Physics: calculating force of friction
The tutor shows a basic example of calculating friction.
The force of friction, Ff, on a flat surface is given by
Ff = μFN
where
μ = coefficient of friction (often looked up from a table, or given)
FN = normal force: pushing force from surface to object at 90° to surface
Nearly always, FN = mg, where
m = mass of object
g = acceleration due to gravity (typically 9.8m/s2 on Earth)
Example 1: Calculate the force of friction between the tires and the road, dry conditions (μ = 0.40), for a 1400 kg car.
Solution:
Ff = μFN = μmg = 0.40(1400)(9.8)= 5488N or 5500N in sig figs
I’ll be covering more about friction in coming posts:)
Source:
Heath, Robert W. et al. Fundamentals of Physics. D.C. Heath Canada Ltd., 1981.
Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.
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