Friction Totally Explained

Everything about Static Friction totally explained

Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of two surfaces in contact or a surface in contact with a fluid (for example air on an aircraft or water in a pipe). It isn't a fundamental force, as it's derived from electromagnetic forces between atoms and electrons, and so can't be calculated from first principles, but instead must be found empirically. When contacting surfaces move relative to each other, the friction between the two objects converts kinetic energy into thermal energy, or heat. Friction between solid objects is often referred to as dry friction or sliding friction and between a solid and a gas or liquid as fluid friction. Both of these types of friction are called kinetic friction. Contrary to popular credibility, sliding friction isn't caused by surface roughness, but by chemical bonding between the surfaces. Surface roughness and contact area, however, do affect sliding friction for micro- and nano-scale objects where surface area forces dominate inertial forces. Internal friction is the motion-resisting force between the surfaces of the particles making up the substance.

Coulomb friction

One model of friction is called Coulomb friction after Charles-Augustin de Coulomb. It is described by the equation: ť

F_mathrm(x) dx,

where ť F_n is the normal force,

μ_k is the coefficient of kinetic friction, ť x is the coordinate along which the object transverses.

Physical deformation is associated with friction. While this can be beneficial, as in polishing, it's often a problem, as the materials are worn away, and may no longer hold the specified tolerances. The work done by friction can translate into deformation, wear, and heat that can affect the contact surface's material properties (and even the coefficient of friction itself). The work done by friction can also be used to mix materials such as in the technique of friction welding.

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