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Chapter 11
Force and Pressure
Pre-knowledge about force:
 Different actions which we perform in our day to day life are playing, lifting weight,
pushing, picking, pulling etc. creates change in position of the object.
 We observe different types of motion in object after these task.
 Force: Push or pull on any object is said to be force.
 Push: When an object moves away from the applier of force, the object is said to be
pushed.
 Pull: When object moves towards the direction of application of force than object is
said to be pulled.

 Simply, we can define force as the physical cause which either changes or try to
change the position, shape, size of any object.

11.2 Forces are due to an Interaction

 Suppose a man is standing behind a stationary car
[Fig.11.2 (a)]. Will the car move due to his presence?
 Suppose the man now begins to push the car
[Fig.11.2(b)], that is, he applies a force on it.
 The car may begin to move in the direction of the
Applied force. Note that the man has to push the car to
Make it move.

From these,
 We can infer that at least two objects must interact for a force to come into
play. Thus, an interaction of one object with another object results in a force
between the two objects

11.3 Exploring Forces:

Effect of Forces:-
1. Force can change the state of motion: An Object can be in two states.
(a) Rest State: When an object is not moving. This means a stationary object is called in
the state of rest. For example –A ball and book kept over the ground and not moving.
(b) Motion State: A moving object is called in the state of motion. For example – a
moving car, a moving ball, etc.
 A Force can move a stationary object. A force can speed up, decrease the speed
and change the direction of a moving object. Force can stop a moving object.
Finally we can say that force can change the state of motion
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Some examples:
(i)A boy want to move a tyre
Faster it has to be pushed repeatedly.
(ii)Change in the direction of moving ball
After it strikes the ruler placed in its path.
(iii)In the Football game, a goalkeeper
Stops the football going towards the goal
Post by applying a force by his hand.
(iv)In the cricket game, a batsman can push
A fast moving ball in the same direction or
Opposite direction or change the direction of
The movement of ball.
Because of force being applied from his bat.

2.Force can change the shape of an object

(i) When you apply force on an inflated balloon
By pressing it using your hand from both sides,
Then the force of pressure changes the shape of
Balloon.

(ii) You can change the shape of rubber band

and spring by stretching it in opposite direction.

(iii)You can change the shape of dough into bread by applying force with a rolling pin.
So we can say that forces can change the shape of an object.

 Unit of Force:.
 The SI unit of force is called newton (N).
 Gravitational unit of force is called kilogram force or kgf.
 A kilogram force is the force with which a body of mass
1 kg is attracted towards the Earth.

 Direction and Magnitude of Force:

(i) The measurement of strength and amount of force is called magnitude of force.
(ii) Two or more forces on the same object can be applied in the same direction and
opposite direction.
1. When two or more forces are applied over an object in the same direction:
 When two or more forces are applied in the same direction, then the total or net force
is the addition of magnitude of both the forces.
Example: When two persons push the box in
The same direction with the magnitude of forces
Of each 2 N, then resultant force will be-
Net force:- 2N + 2N= 4N
(In the direction of applied force)

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2. When two forces are applied over an object in the opposite direction:
 When two forces are applied over an object in the opposite directions, the total
effective or net force is the difference of magnitude of two forces.
Example:(i) When two persons push the box in the opposite direction with the
magnitude of forces of each 2 N, then resultant force will be-
Net force:- 2N – 2N= 0N (Box will not move)
(ii) If one person is applying a force of 6
Unit in one direction and another person is
Applying a force of 8 unit in opposite direction,
Then the resultant force: 8N – 6N= 2N
(In the direction of higher magnitude force)
In this case, force will act in the direction of
Higher magnitude of force.

So, we learn that a force could be larger or smaller than the other or equal to each other.
The strength of a force is usually expressed by its magnitude. We have also to specify
the direction in which a force acts. Also, if the direction or the magnitude of the applied
force changes, its effect also changes.

TYPES OF FORCE
Types of Forces: On the basis of the nature of the interaction between two or more
objects, forces can be classified as:
11.6. Contact Force:
 For contact force, interaction between objects is necessary. Force that comes into
action after the interaction between objects is called contact force. Contact force
works on the point of contact. Example; pushing a car, hitting the ball, kicking a ball,
etc.
 Muscular force, friction force are types of contact force.
(a) Muscular force:
(i) Force due to the action of muscles is called muscular force. We can say force
resulting because of action of muscle is called muscular force.
(ii) Muscular force is applied only after interaction with the object.
Examples:
(a) When we push the object like school bag or lift the bucket of water we use the
muscular force.
(b) Animals also use of muscular force to carry out their task.

