ANALYSIS

Physics has a lot of topics to cover. In the previous experiments, we

discussed Forces, Kinematics, and Motions. In this experiment, the focus is all
about Friction. Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid
surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There
are several types of friction like fluid friction which describes the friction
between layers of a viscous fluid that are moving relative to each other; dry
friction which resists relative lateral motion of two solid surfaces in contact and
is subdivided into static friction between non-moving surfaces, and kinetic
friction between moving surfaces; lubricated friction which is a case of fluid
friction where a fluid separates two solid surfaces; skin friction which 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 the elements
making up a solid material while it undergoes deformation and sliding friction.
When surfaces in contact move relative to each other, the friction
between the two surfaces converts kinetic energy into heat. This property can
have dramatic consequences, as illustrated by the use of friction created by
rubbing pieces of wood together to start a fire. Kinetic energy is converted to
heat whenever motion with friction occurs, for example when a viscous fluid is
stirred. Another important consequence of many types of friction can be wear,
which may lead to performance degradation and/or damage to components.
Friction is a component of the science of tribology.
Friction is not itself a fundamental force but arises from fundamental
electromagnetic forces between the charged particles constituting the two
contacting surfaces. 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.
The work done by friction can translate into deformation, wear, and heat
that can affect the contact surface properties (even the coefficient of friction
between the surfaces). This can be beneficial as in polishing. The work of
friction is used to mix and join materials such as in the process of friction
welding. Excessive erosion or wear of mating sliding surfaces occurs when
work due frictional forces rise to unacceptable levels. Harder corrosion
particles caught between mating surfaces in relative motion (fretting)
exacerbates wear of frictional forces. Bearing seizure or failure may result from
excessive wear due to work of friction. As surfaces are worn by work due to
friction, fit and surface finish of an object may degrade until it no longer
functions properly.
Friction is an important factor in many engineering disciplines such as
transportation and measurement. For transportation, automobile brakes
inherently rely on friction, slowing a vehicle by converting its kinetic energy
into heat. Incidentally, dispersing this large amount of heat safely is one
technical challenge in designing brake systems. For measurement, a tribometer
is an instrument that measures friction on a surface and a profilograph is a
device used to measure pavement surface roughness. Friction is also used to
heat and ignite matchsticks.
Anybody that moves, in one way or another, experiences an opposing
force either from air or from another body in contact. This force tends to retard
the motion of the body. The presence of friction between contact surfaces
generates sound, light, and heat energy. It is also referred to as the retarding
force or even drag force in the form of air resistance.
 Frictional force is found to be directly proportional to the normal force
(N) which is mathematically expressed as:

= (Equation 1)
The coefficient of friction () takes the place of k which is the constant
of proportionality. Thus:
= (Equation 2)
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 ,
as shown in Figure 3. In the
previous experiment, if we are
measuring along the y-axis, the
formula will be
= 0, =
and if we are measuring along the
x-axis, the formula will be
= 0, = .
Figure 3. Angle of Repose
The coefficient of friction is equal
to the tangent of the angle of repose.

= = , = (Equation 3)

In this experiment, we should be able to determine the coefficient

of friction () between contact surfaces as one body moves with uniform
motion and establish the relationship between the angle of repose () and .
The rules of this experiment are to keep clean the surfaces of the wooden block
and plane by wiping them with a piece of scratch paper or tissue to remove dust
and other particles and to make sure not to touch the surfaces that you will use
in this experiment to avoid contamination. The materials for this experiment as
shown in Figure 4 are string, meter stick, pan, wooden block, platform balance,
inclined plane with pulley and weights.

Figure 4. Materials

The first part of the experiment is Determination of the Coefficient of

Friction as shown in Figure 5. The first procedure is to position the wooden
plane horizontally then measure the weights of the block and pan using the
platform balance. Next is to tie one end of the string to the blocks hook and
the other end to the pan passing over the pulley of the plane. Next, place the
narrow side of the block on top of the plane. Next, slowly add weights on the
pan until you observe a uniform sliding motion of the block along the plane.
Record the weights on the data sheet then repeat it
by adding smaller weights on top of the block and
adjusting the weights on the pan. Make five (5)
trials but on the third trial, use the wide side of the
block. Calculate for each trial and finally
determine its average value. Lastly, Plot Wb along
the abscissa (x-axis) and Wp along the ordinate (y-
axis). Get the slope of the line.

