Introduction

of Friction
Friction

Friction is the opposing force that is set up between the surfaces of contact,
when one body slides or tends to do so on the surface of another body.
Key Point

Friction does not oppose motion.

Rather it opposes relative motion between two surface in contact.

Cause of Friction

Old View

When two surfaces are in contact with each other, irregularities of one body
get interlocked with the irregularities in the surface of the other. This
interlocking opposes the tendency of relative motion.
Cause of Friction

Modern View

Friction arises on account of Intermolecular forces of attraction between the

two surfaces at the point of actual contact.
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝒇
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝐅
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝒇
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝑭
𝛉

𝒇
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝒇
at rest

𝛉
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝛉
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝛉
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝐅
𝒇
 Example Show the direction of friction force in each case.

Solution

𝐅
 Types
of Friction
 Friction

Friction is a contact force which act between contact surface and opposes
relative motion or tendency of relative motion between contact surface.

FRICTION IS
OF TWO TYPES

STATIC FRICTION Kinetic Friction

Static Friction

Whenever relative motion between contact surfaces is absent but tendency of

relative motion is present then the force which opposes that tendency of relative
motion is known as Static friction force.
Key Point

Friction doesn’t depend upon normal force acting between contact surfaces.

It is self adjusting in nature.

It only depends on requirement of tangential force between contact surfaces

to oppose tendency of relative motion.
"Limiting Static Friction"

Maximum possible value of static friction between the contact surfaces is

known as limiting value of friction force.

Static friction is always less than or equal to limiting friction force.

fs ≤ fs/lim

Limiting value of friction force is directly proportional to normal force

between contact surface.

fs/lim ∝ N
fs/lim = μs N
Key Point

ms ® Coefficient of static friction

It depends upon roughness or smoothness of contact surface.

It cannot be defined for single surface. It always depend on mutual nature of

contact surface.

It is always positive.
Kinetic Friction

Whenever the relative motion between contact surfaces is present, the force
which act opposite to the direction of relative motion is called kinetic friction.
Key Point

Kinetic friction doesn’t depend on how much force is acting on an object.

Kinetic friction always work opposite to direction of motion of contact

surface with respect to other contact surface.

Kinetic friction is directly proportional to normal force between contact

surface.
Kinetic friction depends on mutual nature of contact surface (roughness or
smoothness)

Kinetic friction is always less than limiting value of static friction.

Value of Kinetic friction force is directly proportional to normal force

between contact surface.

fK  N
fK = mK N
"Graph of Friction" v/s Applied Force

Experimental Result :

ms > mK
fs/lim > fK
General Steps to Solve Problem of Friction

(1) We assume that there is no relative slipping between the two surfaces in
contact.

(2) Calculate the requirement of frictional force for above assumption.

(3) (i) If freq < fs/lim then our assumption is true and f = freq

(ii) If freq > fs/lim then our assumption is not true and f = fk
 Example Suppose a block of mass 1 kg is placed over a rough surface and a horizontal
force F is applied on the block as shown in figure. Now, let us see what are the
values of force of friction f and acceleration of the block a it the force F is
gradually increased. Given that μs = 0.5, μk = 0.4 and g = 10m/s 2 .
Solution
F
F f Type of Friction

1N 1N static

2N 2N static

4N 4N static

5N 5N static

6N 4N kinetic

8N 4N kinetic
 Example 18N
𝛍s = 0.4 5kg
𝛍k = 0.3

Find acceleration of the body.

Solution

Ans. 0
 Example Find acceleration of the body. 40N

Solution 53°

𝛍s = 0.5 4kg
𝛍k = 0.4

Ans. 5.2 m/s2

 Example Find acceleration of the body. 15N

37°
Solution
𝛍s = 0.4 4kg
𝛍k = 0.3

Ans. 0
 Example Find minimum force required to move the block upwards.

Solution
m
F


m

Ans. F = mg(sinθ + μcosθ)

 Example Find minimum acceleration of monkey so that the block just starts to move.

Solution

20 kg
37°
50kg

ms= 0.5
mk= 0.4
Solution

20 kg
37°
50kg

15
Ans. m/s2
11
 Example Find the time when slipping stops.

m v0

m
Solution
Solution

ν0
Ans. t =
μg
 Example Find friction force and acceleration of the blocks.

Solution 3kg

ms= 0.3
mk= 0.1

1kg
Solution

7
Ans. m/s 2
4
 Example Find minimum force F so that block does not move.
m = 0.4
Solution

F 2kg

Ans. F = 50N
 Example Find maximum and minimum value of m so that system remains in
equilibrium.

Solution

m
4kg

37°

m = 0.5
Solution

Ans. 4kg, 20kg

 Example Find the Minimum value of F so that there is no relative motion between the
blocks. m
Solution
F 3m m
Solution

4mg
Ans.
μ
 Example A block of mass 5 kg is placed at rest on a table of rough surface. Now, if a
force of 30N is applied in the direction parallel to surface of the table, the
block slides through a distance of 50 m in an interval of time 10s. Coefficient
of kinetic friction is (given, g = 10 ms–2):
(1) 0.60 (2) 0.75 (3) 0.50 (4) 0.25

Solution

Ans. (3)
 Example A body of mass 10 kg is moving with an initial speed of 20 m/s. The body
stops after 5 s due to friction between body and the floor. The value of the
coefficient of friction is: (Take acceleration due to gravity g = 10 ms-2)
(1) 0.2 (2) 0.3 (3) 0.5 (4) 0.4

Solution

Ans. (4)
 Example A block of mass 5 kg is (i) pushed in case (A) and (ii) pulled in case (B), by a
force F = 20 N, making an angle of 30° with the horizontal, as shown in the
figures. The coefficient of friction between the block and floor is
m = 0.2. The difference between the accelerations of the block, in case (B) and
case (A) will be : (g = 10 ms–2)
(1) 0 ms–2 (2) 0.8 ms–2 (3) 0.4 ms–2 (4) 3.2 ms–2
F=20N
Solution

30°
30°

(A) (B)
F=20N
Ans. (2)