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(b) Friction Force:

(i) The forces of friction arises between the surfaces of two objects
(ii) The force of friction always acts on all moving object and its direction is always
opposite to the direction of motion.
(iii)Force of friction comes into action only after interaction between two objects, thus,
it is a type of contact force.
Examples:
(a) Due to force of friction between the
Surface of the ball and the ground that
Brings the moving ball to rest.
(b) When we stop pedalling a bicycle,
It gradually Slow down and finally
Comes to s stop due to force of friction.

(c) Air Resistance

Whenever an object moves or flies in
The air, it experiences a force called air
Resistance.

11.7. Non- Contacting Force:

 Force due to without interaction between two objects is called non-contact force. For
example; a magnet can pull an iron nail from a distance.
 Magnetic force, Electrostatic force and Gravitational force are examples of non-
contact force.
(a) Magnetic Force:
(i) A magnet can exert a force on another magnet
Without being in contact with it.
(ii) The force exerted by a magnet is an example
Of a non-contact force.
Example: Opposite pole of two magnets attract each
Other and same pole repel each other.

(b) Electrostatic Force:

i)When a charged body exert a force on another charged
Or uncharged body is called electrostatic force. A charged
Body attracts an uncharged body.
ii) A positively charged body attracts a negatively charged
Body and repels a positively charged body without coming
In contact, thus it is a non-contact force.

(c) Gravitational Force:

(i) Gravitation force is exerted by earth, moon,Sun and other planets to others.
(ii) Earth and other planets attract all objects towardsThem. Since, earth attracts all
objects even without Coming in contact, thus gravitational force is a
Non-contact force.

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Example: When we release an object from a height,

It falls over the ground because of gravitational
Attraction of earth.

11.8 Pressure:
 Not only the magnitude of the force but the area
Upon which it acts also affects the changes it may
Bring upon an object.
 Pressure is defined as the force acting on a unit
 area of a surface. The effect of force is measured by
this quantity. Pressure = Force / Area
 From above formula, we can say that with same
Applied force, Pressure is indirectly proportional to the
Area, thus pressure decreases with increase in area and
Increases with decrease in area.
 The SI unit of Pressure is Pascal (Pa) or N/m2
Examples: of relationship between the
Area & pressure:

 Application of pressure
1. A needle has a pointed end that has a very small Calculating pressure for Different
Surface area. Hence when a large force is exerted Areas
upon the needle with a hammer the pressure on the needle increases & it easily
moves inside the wall.
2. Shoulder bags always have broad straps rather than Thin straps in order to minimize
the pressure that would be exerted on the shoulders of the career due to the
gravitational force acting upon the bag.
3. Tools that are used for cutting and piercing always have sharp edges because as a
person would apply a force on the tool, its sharp edges would exert more pressure
due to less surface area and the object wood cut down easily.
4. The two tyres of a tractor are wider because it minimizes the pressure exerted by the
tractor on the ground.As a result,it becomes easier to move the tractor on a muddy
field.
5. Camel can walk easily over the sand because it has wide feet which allow them to
walk on sand easily. Human beings, on the other hand, cannot as walk easily on sand
as their feet have less surface area and therefore our feet sink in the sand.

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Problems:1.A solid object weighs 200N.When placed on a wooden plank, area of

contact is found to be 5m2.Find the pressure exerted by the solid object on the wooden
plank.

11.9 Pressure Exerted by Liquids and Gases

Pressure Exerted By Liquids
 Liquids exert pressure due to the weight that liquid possesses.
 The liquid possess pressure in the downward direction.
 The pressure exerted by liquids at the bottom depends on the height of the liquid
column. The pressure exerted by liquids increases with depth.
 For example – The body of the submarine is thick and built by strong material
because the pressure of water is high in deep-sea so to withstand that pressure
submarine is thick.
 Liquids also exert pressure in all directions on the walls of the container.
 For example – Take a container and make a hole in it. Now close the holes with tape
and fill the container with water. Then remove the tape. We will observe that water
comes out of the container in all direction.
 This shows that liquids exert pressure in all direction.
Pressure Exerted by Gases
 Gases too exert pressure on the walls of container like liquids. Air pressure arises
due to constant collisions of tiny molecules of gases present in the air with the walls
of the container it is enclosed.
 For example- When air is pumped into a bicycle tube by using a pump, the bicycle
gets inflated due to air pressure exerted by the collisions of gas molecules in air with
the inner walls of the rubber tube. For this reason, bicycle tyres feel hard.

