Friction Coefficient Measurement

INTRODUCTION:
The coefficient of friction (COF), also known as a frictional coefficient or friction coefficient
is a dimensionless scalar value that describes the ratio of friction force between two bodies
and the normal (reaction) force pressing them together. The coefficient of friction depends on
the materials used and the roughness of contacting surface; for example, ice on steel has a low
coefficient of friction, while rubber on pavement has a high coefficient of friction. There are
two types of friction coefficients; static
and dynamic . The static friction coefficient is
usually greater than the dynamic friction coefficients for the same contacting surfaces. The
static coefficient of friction defines the resistant to potential movement between the two
surfaces, whereas the dynamic coefficient of friction defines the resistance to existing
movement between the two surfaces. Coefficients of friction range from near zero to greater
than one under good conditions for the static one, a tire on concrete may have a coefficient
of friction of 1.7.

OBJECTIVES:
The objective of this experiment is to determine the coefficient of kinetic (sliding) friction,
k , between two given bodies, to investigate the effect of the material and surface-roughness
on the magnitude of the friction coefficient.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND:
The force of friction is always exerted in a direction that opposes movement (for kinetic
friction) or potential movement (for static friction) between the two surfaces. If a body is
moving with a constant velocity (zero acceleration) on a horizontal plane, the motion is
governed by Newtons second law and the sum of all force is equal to zero. As a result, its
driving force Fd should equal the force of friction Ff, as shown in Figure 1, i.e.

Fd Ff

(1)

Figure 1: Free-body diagram (F.B.D.) of the block

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By definition, the friction force Ff is equal to the normal reaction force at the contact surface
FN times the friction coefficient k , namely,

Ff k FN

(2)

The normal reaction force FN is obtained by summing the vertical forces acting on the block,
which must equal zero. Therefore,
FN mg

(3)

Ff k mg

(4)

Fd k mg

(5)

From Equations (2) and (3),

Or

If the driving force is measurable, by a load cell, say, and the mass of the block is determined
accurately (by an electronic scale), then the friction coefficient k may, thus, be found.

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP and PROCEDURE

The experimental set up consists of a block that rests on a horizontal plane which is pulled by
a thread. The thread is wound around a pulley that is driven by a constant speed AC motor.
The resisting force of the motion (friction force) is measured by means of a calibrated spring
of a known stiffness. The spring deformation is linearly proportional to the applied force
acting on it; which is the friction force. The spring is attached to the block on one side and to
a calibrated dial gauge on the other side to measure the spring deformation and hence, the
spring deformation and hence, the spring load. The experimental set up is shown in some
details in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Top view of the experimental setup.

The test should be run as follows:

1) Weigh the block using an electronic scale.
2) Place the block on the horizontal plane and attach the plane to the thread and pulley.

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3) Attach the block to the spring and dial gauge. Make sure that the surface of contact is
clean and free from any contaminants and the thread is taut.
4) Start the motor and record the resisting force from the calibrated dial gauge reading at
steady state.
5) Repeat Step (4) after placing known weights on top of the block (one at a time).
6) Repeat steps (4) and (5) using different blocks and planes.

REPORT REQUIREMENTS:
1) Plot a relation between friction force Ff and the normal reactive force FN for the different
materials provided, separately. Fit the data using linear regression and obtain the fitting
equation. Note that, graph should start from origin (0,0).
2) Calculate the friction coefficient for all the provided surfaces of contact from the graphs
you plotted.
3) Compare the friction coefficients obtained experimentally with published ones.

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WORK SHEET
Block Material: ______________________
Block Weight: ___________ N
Plate Material (1): ____________________
Plate Material (2): ____________________
Plate Material (3): ____________________

Table 1: Normal and friction forces measurements of dry surfaces.

Friction Force Ff (N)

Mass

Normal Force

(g)

FN (N)

Material (1)

Material (2)

Material (3)

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