Class 8 (MLP) Chapter - 12

FRICTION:

Friction is a force that opposes the relative motion between two surfaces of objects in contact. The
force of friction always acts in a direction opposite to that of the applied force. Friction exists between two
surfaces due to irregularities on the surfaces of the objects in contact, interlocking of micro-level
irregularities of the two surfaces and ploughing of harder surfaces into smoother surfaces.

Factors That Affect Friction

• Roughness of the surface
• The extent to which the two surfaces press together
• Nature of the surface

Types of Friction
There are three types of friction that exist between solid surfaces. They are static friction, sliding friction
and rolling friction. Frictional force that comes into action before the start of the motion of an object is
called static friction. Example: a box placed on the floor. When an object slides over another surface, the
frictional force that comes into action is sliding friction. Example: a boy sliding on a slide. The frictional
force exerted when an object rolls over a surface is called rolling friction. Example: rolling ball on the
ground. It is found that:

Rolling friction < sliding friction < static friction.

The frictional force exerted by fluids when objects move through them is called fluid friction or drag.

Effects of Friction
• Friction produces heat.
• Friction causes wear and tear.
• Friction opposes motion.

Advantages of Friction
• Friction between pen and paper enables us to write on the paper.
• Friction between our feet and the ground allows our movements like standing, walking and running.
• Friction between the surface of the road and tyres of our vehicles allow the vehicles to move
without slipping.

Disadvantages of Friction
• Friction causes moving objects to stop or slow down.
• Friction produces heat causing wastage of energy in machines.
• Friction causes wear and tear of moving parts of machinery, soles of shoes, etc.
Methods of Increasing and Reducing Friction
In real life, there are circumstances where we have to increase the friction and minimise the friction.
Friction can be increased by increasing the roughness of the surfaces in contact. For example, treading of
shoes and tyres is done to increase friction. When friction is undesirable we have to reduce the friction.
Friction can be minimised by using lubricants like oil and grease and by using ball bearing between
machine parts. A substance that is introduced between two surfaces in contact, to reduce friction, is
called a lubricant. Fluid friction can be minimised by giving suitable shapes to the objects moving in the
fluids.
Friction Is A Necessary Evil
There are instances in daily life where friction is a necessity. For example, without friction, we cannot hold
objects in our hands; we cannot walk and cannot light a match stick. Sometimes friction is not desirable,
for example friction between machinery parts, which causes wear and tear. As friction is advantageous to
us it is considered as a friend but due to its disadvantages it is a foe. Depending on the circumstance,
friction can be a help or a hindrance. Thus it is a necessary evil.
Question/Answers:
Q1. Four children were asked to arrange forces due to rolling, static and sliding frictions in
adecreasing 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
Ans1. (c) static, sliding, rolling
Q2.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.
Ans2.Frictional force is acting opposite to the movement of the book i.e. upwards.

Q3. You spill a bucket of soapy water on a marble floor accidentally. Would it make it easier
or more difficult for you to walk on the floor? Why?
Ans3.It would make it more difficult for us to walk on a soapy floor because layer of soap
makes floor smooth. The coating of soapy water reduces the friction and the foot can not
make a proper grip on the floor and it starts getting to slip on the floor.

Q4.Explain why sportsmen use shoes with spikes.

Ans4.Sportsman use shoes with spike to increase the friction so that the shoes do not slip
while they run or play.

Q5 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?
Ans5.Seema will have to apply larger force since she will experience more frictional force
because heavy object will be pressed hard against the opposite surface and produces more
friction.
Q6.Explain why sliding friction is less than static friction.
Ans6.Sliding friction is always less than static friction because two sliding objects find less
time to get interlocked against each other’s irregularities of surfaces as a result of which
they experience less friction.

Q7.Give examples to show that friction is both a friend and a foe.

Ans7.Friction as friend:
→ We are able to walk because of friction.
→ Friction between the tip of the pen and a paper allows us to write.
Friction as foe:
→ Tyres and soles of shoes wear out because of friction.
→ Friction between the different parts of machines produces heat. This can damage the
machines.

Q8. Explain why objects moving in fluids must have special shapes.
Ans8.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 objects a special shape, the
force of friction acting on it can be minimised. Hence, it becomes easier for the body to
move through the fluid.

HLP

Q1.When a coin and a feather are dropped simultaneously from same height , the coin
strikes the ground first ? Why?
Ans1.Due to larger surface area the feather faces more air resistance (friction by air)
and hence slows down.Hence the coin moves faster.

Q2.A ship moving in sea cannot be stopped quickly by applying brakes .

Ans2. Fiction exerted by water is much less than a solid .Hence it takes more time to
stop a ship in water.

WEB LINKS- Ch- 12; Friction

https://www.slideshare.net/BhaveshKhandelwal1/class-8-chapter-12-friction

https://youtu.be/e9zkdrV8Yhc