Chapter 8-Friction
By-Kerima Hussen
8.1 Introduction
• In the preceding chapters we have usually assumed that the forces of action and reaction
between contacting surfaces act normal to the surfaces.
• This assumption characterizes the interaction between smooth surfaces
• Although this ideal assumption often involves only a relatively small error, there are
many problems in which we must consider the ability of contacting surfaces to support
tangential as well as normal forces.
• Tangential forces generated between contacting surfaces are called friction forces and
occur to some degree in the interaction between all real surfaces.
• Whenever a tendency exists for one contacting surface to slide along another
surface, the friction forces developed are always in a direction to oppose
this tendency.
Cont’d
• In some types of machines and processes we want to minimize the retarding effect of
friction forces. Examples are bearings of all types, power screws, gears, the flow of
fluids in pipes, and the propulsion of aircraft and missiles through the atmosphere.
• In other situations we wish to maximize the effects of friction, as in brakes, clutches, belt
drives, and wedges.
• Wheeled vehicles depend on friction for both starting and stopping, and ordinary
walking depends on friction between the shoe and the ground
• Friction forces are present throughout nature and exist in all machines no matter how
accurately constructed or carefully lubricated.
• A machine or process in which friction is small enough to be neglected is said to be
ideal.
• When friction must be taken into account, the machine or process is termed real. In all
cases where there is sliding motion between parts, the friction forces result in a loss of
energy which is dissipated in the form of heat. Wear is another effect of friction.
8.2 Types of Friction
a) Dry Friction. Dry friction occurs when the unlubricated surfaces of two solids are in
contact under a condition of sliding or a tendency to slide.
• The direction of this friction force always opposes the motion or impending motion.
This type of friction is also called Coulomb friction.
(b) Fluid Friction. Fluid friction occurs when adjacent layers in a fluid (liquid or gas)
are moving at different velocities.
• This motion causes frictional forces between fluid elements, and these forces depend
on the relative velocity between layers. When there is no relative velocity, there is no
fluid friction
(c) Internal Friction. Internal friction occurs in all solid materials which are subjected
to cyclical loading.
8.3 Characteristics of dry friction
• Consider the effects caused by pulling horizontally on a block of uniform weight W
which is resting on a rough horizontal surface. The surfaces of contact to be non rigid
or deformable and other parts of the block to be rigid
• Normal force N and frictional force F act along the contact surface
• This friction force acting on the body will always be in a direction to oppose motion
or the tendency toward motion of the body.
• For equilibrium, normal forces act upward to balance the block’s weight W,
frictional forces act to the left to prevent force P from moving the block to the right
Cont’d
• Many microscopic irregularities exist between the two surfaces of floor and the
block
• The total normal force N is the sum of the n-components of the R’s, and the total
frictional force F is the sum of the t-components of the R’s.
Cont’d
• Effect of normal and frictional loadings are indicated by their resultant N and F
• Distribution of ∆Fn indicates that F is tangent to the contacting surface, opposite
to the direction of P
N is directed upward to balance W
N acts a distance x to the right of the line of
action of W
This location coincides with the centroid or the
geometric center of the loading diagram in
order to balance the “tipping effect” caused
by P
Static friction
• The region up to the point of slippage or impending motion is called the range of
static friction,
• and in this range the value of the friction force is determined by the equations of
equilibrium.
• This friction force may have any value from zero up to and including the
maximum value.
• For a given pair of mating surfaces the experiment shows that this maximum value
of static friction F max is proportional to the normal force N.
Cont’d
Impending Motion
• As P is slowly increased, F correspondingly increase until it attains a certain
maximum value F, called the limiting static frictional force
• Limiting static frictional force Fs is directly proportional to the resultant normal
force N
Fs = μsN
• Constant of proportionality μs is known as the coefficient of static friction
• Angle Φs that Rs makes with N is called the angle of static friction
Fs 1 s N
s tan tan
1
tan 1
s
N N
Motion
• When P is greater than Fk, the frictional force is slightly smaller value than Fs, called
kinetic frictional force
• The block will not be held in equilibrium (P > Fs) but slide with increasing speed
• The drop from Fs (static) to Fk (kinetic) can by explained by examining the contacting
surfaces
• When P > Fs, P has the capacity to shear off the peaks at the contact surfaces
• Resultant frictional force Fk is directly proportional to the magnitude of the resultant
normal force N
Fk = μkN
• Constant of proportionality μk is coefficient of kinetic friction
• μk are typically 25% smaller than μs
• Resultant Rk has a line of action defined by Φk, angle of kinetic friction
F N
k tan 1 k tan 1 k tan 1 k
N N
Cont’d
• F is a static frictional force if equilibrium is maintained
• F is a limiting static frictional force when it reaches a maximum value needed to
maintain equilibrium
• F is termed a kinetic frictional force when sliding occurs at the contacting surface
Examples
1. Determine the maximum angle θ which the adjustable incline may have with the
horizontal before the block of mass m begins to slip. The coefficient of static friction
between the block and the inclined surface is μ𝑠 .
Cont’d
2. Determine the range of values which the mass m0 may have so that the 100-kg block
shown in the figure will neither start moving up the plane nor slip down the plane. The
coefficient of static friction for the contact surfaces is 0.30.
Solution
8.4 Application of friction in Mechanics
• Wedges :A wedge is one of the simplest and most useful machines. A wedge is used to
produce small adjustments in the position of a body or to apply large forces. Wedges
largely depend on friction to function.
• Screws: Screws are used for fastening and for transmitting power or motion. In each
case the friction developed in the threads largely determines the action of the screw.
• Journal Bearings : A journal bearing is one which gives lateral support to a shaft in
contrast to axial or thrust support.
• Thrust Bearings; Disk Friction: Friction between circular surfaces under distributed
normal pressure occurs in pivot bearings, clutch plates, and disk brakes.
Cont’d
• Flexible Belts : The impending slippage of flexible cables, belts, and ropes over
sheaves and drums is important in the design of belt drives of all types,
band brakes, and hoisting rigs.
• Rolling Resistance:
• Deformation at the point of contact between a rolling wheel and its supporting
surface introduces a resistance to rolling.
• This resistance is not due to tangential friction forces and therefore is an entirely
different phenomenon from that of dry friction.
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