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11.10 Atmospheric Pressure

 You know that there is air all around us. This envelop of air is known as
the atmosphere.
 The atmospheric air extends up to many kilometres above the surface of the earth.
The pressure exerted by this air is known as atmospheric pressure.
 We know that pressure is force per unit area.
 If we imagine a unit area and a very long cylinder
Standing on it filled with air, then the weight of the air
In this cylinder is the atmospheric pressure (Fig. 17).
But, how large or small is the atmospheric pressure?
Let us get an idea about its magnitude.
 Atmospheric pressure also exists in all
Directions. The instrument used for the measurement
Of atmospheric pressure is known as a barometer.
There are two types of barometer-
1. Mercury barometer(Fortin) Fig. 17 : Atmospheric pressure is
the weight of air in a column of
2. Aneroid barometer
unit area
 The mercury barometer is an ideal one as it gives
The standard unit of atmospheric pressure.
 In a mercury barometer, a column of mercury in a
Glass tube rises or falls the weight of atmospheric
Pressure changes.
 The approximate value of atmospheric
Pressure on the earth’s surface is 1.013×105pascal

 The amount of atmospheric

pressure upon us is quite large
due to the large surface area
of the atmosphere around the
earth but we do not
experience any of its effects.
 This is so because the pressure of the air inside our body is equal to the
atmospheric pressure. There are also fluids present in our body that exert a
pressure inside our body. Hence, our bodies easily obtain a balance with the
atmospheric pressure.
 However sometimes at higher altitudes where the atmospheric pressure is
low as compared to that at the Earth’s surface (low altitudes), nose
bleeding occurs.

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 This is so because at that time the blood pressure in our body becomes higher
than the atmospheric pressure outside us.
 Application of Atmospheric Pressure
1)Drinking straw 2)Syringe 3)Dropper 4)Rubber sucker

Exercise Questions
1. Give two examples each of situations in which you push or pull to change the state of
motion of objects
Soln: Examples of situations in which you push or pull to change the state of motion of
objects.
1. Pull situations : a) In order to open a drawer, we have to pull it. This action changes
the state of motion of the drawer.
b) To draw water from the well, the rope is pulled. This action
changes the state of motion of the bucket.
2. Push Situations: a) A football is pushed by the foot of a player. This action changes
the state of motion of the ball.
b) In order to change the place of the heavy box from one room to
another, we have to push it. This action changes the motion of the box.
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2. Give two examples of situations in which applied force causes a change in the shape
of an object.
Soln:The forces which change the shape of an object are as follows:
i) By pressing the clay between the hands, it deforms.ii) The shape of the plastic bottle
changes by squeezing it.
3. Fill in the blanks in the following statements.
1. To draw water from a well we have to pull at the rope.
2. A charged body attracts an uncharged body towards it.
3. To move a loaded trolley we have to pull or push it.
4. The north pole of a magnet repels the north pole of another magnet.
4. An archer stretches her bow while taking aim at the target. She then releases the
arrow, which begins to move towards the target. Based on this information fill up the
gaps in the following statements using the following terms.muscular, contact, non-
contact, gravity, friction, shape, attraction
(a) To stretch the bow, the archer applies a force that causes a change in its shape.
(b) The force applied by the archer to stretch the bow is an example of muscular force.
(c) The type of force responsible for a change in the state of motion of the arrow is an
example of a contact force.
(d) While the arrow moves towards its target, the forces acting on it are due
to gravity and that due to friction of air.
5. In the following situations identify the agent exerting the force and the object on
which it acts. State the effect of the force in each case.
(a) Squeezing a piece of lemon between the fingers to extract its juice.(b) Taking out
paste from a toothpaste tube.(c) A load suspended from a spring while its other end is
on a hook fixed to a wall.(d) An athlete making a high jump to clear the bar at a certain
height
Soln:a) We make a muscular force to extract the juice of the lemon by squeezing it. As
a result, the shape of the lemon gets changed.
b) To take out paste from the toothpaste tube we use our muscular force. This muscular
force acting on the toothpaste tube leads to a change of its shape.
c) Here, the suspended load exerts a force on the spring and pushes the spring
downwards. As a result, the spring gets stretched. Hence, its shape gets changed.
d) The feet of the athlete exert the muscular force on the ground, which pushes the
ground. This allows him to jump over the bar. As a result, his state of motion gets
changed.
6. A blacksmith hammers a hot piece of iron while making a tool. How does the force
due to hammering affect the piece of iron?
Soln:A blacksmith uses his muscular force while hammering a hot piece of iron. The
muscular force changes the shape of the iron so that it can be given the desired shape.
7. An inflated balloon was pressed against a wall after it has been rubbed with a piece of
synthetic cloth. It was found that the balloon sticks to the wall. What force might be
responsible for the attraction between the balloon and the wall?

