should record the weights
that we put on the pan and we repeat the procedure by adding smaller weights on
top of the block and adjusting the weights on the pan. We should make five (5)
trials but on the third trial, we used the wide side of the block. Calculate for each
trial and finally determine its average value. Lastly, Plot Wb along the abscissa (xaxis) and Wp along the ordinate (y-axis). Get the slope of the line.
The results for the first part (Table 1) of the experiment are shown in tabulated
view below.

Table 1

TRIAL

(Wblock + Weightadded)

(Wpan + Weightadded)

Coefficient Friction

Wb

Wp

125.2

30 g

0.24

145.2

40 g

0.28

165.2

50 g

0.30

185.2

60 g

0.38

205.2

90 g

0.43

Coefficient

Friction,

0.326

Average

Based on the gathered datas on table 1, we can say that adding weight on the
block and pan also increases the coefficient of friction.
For the second part of the experiment, we should be able to determine the angle
of repose. First procedure on this part is that we should remove the string that is
tied to the block then place the block facing its wider side, to the center of the
planes surface. Next is that we should gradually inclined the plane until such time
that you observe the same type of motion the block had in the first part of the
procedure. Next is we must measure the corresponding vertical height (h) and
horizontal (b) then record them. Lastly is we should repeat the last third procedure
until we get five (5) trials. Compute the coefficient friction by getting the tangent
of the angle.

The results for the second part of the

experiment (Table 2) is shown in tabulated
view below.

Table 2
Vertical Height
TRIAL
h
1
29 cm
2
32.5 cm
3
45 cm
4
19 cm
5
14 cm

Horizontal Distance
b
122 cm
129 cm
120 cm
139.8 cm
149.5 cm

tan
0.2379
0.2519
0.3750
0.1359
0.0936

13.371 o
14.1407o
20.5560o
7.739o
5.3499 o

For the last part of the experiment, we will

now determine the maximum force that causes uniform motion. The first procedure
for this part is that we should set up the apparatus and incline the plane at an angle
of 20o. Second is that we should add weights on the pan until a uniform upward
motion of the block is observed. We then record the weights and use the Newtons
First Law of Motion, and then determine the theoretical value of Wp that will cause
the block to slide at constant speed. The acting forces on the block are shown
below.

Where:
W p = weight of pan +

weights added
W b = weight of block +

weights added
f

= frictional force

N = Normal force

By summing up forces along x and y- axis (refer to the figure below), and
equating the forces to zero, the theoretical value of

F x =0

Wp

is:

W p=f +W b sin; f =N
F x =0
N=W b cos

Therefore,
W p= W b cos+W b sin

The next procedure is to calculate W p using the equation above. This will
serve as the calculated value (AV). Use the average coefficient of friction from
table 1. The observed value serves as the experimental value (EV). The next
procedure is to fasten a 50-g mass at the block, increase the angle by 3 at each
trial, and once again add weights on the pan until uniform upward is attained for
the succeeding trials. Lastly, we need to compute for the percentage difference.
The results for the last part (Table 3) for this experiment is shown in a tabulated
view below.

TRIAL
1
2
3
4
5

20o
23o
26o
29o
32o

Wp (calculated)
81.0419 g
99. 8395g
120.0586 g
141.5700 g
161.9756 g

Wp
(experimental)
75 g
80 g
85 g
90 g
95 g

Percent
Difference
7%
22%
34%
44%
52%

Conclusion
As we come to the conclusion of this experiment, it have been great to
understand how friction between two objects happen. Knowing that friction always
happen to our surrounding every day. For example, if a book slides across the
surface of a desk, then the desk exerts a friction force in the opposite direction of
its motion. If we come to sweat and the sweat travels on our skin, there is also a
friction happening between the surface of the sweat and our skin. Friction is a force
that always opposes the motion or attempted motion of one surface across another
surface. Also, it is dependent on the texture of both surfaces and also dependent on
the amount of contact force pushing the two surfaces together.
The conclusion of these experiment is that the coefficient of friction on a block
remains constant when the block travels in a uniform motion. Since we know that
the force of friction is always opposite the net force, our professor notified us that
we should give a little push for the block to remove its static force and start for it to

move. Under static condition, frictional resistance or static friction is greater to the
point where the body is about to start its motion and once the body moves, a lesser
amount of resistance, kinetic friction takes place.
A body that is sliding down the inclined due to its weight has an angle of repose
and by observing the second part in the experiment, when the block slides down
the inclined, it has a uniform sliding motion. In this case, there is no acceleration
taking place on the block. The tangent of the angle of repose is always equal to the
coefficient of friction.
Based on the datas that we have gathered on this experiment, I conclude that if
the mass of the block and the mass of the pan are directly proportional to the
coefficient of friction. If both increases, the coefficient of friction also increases.