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Friction Assumptions
In the standard model for friction between surfaces, there are certain inherent assumptions:
Index Friction concepts 1. The frictional force is independent of area of contact 2. The frictional force is independent of the velocity of motion 3. The frictional force is proportional to the normal force. Exceptions Exceptions Exceptions
One can readily find circumstances where any or all of these assumptions are invalid, but they provide a straightforward framework for a beginning treatment of friction that satisfactorily describes many phenomena. Go Back
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While exceptions exist, the assumption has enough validity to be useful in many circumstances. For example, it implies that wide tires will not in general
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07-04-2013
Force
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give better traction than narrow tires, and will not change the normal braking distance for a car. Better traction can be obtained with wide tires, or tires with lower pressure, if the pressure changes the coefficient of friction, as on a surface of snow. HyperPhysics***** Mechanics
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Index Friction concepts Reference Jones & Childers, 2nd Ed. Sec 4.8
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07-04-2013
Force
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While exceptions such as this are easily found, the assumption that friction is proportional to the normal force is still reasonably valid in many cases and forms a useful model for many circumstances. A valid question is why does the frictional resistance increase proportionally with normal force? Jones and Childers have a thoughtful discussion of this. They point out that the area of coverage for a sliding block is actually much larger than the area of contact. Because of microscopic irregularities in the surface, the block is actually riding on a small fraction of the coverage area. Because such points of contact are deformable, an increase in normal force will actually increase the area of actual contact and increase the resistance to movement. HyperPhysics***** Mechanics
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07-04-2013