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Soln:When an inflated balloon rubbed with a piece of synthetic cloth, it becomes

charged. A charged body attracts an uncharged body. When this charged balloon is
pressed against a wall, it sticks to the wall. Thus, the electrostatic force acts between the
charged balloon and the wall.
8. Name the forces acting on a plastic bucket containing water held above ground level
in your hand. Discuss why the forces acting on the bucket do not bring a change in its
state of motion.
Soln:For holding the bucket of water above the ground, we use muscular force. This
muscular force acts against the force of gravity that pulls the bucket towards the ground.
The two forces are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. Therefore, the net force
on the bucket is zero. Hence, there is no change in the state of motion.
9. A rocket has been fired upwards to launch a satellite in its orbit. Name the two forces
acting on the rocket immediately after leaving the launching pad.
Soln:The force of gravity is the one which acts on the rocket to pull it towards the
ground and the other one is the force of friction due to earth’s atmosphere, which
opposes its motion.
10. When we press the bulb of a dropper with its nozzle kept in water, air in the dropper
is seen to escape in the form of bubbles. Once we release the pressure on the bulb, water
gets filled in the dropper. The rise of water in the dropper is due to(a) pressure of water.
(b) gravity of the earth.(c) shape of rubber bulb.(d) atmospheric pressure
Soln:a) Due to the atmospheric pressure, there is a rise of water in the dropper.
When all the air escapes from the nozzle, the atmospheric pressure which is acting on
the water forces the water to fill the nozzle of the dropper.
11. A ball of dough Is rolled into a flat chapatti. Name the force exerted to change the
shape of the dough.
Sol. The shape of dough is changed due to the muscular force applied by the hand.
12. Where do we apply a force while walking?
Sol. We apply a force on ground while walking and ground applies reaction force on
our foot due to which we are able to move forward.
13 A girl is pushing a box towards East direction. In which direction should her friend
push the box SQ that it moves faster in the same direction?
Sol. Her friend should push the box towards East direction, so that it will start moving
more fast towards East because the magnitude of force increases.
14 In the electric circuit , when the key is closed, the compass needle placed in the
match box deflects. Name the force which cases this deflection.
Sol. On closing the switch, the current starts flowing in the wire and due to this current,
a magnetic field established around the wire which exerts magnetic force on the needle
and it gets deflected.
15 During dry weather, clothes made of synthetic fibre often stick to the skin. Which
type of force is responsible for this phenomenon?

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Sol. The electrostatic force starts working between the cloth made of synthetic fibre and
sticks to skin.
16 While sieving grains, small pieces fall down. Which force pulls them down?
Sol. It is the force of gravity which is responsible for the grains to fall down.
17. Does the force of gravity act on dust particles?
Sol. Yes, force of gravity acts on the dust particles.
18 A gas filled balloon moves up. Is the upward force acting on it larger or smaller than
the force of gravity?
Sol. The upward force will be greater than the force of gravity.

19 Does the force of gravitation exist between two astronauts in space?

Sol.. Yes, there will be gravitational force between the astronauts because every object
in universe, whether small or large, exerts a force on every other object, it is the
universal law of gravitation.

20. A chapatti maker is a machine which converts balls of dough into chapatties.
What effect of force comes into play in this process?
Sol. The force on unit area is called pressure, works on the chapaties. This is the
pressure which works on the dough balls and make them chapatties with the help of
machine.

21.a man with a parachute. Name the force which is responsible for his downward
motion. Will he come down with the same speed without the parachute?
Sol. The name of force responsible for the downward motion of the parachute is force
of gravity.No, because the air friction will become less.

20 Two persons are applying forces on two opposite sides of a moving cart. The cart
still moves with the same speed in the same direction. What do you infer about the
magnitudes and direction of the forces applied?
Sol. The magnitude of forces will be equal and it acts in
Opposite direction, so that they are cancelling each other
We can understand this by using the following Diagram.
22. Two thermocol balls held close to each other but move away from each other, when
they are released. Name the force which might be responsible for this phenomenon.
Explain.
Sol.This is electrostatic force which is created due to the rubbing and since, same
charges are induced on two balls, so they move away from each other.
23. Fruits detached from a tree fall down due to the force of gravity. We. know, that a
force arises due to the interaction between two objects. Name the objects interacting in
this case.
Sol. The interacting objects in this case are: earth and fruits.Earth applies force of
gravity on fruit towards its centre. So, fruit falls down.

