Factors Affecting Friction


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Factors Affecting Friction

Friction is the resistance to motion of one object moving relative to another. It is not a fundamental force, like gravity or electromagnetism

Factors Affecting Friction

The friction between two surfaces depends on two factors :

  • (i) the nature of the two surfaces (smoothness or roughness of the two surfaces).
  • (ii) the force with which two surfaces are pressed together.
  • The force of friction, however, does not depend on the 'amount of surface area' of the two objects which is in contact with each other,

    Dependence of Friction on the Nature of Two Surfaces:

    Friction is not the same for all the surfaces. Friction depends on the smoothness or roughness of the two surfaces which are in contact with each other. When the two surfaces in contact are smooth, then the friction between them will be small this is because of the fact that on a smooth surface there are less irregularities and hence the interlocking of irregularities of the smooth surfaces is less.

    As the degree of roughness of the two surfaces in contact increases, the friction also increases. And when the two surfaces in contact are very rough, then the friction between them will be very large this is because of the fact that on a rough surface there are more irregularities and hence the interlocking of irregularities  of very rough surface is too much.

    For example if a brick is made to move on the floor some force is required to do so. If the brick is wrapped with a polythene sheet and then made to move on the floor then less force is required to move the brick. As the roughness of surface of the  brick has been decreased by covering it with polythene so the friction has reduced and hence the less force is required to move it. From this observation we conclude that wrapping of polythene sheet makes the surface of brick smooth due to which the friction with floor decreases, So we can say that friction depends on the roughness of the surface.

    Now wrap a jute cloth around the brick instead of  polythene sheet and then made to move on the floor then more force is required to move the brick as compared to state when nothing was wrapped around the brick indicating that the force of friction has increased. From this observation we conclude that wrapping of jute cloth makes the surface of brick more rough due to which the friction with floor increases.

    We conclude that when the surface of brick is made more smooth by wrapping polythene sheet, the friction with floor decreases, On the other hand, when the surface of brick is made more rough by wrapping a jute cloth, then the friction with floor increases. Thus, the friction depends on the nature of two surfaces. That is, the friction depends on the smoothness or roughness of the two surfaces.

    Dependence of Friction on the Force With Which Two Surfaces are Pressed Together

    Friction is caused by the interlocking of irregularities of the two surfaces when one abject is placed over another object. If the two surfaces of objects are pressed together harder by a greater force, then the friction will increase because by pressing together two surfaces of objects with a greater force will increase the interlocking in the two surfaces.

    Suppose we have two boxes of the same size but one box is light and the other box is heavy. If we push both the boxes on the floor, we have to apply only a small force to make the lighter box move on the floor but a much larger force has to be applied to make the heavier box move on the floor.

  • This shows that there is less friction between the light box and floor but much more friction between the heavy box and the floor.
  • As we know that the weight of a box is also a force which acts in the downward direction. Now, because of its smaller weight, the light box presses on the floor with less force and hence the friction between lighter box and floor is less.
  • This lesser force of friction allows the lighter box to be moved easily by applying a smaller push. On the other hand, because of its greater weight, the heavy box presses on the floor with a greater force.
  • Since the surfaces of heavy box and floor are pressed together with a greater force, the friction between them increases and becomes much greater. This greater friction does not allow the heavy box to be moved on floor by applying a small force. A much larger force of our push has to be applied to make the heavy box move on floor.
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    Sample Questions
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    Question : 1

    Suppose we have two boxes of the same size but one box is light and the other box is heavy. If we push both the boxes on the floor, we have to apply only a small force to make the lighter box move on the floor but a much larger force has to be applied to make the heavier box move on the floor. Why ?

    Right Option : A
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    Explanation
    Question : 2

    Force of friction does not depend on  _______________ .

    Right Option : D
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    Explanation
    Question : 3

    In which of the following cases more friction is desirable?

    Right Option : B
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    Explanation
     
     


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