The Copperbelt University School of Mines and Mineral Sciences
The Copperbelt University School of Mines and Mineral Sciences
The Copperbelt University School of Mines and Mineral Sciences
METALLURGY DEPARTMENT
EM 290 - 8.0 DRY FRICTION
KINDLY NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST KINDLY NOTE THAT THE NEXT SET OF
A GUIDE, USE ENGINEERING TOPICS WILL BE ON DYNAMICS, USE
MECHANICS BOOK ON STATICS ENGINEERING MECHANICS BOOK ON
BY HIBBELER – 12TH EDITION DYNAMICS BY HIBBELER – 12TH EDITION
8.1 Introduction
Friction is a force that opposes motion between any surfaces that are touching. Friction can also be
defined as a force that resists the movement of two contacting surfaces that slide relative to one another.
This force always tangent to the surface at the points of contact and is directed so as to oppose the
possible or existing motion between the surfaces. Friction can work for or against us. For example, putting
sand on an icy sidewalk increases friction so you are less likely to slip. Other examples of friction include;
Friction created between the graphite in a pencil and a sheet of paper that leaves a mark on the paper when writing or
drawing.
Friction created between a bicycle brake pad and the rim of a wheel causes the wheel to stop turning.
Did you ever rub your hands together to warm them up? why does this make your hands warmer? The
answer is friction. Hence, friction produces heat. But do you know why? Friction causes the molecules on
rubbing surfaces to move faster, so they have more energy. This gives them a higher temperature, and
they feel warmer. Heat from friction can be useful. It not only warms your hands. On the other hand, heat
from friction between moving parts inside a car engine can be a big problem. It can cause the car to
overheat. Hence, to reduce friction, oil is added to the engine. The oil coats the surfaces of the moving
parts and makes them slippery. They slide over each other more easily, so there is less friction. In some
cases, friction is desirable while in other cases, friction reduces the effectiveness of machines. Without
friction, you would not be able to walk, the wheels on a vehicle would have no grip on a road surfacing
and the vehicle would not be able to move forward. On the other hand, friction is undesirable in most of
the cases. Friction causes mechanical parts to seize and wear out.
Theory Of Dry Friction
Theory Of Dry Friction Cont’d
Theory Of Dry Friction Cont’d
Theory Of Dry Friction Cont’d
Fun with Friction:
Activity 1: Take two pieces of paper. Wad one of the pieces of paper into a ball. Leave the
other piece of paper like normal.
Hold the pieces of paper above your head. Drop the pieces at the same time. The wadded
piece will fall to the ground immediately. The flat piece of paper will flutter down more slowly
because it has more surface area to create friction or drag on the air as it drops.
Concept: Air friction
Activity 2:
To begin, fill the bottle with rice. Try sticking the chopstick down into the bottle. When you
grab the chopstick and pull up, what happens? The stick should just come right out.
How do you make the rice stick to the chopstick so you can just pick it up? You've got to
add more friction. Here's how.
Put the lid on the bottle and tap the bottom of the bottle on a hard surface. Do this a few
times to compact the rice and get rid of the air pockets. Now you should have room to add a
bit more rice to the bottle.
Once you've added a bit more rice, stick the chopstick back into the bottle. This time, when
you pull up on the chopstick, you should be able to pick up the whole bottle.
Concept: Friction applied by rice on the chopstick.
Quiz Time
1. Define friction, and explain why it occurs.
2. Identify three factors that affect friction.
3. Why does friction warm your hands when you rub them together?
4. Outside wooden steps may get slippery when they are wet. How could you
make them less slippery?
8.2 Problems Involving Friction
Problems Involving Friction Cont’d
DO EXAMPLE 8.6
DO PROBLEMS 8.66 & 8.67
8.5 Frictional Forces on Flat Belts
Frictional Forces on Flat Belts Cont’d