Friction is a very important physical concept to study.
Friction has been a subject of
study for years and we have an empirical theoretical formulation today, that models this
phenomenon and quantifies it for study. This article briefly explains what is meant by
friction and makes a static friction vs kinetic friction comparison that will acquaint you
with the two main types of dry friction.
What is Friction?
Friction is the opposing, resistive force between two fluid, solid or any material surfaces
that acts to hinder relative motion between them. Friction is always directed in the
direction opposite to the direction of motion. Friction is not a fundamental force of
nature. It is a macroscopic force that emerges out of electromagnetic interactions
between two surfaces in contact with each other.
Friction is a key concept when you are attempting to understand car accidents. The
force of friction is a force that resists motion when two objects are in contact. If you look
at the surfaces of all objects, there are tiny bumps and ridges. Those microscopic peaks
and valleys catch on one another when two objects are moving past each other.
This explanation is a little simplified. There are other processes at work, including
chemical bonding and electrical interactions.
The level of friction that different materials exhibit is measured by the coefficient of
friction. The formula is µ = f / N, where µ is the coefficient of friction, f is the amount of
force that resists motion, and N is the normal force. Normal force is the force at which
one surface is being pushed into another. If a rock that weighs 50 newtons is lying on
the ground, then the normal force is that 50 newtons of force. The higher µ is, the more
force resists motion if two objects are sliding past each other.
There are two forms of friction, kinetic and static. If you try to slide two objects past each
other, a small amount of force will result in no motion. The force of friction is greater
than the applied force. This is static friction. If you apply a little more force, the object
"breaks free" and slides, although you still need to apply force to keep the object sliding.
This is kinetic friction. You do not need to apply quite as much force to keep the object
sliding as you needed to originally break free of static friction.
Differences Between Static Friction and Kinetic Friction
Making a clear distinction between two things helps in understanding them better. Static
and kinetic are two opposite ideas. Static refers to a system that is not changing with
time, while kinetic refers to a system in motion.
Some common values of coefficients of kinetic and static friction:
µ µ
Surfaces
(static) (kinetic)
Steel on steel 0.74 0.57
Glass on glass 0.94 0.40
Metal on Metal
0.15 0.06
(lubricated)
Ice on ice 0.10 0.03
Teflon on
0.04 0.04
Teflon
Tire on
1.00 0.80
concrete
Tire on wet
0.60 0.40
road
Tire on snow 0.30 0.20
Now, finally, how does all this relate to automobiles?
In some places, especially Alaska in the winter, you must keep friction in your mind
constantly as you drive, in order to avoid an accident. You have to limit your speed in
order to be able to stop at a reasonable distance, and to negotiate curves.
Braking distance can be calculated using the equation d = V^2 / 2gµ
Where:
d = Braking Distance
g = Acceleration due to gravity (9.80 m/sec^2)
V = Initial vehicle speed (m/sec)
µ = Coefficient of friction between the tires and the roadway
A higher coefficient of friction decreases your stopping distance. It is better, therefore,
for your tire to be using static friction rather than kinetic friction. If the tire is rolling along
so that the surface touching the ground is never sliding, then static friction is acting to
slow the car. If the wheels are locked and sliding, then kinetic friction is acting to slow
the car. In order to utilize static friction when you need to stop quickly, there are several
options. You can attempt to apply just enough brake to stay within the static range of
friction and not too much to lock the tires. This is the best option, in terms of stopping
you the quickest, but it can be difficult to be that precise with the brake. It can be
especially difficult if you are about to hit a moose. Another option is pumping the brake,
which has the effect of alternating the use of kinetic and static friction as the wheels lock
and unlock. This is not quite as efficient, but easier to do in an emergency. A final option
is to have your car take care of the braking for you, through antilock brakes or more
sophisticated computer-controlled means. Antilock brakes do the same thing as you do;
pump the brakes. The best solution is, of course, to drive slower.
Traveling around a curve causes you to experience a slightly different set of forces, as
you must deal with the tendency for a car to want to travel straight ahead. This is
explained by Newton's 1st law: an object will not change velocity without a force acting
on it. In this case, you are causing the car to change lateral velocity and move to the
side by applying frictional force from the tires. If the tires don't have a coefficient of
friction large enough to provide the force needed to move the car laterally, then you
slide straight forward and off the road.
Usually, the tires must maintain static friction in order to turn the car. That limits the
maximum speed to a rate at which the tires do not slip. The equation that models this
situation is:
Vmax = square root of (µ(static) g r)
Where:
Vmax = Maximum velocity
g = Acceleration due to gravity (9.80 m/sec^2)
r = Radius of curve
µ = Coefficient of static friction
If you are traveling around a curve with a radius of 10 meters and no snow or rain,
Vmax = square root of (1.00 * 9.80 m/sec^2 * 10.0m) = 5.4 m/sec, which is about 22.1
mph. Any faster and the tires would slide.
If you are traveling around a curve with a radius of 10 meters on a snowy day, Vmax =
square root of (0.30 * 9.80 m/sec^2 * 10.0m) = 5.4 m/sec, which is about 12.1 mph.
