Friction

1)

In which of the following cases, friction is a desirable force?

a) Centrifugal clutch
b) Vehicles negotiating a turn
c) Belt pulley arrangement
d) Walking
Ans. : All of these.
2)

In which of the following case friction does not exist?

a) Motion of a pendulum
b) Projectile motion
c) Vertical motion due to gravity d) Rolling motion of wheels without slipping.
Ans. : All of these. Friction can exist only at sliding motion.
3)

In case of a belt pulley power transmission, if the ratio of tight side and slack side
tensions is unity, can power transmission be possible?
Ans. : No.
4)
Can the coefficient of friction be greater than unity?
Ans. : Yes. It can be at vehicle with heavy retardation when the wheels heavily skid on
the road. It can be even at the cases of T. V. s or computers with friction pads at
the mounting surfaces.
5)
Can the expression F = .R be used unconditionally?
Ans. : No. The expression cannot be used for determining frictional force at non
limiting conditions i.e. when any sliding motion is yet to exist.
6)
What is the angle of repose?
Ans. : It is the angle made by an inclinable plane at which some object kept on it, just
starts sliding down the plane of its own. At any angle smaller than the angle of
repose, the object remains static and or any angle larger than the angle of
repose, the object is dynamic.
7)

A man stands on a Ladder which rests against a vertical wall and a horizontal
floor. For the ladder to remain static, it the wall as well as the floor required to
be rough?
Ans. : Only floor is required to be rough.

A box with some self weight rests on a 150 inclined plane where the coefficient of
friction is 0.5. A force P1, parallel to the inclined plane just moves the box up
the plane. Similarly, a force P 2 parallel to the inclined plane just moves the
box down the plane. How P1 and P2 can be related?
Ans. : P1 shall be always greater than P2.
8)

9)

A low level table is to be moved on a floor. Why pulling the table is easier than
pushing?
Ans. : A pulling inclined force carries a vertical component which reduces the self
weight, surface support reaction and hence the frictional force. On the other
hand a pushing inclined force carries a vertical component which adds up to the
self weight, surface support reaction and hence increase the frictional force.
10)
Ans. :

A box is to be dragged over a horizontal rough floor by means of an inclined

pulling force. At what inclination, the force itself shall be the least?
Inclination

tan 1 .

11)
Does the frictional force depend upon the area of the contacting surface?
Ans. : No.
12)

A 100 N self weight box is kept on a rough horizontal surface where frictional
coefficient is 0.5. What is the frictional force between the box and the surface?
Ans. : Zero.
A box of some unknown weight is kept on a 30 0 inclined plane where coefficient
of friction is 0.2. Shall the box be dynamic of its own?
Ans. : Yes. The theoretical angle of repose at this case is tan -1 0.2 = 11.310. Actual
inclination is far greater.
13)

14)
What is understood by the Self Locking Property of a wedge or a screw?
Ans. : A self locking screw or wedge remains in static condition even under loaded
condition. A non self locking element tries to get detached / move back, when
loaded.
15)
In which screw applications, the self locking property desirable?
Ans. : Screw Jack, Screw clamp, Screw for lifting any weight.

16)
In which screw applications, the self locking property is non-desirable?
Ans. : Fly press.
17)

A dead weight 100 N is suspended at one end of a string. The string passes over a
horizontal rough static cylinder taking a 900 turn. A horizontal pull P at the
other end of the string prevents the 100 N weight to move down. Is P required
to be 100 N?
Ans. : No. P shall be quite less than 100 N. P can be obtained as per expression

W
e .
P
18)

At the case mentioned above, if the force P is used for lifting the 100 N dead
weight, then is P required to be 100 N?
Ans. : No. Now P shall be quite greater than 100. Here P can be obtained as per
expression

P
e .
W

19)
Why a single plate clutch is inferior to the multiple plate clutch?
Ans. : The frictional force and hence the frictional torque available at the multiple
surface is cumulative for same amount of axial force. Hence power
transmission, for multi plate clutches is more than that at a single plate clutch.
20)
Which type of a clutch can have a self locking property?
Ans. : A cone clutch.
21)

Why the coefficient of friction in dynamic condition is lesser than at the static
condition?
Ans. : Due to the floating contact of the high points of the mutually sliding surfaces,
friction gets, reduced. Similarly, the high points are partly deflected at the
dynamic condition hence the corresponding lateral force also get reduced which
further reduces the force to be overcome.
22)
What is the amount of friction at the ball bearings?
Ans. : Theoritically zero. The balls at the bearing have a rolling motion with respect to
the cage. For a rolling motion, the frictional force / torque is zero.

23)

When a box is dragged on a horizontal rough floor, does the floor experience any
frictional force?
Ans. : Yes, but in the same direction of the motion and numerically equal to the
frictional force experienced by the box.
24)
What are the units for the coefficient of friction?
Ans. : No units. It is a unit less coefficient.