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24.A man is pushing a cart down a slope. Suddenly the cart starts moving faster and he
wants to sloyy it down. What should he do?
Sol.Man can do following things:
(i) He can start pulling the cart instead of pushing it in order to balance the downward
force due to gravity.
(ii) He can go the other side by moving himself very fast in the direction of motion and
try to slow down the speed of cart by giving an opposite force to the moving cart.
25. Figure shows a car sticking to an Electromagnet.
Name the forces acting on the car. Which one of
them is larger?
Sol.The forces working on the car are
(i) Force of gravity (downwards)
(ii) Magnetic force (upwards)
Since, the car is moving upwards, so magnetic force
Due to the electromagnet is greater.
26. An archer shoots an arrow in the air horizontally. However, after moving some
distance, the arrow falls to the ground. Name the initial force that sets the arrow in
motion. Explain why the arrow ultimately falls down?
Sol.The archer shoots an arrow by applying muscular force to stretches the string of the
bow. When the string is released, it regains its original position that provides the initial
force to set the arrow in motion horizontally. The force of gravity that acts on the arrow
in the downward direction and hence, the arrow ultimately falls to the ground.
27. It is difficult to cut cloth using a pair of scissors with blunt blades. Explain.
Sol. It is difficult to cut cloth using a pair of scissors with blunt blades because blunt
blades have more area and due to which applied force produces very less pressure. As
we know that pressure is inversely proportional to area of cross-section, so it is difficult
to cut cloth from blunt blades.
28. Two rods of the same weight and equal
Length have different thickness. They are held vertically
On the surface of sand as shown in figure. Which one of
Them will sink more? Why?
Answer. As we know that pressure exerted by the body is
Inversely proportional to the area where force is applied. So, the thinner rod, i.e. rod B
will sink more because it has less area of cross-section in contact with the surface,
hence it will exert more pressure on the sand with respect to the rod A.

29.Two women are of the same weight. One wears sandals with pointed heels while the
other wears sandals with flat soles. Which one would feel more comfortable while
walking on a sandy beach? Give reasons for your answer.
Sol. While walking on a sandy surface, one needs the footwears of larger area so that the
pressure exerted on the ground is minimum. So, in this case, the woman having the
sandals with pointed heels will be less comfortable in walking while the other woman
wears sandals with flat soles feels more comfortable while walking on sandy beach.

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30. It is much easier to burst an inflated balloon with a needle than by a finger. Explain.
Sol.Because needle tip has very less area of cross-section in comparison to that of our
finger and we know that pressure exerted by a force is inversely proportional to the area
where it has been applied, so pressure exerted will be more by the needle tip than the
finger.

31. Observe the vessels A, B, C and D as shown in figure carefully. Volume of water
Taken in each vessel is as shown. Arrange them
In the order of decreasing pressure at the
Base of each vessel. Explain.
Sol. Pressure at depth due to the liquid column depends
upon
(i) Gravitational acceleration (g) (ii) Density of liquid
(iii) Height of liquid
And in this case, g and density are same, so only thing that can change pressure is
height.
So, the order of pressure exerted by the fluid A, B, C and D at the base is given by
PD > PB> PA > PC

Chapter 12
Friction
 You might have seen a driver of a car or a truck slowing down the vehicle at a traffic
signal.
 You, too, slow down your bicycle whenever needed by applying brakes.
Have you ever thought why a vehicle slows down when brakes are applied?
 Not only vehicles, any object, moving over the surface of another object slows down
when no external force is applied on it. Finally it stops.
Have you not seen a moving ball on the ground stopping after some time?
Why do we slip when we step on a banana peel (Fig. 12.1)? Why is it difficult to
walk on a smooth and wet floor?
 You will find the answers to such questions in this chapter.
 Meaning of friction
 When two objects with their surfaces in contact
Rub against each other, they cause friction.
 Friction is the force opposite to the direction of
Motion.
 Friction is the force that acts when one object
Tries to move or slide over the surface of another
Object.
 It can be defined as the resistance of motion when one objects rub against other.
 Friction works against the motion and acts in the opposite direction. However,
friction does not always oppose the motion, it also helps in motion.
 The S.I unit in which frictional force is measured is, Newton.
Examples:
(a) A moving wheel on the ground stops after covering
A certain distance because surface of ground offers opposite
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Direction friction to the surface of wheel in motion.

(b) After applying breaks to a moving bike, the surface of
Brakes offers friction to the surface of moving wheel and
The bicycle stops because of force of friction.
(c) Gently push a book on a table. It stops after moving
For some distance because of friction between the surfaces of
Book and table.
 Cause of Friction
1. The irregularities of a surface: If we move an object
With has an irregular or rough surface on another
Surface which is also irregular, the force of Friction
Will be high in this case and the movement of the
Object would be restricted.
2. The Area of contact surface: If the Surfaces Area
of contact between two object is increases.
3. If two surfaces are pressed hard due to weight:
The force of Friction increases between two surfaces Contact between two surfaces
if they are pressed hard

Factors Affecting Friction

 Why is it difficult to walk on a smooth or wet floor?
Due to less friction between our foot and floor. As the interlocked irregularities
possess a layer of water which decreases friction.
 Which one is easier to hold in hand: an earthen pot or a glass tumbler. Why?
Because of the smoother surface, the glass tumbler creates less friction and it is not
easier to hold. On the other hand, an earthen pot has a rougher surface which creates
more friction and thus makes it easier to grip.

