FRICTION LAB NAMES Evelyn wingar

Physics
Liz howard

PURPOSE: After completing this experiment, you should be able to describe what factors affect the coefficient of
friction between two surfaces.

EQUIPMENT: Level plane, spring scale, wooden block, sandpaper, string, platform (or digital) balance, masses.

PROCEDURE:

1. Set up your apparatus as seen in the picture: Make sure your board is
horizontal. Place the block on the larger (broader) wood side.

2. Make a Free-Body-Diagram (FBD): Drag, rotate, and label the arrows to show all the force acting
on the block as you pull it.

Fpull Fgravity
Ffriction
Fnormal

Part 1: Wooden Surface: (Table 1)

Data Table #1: Wooden surface
3. Find the mass of your block using the balances. Convert this to
kilograms and place this in data table #1 as the mass for trial 1.
Trial Mass (kg) F pull (N)
4. Pull the block so that it moves at a constant velocity across the board. 1 .164 .5
The scale should show a steady reading. Place your scale reading in
the data table. 2 .262 .8
5. Add at least 100 g to the block and find the force needed to pull the 3 .363 1.0
block at a constant velocity again. Repeat this 2 more times, each time
changing the mass of the block by at least 100 g. Record your scale 4 .463 1.2
readings in table #1.

Caution!
Do NOT pull the block at an angle.
You will not get accurate results.

Data Table #2: Sandpaper surface

Part 2: Sandpaper: (Table 2)

6. Now, place your block on the sandpaper side with no masses on it. Trial Mass (kg) F pull (N)
7. Pull the block so that it moves at a constant velocity, and record the 5 .164 .7
scale reading. (trial 5)
6 .262 1.0
8. Add at least 100 g to the block and find the force needed to pull the
block at a constant velocity again. Repeat this 2 more times, each 7 .363 1.5
time changing the mass of the block by at least 100 g. Record your
scale readings in table #2. 8 .463 1.8
 Data Table #3: Narrow Wooden surface
Part 3: Narrow Wooden Surface: (Table 3)

9. Now, place your block on the narrow wooden side with no masses Trial Mass (kg) F pull (N)
on it.
9 .164 .6
10. Pull the block so that it moves at a constant velocity, and record 10 .262 .75
the scale reading. (trial 5)
11 .363 1.0
11. Add at least 100 g to the block and find the force needed to pull
the block at a constant velocity again. Repeat this 2 more times, 12 .463 1.75
each time changing the mass of the block by at least 100 g. Record
your scale readings in table #3.

CALCULATIONS:
Trial F pull F friction F gravity F normal
1. Copy the forces from the spring scale
(Fpull) into the calculation table to the
1 .50 .50 4.9 4.9 .102
right.
7.84
2 .80 .80 7.84 .102
2. Fill in the blanks below and find
your friction force. 3 1.0 1.0 9.8 9.8 .102
11.7
4 1.20 1.20 11.76 .102
If you pull the block 6 at a constant velocity,
there is no net force, Average for trials 1 through 4 = .102 and the horizontal
forces are in
equalibrium
5 .70 .70 6.86 6.86 .102
6 1.0 1.0 9.8 9.8 .102
If this is true, then 14.7 the force you are
7 1.50 1.50 14.70 .102
0
pulling the block Friction with is equal to the
17.6
force of 8 1.80 1.80 17.64 .102
4
Average for trials 5 through 8 = .102
(Look back at the free-body diagram for
help.)
9 .60 .60 5.88 5.88 .102
10 .75 .75 7.35 7.35 .102
3. Find your weight by multiplying
11 1.0 1.0 9.8 9.8 .102
your mass (in Kilograms) by 9.8 m/s2.
17.1
12 1.75 1.75 17.15 .102
5
4. Find your Average for trials 9 through 12 = .102 normal force from your
weight.
(Look back at the free-body diagram for help the vertical forces are in equilibrium too.)

F friction

FNormal
5. Using the equation, , calculate your coefficient of friction ().
QUESTIONS:

Note: We have very limited data to work with. A Change needs to be significant a change of 0.1 or more is
probably significant, but a much smaller change, probably is not.

1. How did the force of friction change as you added mass in each part?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

It increased It increased It increased

2. Does the weight (or mass) of the block affect ? Support you answer using specific examples from your data.

Sure, but there all the same

3. Compare the s for each part.

Part 2 vs. Part 1 Part 3 vs. Part 1

Part 2 was higher pull numbers Part 3 was higher pull numbers

4. Upon what does (the coefficient of friction) depend?

On the normal and friction pull

5. Upon what does the frictional force (FF) on an object depend?

How heavy it is
Part 4: Inclined Plane:

1. Adjust the incline at 5 and place your wooden block onto the incline using the broad wood side
once again.

2. Place the block at the bottom of the incline and pull the block by the scale up the incline at a
constant velocity. Be sure to keep the spring scale parallel to the inclined plane. Record the spring
scale reading in table 3 as trial 10.

3. Repeat your data collection 1 more time. Record your measurements and then compute the average.

4. Repeat this procedure increasing the angle 10 each time. Record as trials 11-14 in table 3.

Inclined Plane

Angle of Spring Scale (Fto slide) (Newtons)

Trial
Incline 1st 2nd Average

10 5 .25 .25 .25

11 15 .75 .75 .75
12 25 .85 .85 .85
13 35 1.0 1.0 1.0
14 45 1.25 1.25 1.25

Q3: a. In part 3 (trials 10-14), you were using the same two surfaces for each trial, but you were
changing the angle of the board for each trial. What happened to the force you needed to pull
with to get the block up the plane?

It was harder and you needed to use stronger force

b. Since the surface type did not change, what other factor might have changed the force you
needed to use to pull the block up the plane?

The friction