Figure 5. Set Up for the

Determination of the
Coefficient of the Friction
Table 1. Determination if the Coefficient Friction

TRIAL (Wblock + Weightadded) (Wpan + Weightadded) Coefficient Friction

Wb Wp
1 138.9 g 30 g 0.22
2 238.9 g 40 g 0.17
3 138.9 g 30 g 0.22
4 238.9 g 85 g 0.36
5 338.9 g 105 g 0.31
Coefficient Friction, Average 0.26
 Based on the gathered data in Table 1, adding smaller weights on top of
the block and adjusting the weights on the pan will make the coefficient friction
a little constant.
The second part of the experiment is
Determination of the Angle of Repose as shown
in Figure 6. The first procedure is to remove the
string that is tied to the block then place the block,
facing its wider side, to the center of the planes
surface then gradually incline the plane until such
time that you observe the same type of motion the
block had. Next is to measure the corresponding
vertical height (h) and horizontal (b) then record
them. Just repeat measuring until you get five (5)
trials. Lastly, compute the coefficient of motion by
getting the tangent of the angle.
Figure 6. Set up for
Determination of the Angle
Repose
Table 2. Determination of the Angle Repose
Vertical Height Horizontal Distance
TRIAL
h b tan
1 30 cm 119.00 cm 30/119.00 14.15o
2 33 cm 117.80 cm 33/117.80 15.65o
3 37 cm 114.20 cm 37/114.20 17.95o
4 35 cm 116.10 cm 35/116.10 16.78o
5 39 cm 115.10 cm 39/115.10 18.72o
 Based on the gathered data in Table 2, increasing the vertical height and
the horizontal distance will make the coefficient
friction a little constant just like in the first part of
the experiment.
The last part of the experiment is
Determination of the Maximum Force that causes
Uniform Motion as shown in Figure 7. The first
procedure is to incline the plane at an angle of 20o.
Next is to add weights on the pan until a uniform
upward motion of the block is observed. Record
the weights. Using Newtons First Law of Motion,
determine the theoretical value of Wp that will
cause the block to slide at constant speed. The
forces acting on the block are (see Figure 8). The
set up for this part is in Figure 6By summing up
Figure 7. Set up for
forces along x and y axes (refer to figure 9), and Determination of Maximum
equating the forces to zero, the theoretical value of Force that cause Uniform
Motion
Wp is:

Figure 8

Figure 9
 = 0
= + ; = (Equation 4)

= 0

= (Equation 5)

Therefore,

= + (Equation 6)

Table 3. Determination of the Angle Repose

Wp Percent
TRIAL Wp (calculated)
(experimental) Difference
1 20o 65.820 g 75 g 13.95%
2 23o 100.14 g 115 g 14.84%
3 26o 138.58 g 150 g 8.24%
4 29o 180.90 g 190 g 5.03%
5 32o 226.79 g 230 g 1.41%

The coefficient of friction which is defines as f/n has no relationship with

the area of contact. Therefore no matter how big or small the area of contact is,
it cannot affect the coefficient of friction. Although a larger area of contact
between two surfaces would create a larger source of frictional forces, it also
reduces the pressure between the two surfaces for a given force holding them
together. Since pressure equals force divided by the area of contact, it works
out that the increase in friction generating area is exactly offset by the reduction
in pressure.
 In the experiment, it was proven and tested that area of contact does not
affect the coefficient of friction. Based on data, area doesnt affect much the
value of the coefficient of friction since the values just differ in minimal aspects

It is strictly necessary to observe uniform motion through constant speed

in order to have a constant value for the coefficient of friction. Coefficient of
friction in general definition, where a body moves in equilibrium or in constant
speed or motion, kinetic friction is essentially constant. According to the 1st
Law of motion by Isaac Newton, if an object experiences no net force, then
its velocity is constant. Therefore summations of forces in the vertical and
horizontal are zero. By that we can then compute for the coefficient of friction.
 CONCLUSION

Friction has a lot of applications in our daily life. It is friction in the tires that
allows the car to stay on road and friction in the clutch that makes it possible to drive at
all. The coefficient of friction on a block remains constant when the block travels in
uniform motion. Since friction is in the direction opposite of the net force, the net force
should always increase when the mass of the block increase in order for the block to
overcome its state of inertia. A body travelling on an inclined plane due to its weight has
an angle of repose, wherein it has a uniform sliding motion. There is no acceleration
taking place when the block slides uniformly. No matter what vertical height or
horizontal distance is used, the angle of repose will remain the same. The tangent of the
angle of repose is always equal to the coefficient of friction of the block.

Coefficient of friction denoted by is determined the formula = f=Friction

force, N=normal force. The value of has no units since it only serves as a factor
between F and N. In order to obtain a constant value for the , one has to consider state
of equilibrium for the object being experimented. We also took note of the fact that 0 <
u < 1.
In cases which there is an angle of repose, all forces involved are being translated
with accordance to the surfaces inclination. The weight will now have components that
contribute to the sliding of the object. If we have the angle of repose as , the components
of W contributed to the object in sliding motion are Wsin, parallel to the surface and
Wcos, perpendicular to the surface. Since the system is in equilibrium, Wsin is also
equaled by the frictional force, while Wcos is also equaled by the normal force. In

determining , it would be = = = . Since the for the value of is also

the of inclination, therefore in correlation, we can relate as equal to the tangent of .

 GRAPH:

Part A. Determinantion of the

Coefficient Fricrion
120
(Wpan + Weightadded)

338.9, 105
100

238.9, 85
80

60

40 238.9, 40
138.9, 30
20
(Wblock + Weightadded)
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

SLOPE: 5.33

INTERPRETATION: The Weightpan + Weightadded is directly proportional to

the Weightblock + Weightadded