 Spring Balance
Spring balance is a device used for measuring
The Force (or weight) acting on an object.
Christian Huygens, invented the first balance
Springs. Spring balance measures the weight.
Spring balances are used commercially.
Working of spring balance
Spring balance consists of a coiled spring that

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Gets stretched when a force is applied to it. Stretching of the spring is measured by a
pointer moving on a graduated scale. The reading on the scale gives the magnitude of
force or weight of the object.

 Types of friction: There are four types of friction namely

1. Static friction 2.Rolling friction 3.Sliding friction 4.Fluid friction
1. Static friction
 The word static means at rest.
 Static friction can be defined as the friction that acts when we try to move an
object at rest or the object which is not moving. It is the strongest type of friction.
 For example –
 Cup placed on a table Scenery hanging on a wall A car parked on a hill.
 Limiting friction is the friction acting on a body when it is about to start moving.
2. Sliding friction
 Sliding friction is smaller than static friction as a smaller force is now required to
keep the object moving.
 Sliding friction can be defined as the friction that acts when two surfaces slide
over each other. If the applied force exceeds the limiting friction the irregularities
on it do not get interlocked on the surface on which it is moving.
3. Rolling friction
 Rolling friction is always less than sliding friction as rolling reduces friction.
Rolling friction is the weakest type of friction.
 Rolling friction can be defined as the force that opposes the motion when an
object rolls over another object.
 For example –
Ball bearings  Skateboards.
What are the benefits of using ball bearings?
Due to the fact that rolling friction is less than
Sliding friction, ball bearings assist in maintaining
The smallest possible surface of contact between two
Moving surfaces.
4. Fluid and air friction
 The above three friction occur between solid surfaces whereas fluid friction
occurs in fluids, that is in liquids or gases. A fluid is a substance that can flow
and take the shape of a container.
 Fluid friction can be defined as the friction that occurs when objects move across
fluids. Another name for fluid friction is a drag. It resists the movement of
viscous fluids relative to each other.
 The force exerted by fluids is called drag. Drag force acts in a direction opposite
to the direction of motion of the object. For example - When an aeroplane moves
at a high speed it experienced air resistance.
 Fluid friction depends on the following factors
1. Speed of the object with respect to the fluid. 2.The shape of the object.
3. Size of the object. 4. Nature of the fluid.
Ways to reduce Fluid & Air friction
 Firstly the question arises that why there is a need to reduce fluid friction.
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 As when objects move through fluids, they lose some of their energy in
overcoming the fluid friction which decreases the efficiency of an object. To
overcome this there is a need to reduce fluid friction.
 Fluid friction can be reduced by moulding the shape of an object which offers
little resistance to fluids. The streamlined shape is best suited for objects that
move in air or water. The streamlined shape is like a thin wedge that cut the air or
water and moves forwards.

For example An aeroplane has a special shape

called Streamlined shape to reduce friction offered
By air.
Similarly, boats, birds and fishes have this
Special and suitable shape to reduce fluid friction
And avoid loss of energy.

 Friction - A necessary evil

 Friction is called a necessary evil as friction has its advantages as well as
disadvantages also.
 On the soles of shoes, the grooves are present. Grooved soles provide
increased friction to the ground, resulting in a greater grip when walking.
 Because the earth has friction, we can walk easily. As a result, friction is
required even in simple tasks such as walking.
 Moving on a wet muddy route or a damp marble floor is a challenging chore.
This is due to the fact that these surfaces provide relatively little friction to a person's
feet.
 Advantages of friction
 Friction helps in the generation of heat.
 Friction helps in stopping bicycle or any vehicle by applying brakes.
 Nails can be fixed in a wall due to friction
 Friction helps to write, walk.
 Jumping out of an aeroplane with a parachute.
 Ignition of matchsticks and The motion of pistons.
 Provide support to the ladder against the wall
 Disadvantages of friction
 Friction produces heat which may damage machines and cause the wastage of
energy.
 Friction results in the wear and tear of objects, for example, the moving parts of a
machine, the tyres of a car, the soles of shoes, and so on.
 Friction resists motion. The cause of forest fires is the friction between tree
branches.
 Production of noise in machines due to friction. Consumption of more fuel in
vehicles.

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 Ways to reduce friction

 Use of lubricants (Substances like oil or grease polish on the surface of machines
to reduce friction and the process of applying lubricants to machines is known as
lubrication)
 The use of wheels also helps to reduce friction.
 The streamlined body of an object can reduce friction.
 The use of ball bearings between machine parts greatly helps to reduce friction as
rolling friction is less than sliding friction.
 Sprinkling powder on dholak can reduce friction.
 Polishing surfaces that come into contact with one another to way to reduce
friction. Polishing the surface eliminates imperfections and thereby smooths the
surface.
What is lubrication? Lubricants are substances like oil and grease etc. They help
to reduce friction by forming a thin film between the different parts of a machine.

 Ways to increase friction: Under some circumstances, there is a need to increase

friction
 Make surfaces rougher- The roughness of the surfaces in contact can be enhanced
to increase friction. By increasing the mass of the object that is moving.
 The treads(A series of patterns )present on the tyres of car, buses and trucks help
to increase friction
 The grooves on the sole of shoes help to increase friction and provide better grip
to the ground.
 The brake shoes in automobiles are used to increase friction.
Why are brake pads used in the brake system of automobiles and cycles?
 Brake pads are used to improve friction, allowing the brake to operate more
effectively. When we drive the car, the pads do not make contact with the wheels,
but when we press the brake lever, the pads interrupt the rim's motion due to friction,
and the wheels come to a halt.
Exercise Questions
1. Fill in the blanks.
(a) Friction opposes the motion between the surfaces in contact with each other.
(b) Friction depends on the nature of surfaces.
(c) Friction produces heat.
(d) Sprinkling of powder on the carrom board reduces friction.
(e) Sliding friction is lesser than the static friction.

2. Four children were asked to arrange forces due to rolling, static and sliding frictions
in a decreasing order. Their arrangements are given below. Choose the correct
arrangement.
(a) Rolling, static, sliding (b) Rolling, sliding, static
(c) Static, sliding, rolling (d) Sliding, static, rolling
3. Alida runs her toy car on dry marble floor, wet marble floor, newspaper and towel
spread on the floor. The force of friction acting on the car on different surfaces in
increasing order will be

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(a) Wet marble floor, dry marble floor, newspaper and towel.
(b) Newspaper, towel, dry marble floor, wet marble floor.
(c) Towel, newspaper, dry marble floor, wet marble floor.
(d) Wet marble floor, dry marble floor, towel, newspaper
4. Suppose your writing desk is tilted a little. A book kept on it starts sliding down.
Show the direction of frictional force acting on it.
Soln: When book slides down on the desk, a
Frictional force acts between the book and the
Surface of the desk. The direction of the friction
Force on the book is opposite to the direction of
Its motion and acts in an upward direction.
It is shown in the diagram below.
5. You spill a bucket of soapy water on a marble floor accidently. Would it make it
easier or more difficult for you to walk on the floor? Why?
Soln:It is possible to walk on the floor because of the friction present between our feet
and the ground. For walking, we push the ground in a backward direction with our feet.
The force of friction pushes it in the forward direction and allows us to walk. The force
of friction decreases between the ground and the feet when there is soapy water spilt on
the floor. Hence, it becomes difficult to walk on the soapy floor.
6. Explain why sportsmen use shoes with spikes.
Soln: Sportsmen use shoes with spikes because of the better grip given by spikes while
running. This is because the force of friction between the shoes and the ground
increases with the help of spikes.
7. Iqbal has to push a lighter box and Seema has to push a similar heavier box on the
same floor. Who will have to apply a larger force and why?
Soln: Due to the interlocking of the irregularities on the two surfaces in contact, the
force of friction arises. On the floor when a heavy object is placed, the interlocking of
irregularities on the surface of the box and floor become strong. This is because the two
surfaces in contact are pressed harder. Hence, more force is required to overcome the
interlocking. Thus, to push the heavier box, Seema has to apply greater force than Iqbal.
8. Explain why sliding friction is less than static friction
Soln: When irregularities present in the surfaces of two objects in contact get
interlocked with each other, friction come into play. The time given in sliding for
interlocking is very small. Thus, interlocking is not strong. Therefore, less force is
required to overcome this interlocking. Due to this reason, sliding friction is less than
static friction.
9. Give examples to show that friction is both a friend and a foe.
Soln: Advantages of the friction
a) Due to friction, we are able to walk.
b) We are able to write because of the friction between the tip of the pen and paper.
Disadvantages of friction
a) Because of friction, the tires and soles of shoes wear out.

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b) Friction produces heat between different parts of the machines. This can damage the
machines.
10. Explain why objects moving in fluids must have special shapes.
Soln: When a body moves through a fluid, it experiences an opposing force which tries
to oppose its motion through the fluid. This opposing force is known as the drag force.
This frictional force depends on the shape of the body. By giving the objects a special
shape, the force of friction acting on it can be minimized. Hence, it becomes easier for a
body to move through the fluid.
11. Two blocks of iron of different masses are kept
On a cemented floor as shown in Fig.12.2. Which one
Of them would require a larger force to move it from
The rest position?
Sol. The block having mass 2 units will require
Larger force to move it from the rest position because friction force increases as the
mass of object increases and hence larger mass require a larger force to move from the
rest position.
12. Will force of friction come into play when a rain drop rolls down a glass window
pane?
Sol.Yes, friction comes into play when two surfaces are in contact, e.g.glass & water in
this case.
13. Two boys are riding their bicycles on the same concrete road.One has new tyres on his
bicycle while the other has tyres that are old and used. Which of them is more likely to skid
while moving through a patch of the road which has lubricating oil spilled over it?
Sol. The boy having the tyres which are old and used is most likely to slip because these
tyres will experience less friction force which is insufficient to move on the oily road.
14. Fig.12.3 shows two boys applying force on a box.
If the magnitude of the force applied by each is equal,
Will the box experience any force of friction?
Sol. No, the force applied by both boys is equal.
So, net force will be zero and hence friction force
Will not come into play.

15. Imagine that an object is falling through a long Straight glass tube held vertical; air
has been Removed completely from the tube. The object does not touch the walls of the
tube. Will the object experience any force of friction?
Sol: No, the object will not experience any frictional force because to experience the
force of friction, two surfaces must be there and there is only one surface in this case.

16. You might have noticed that when used for a long time, slippers with rubber soles
become slippery. Explain the reason.
Sol:It is due to continuous rubbing of soles with the ground, the spikes on the sole get
damaged slowly and the soles become slippery.

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17. Is there a force of friction between the wheels of a moving train and iron rails? If
yes, name the type of friction. If an air cushion can be introduced between the wheel
and the rail, what effect will it have on the friction?
Sol: Yes, there is always a force of friction between the wheels of a moving train and
iron rails. The name of this friction is rolling friction, since the wheels are rolling on the
track.
On introducing air cushion, the frictional force becomes less, since there is no contact
between rails and wheels.
18. Cartilage is present in the joints of our body, which helps in their smooth
movement. With Advancing age, this cartilage wears off. How would this affect the
movement of joints?
Sol: Cartilage is present in the joints of our body, Reduces friction during movement of
joints. But on wearing off this cartilage, the force of friction increases due to which the
smoothness of movement decreases and one feels the joint pain.

19.While playing tug of war (Fig.12.4), Preeti

Felt that the rope was slipping through her hands.
Suggest a way out for her to prevent this.
Sol: To prevent slipping of the rope from hands,
Preeti has to make her hands somewhat non-Smooth, so she can rub her hands by
introducing the sand between them.
20. The handle of a cricket bat or a badminton racquet is usually rough.Explain the
reason.
Sol: The handle of a cricket bat or a badminton racquet is rough, so that while playing,
the bat or badminton racquet does not slip away from the hands of the player.
Roughness is responsible for the frictional force between handle of the bat or a
badminton racquet and hands, without which gripping is not possible.
21.Explain why the surface of mortar and pestle (silbatta) used for grinding is etched
again after prolonged use?
Sol: After prolonged use, the mortar and pestle loose the roughness, due to which
frictional force reduces and it does not work properly. So, we have to etch it to makelt
rough again
22. A marble is allowed to roll down an inclined plane from a fixed height. At the foot
of the inclined plane, it moves on a horizontal surface a) covered with silk cloth b)
covered with a layer of sand & (c) covered with a glass sheet. On which surface will the
marble move the shortest distance. Give reason for your answer.
Sol: Marble will move the shortest distance on the layer of sand because it will exert a
greater force of friction on the marble and other two surfaces like silk cloth and giass
sheet will exert lesser friction force comparatively.
23.A father and son pushed their car to bring it to the side of road as it had stalled in the
middle of the road. They experienced that although they had to push with all their might

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initially to move the car, the push required to keep the car rolling was smaller, once the
car started rolling. Explain.
Sol: When the car is at rest, we have to apply greater force to set the car in motion
which value is more. As the car starts moving, the friction changes into the rolling
friction which is always less than the previous one.So, we have to exert the lesser force
to keep it in motion.
24. When the cutting edge of a knife is put against a fast rotating stone to sharpen it,
sparks are seen to fly. Explain the reason.
Sol: Due to the friction between cutting edge of a knife and stone, the temperature of
the knife and hence stone increases and it increases to such a level that the sparks are
produced which can be seen while sharpening it.
25.We have two identical metal sheets. One of them is rubbed with sand paper and the
other with ordinary paper. The one rubbed with sand paper shines more than the other.
Give reason.
Sol: While rubbing with sandpaper, more frictional force is produced between the layers
of metal sheet and sandpaper which causes more force on dust particles and they are
removed easily, so it will shine more.But in case of ordinary paper, the force of friction
is not sufficient to remove all the dust, so it will shine less in this case.

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