Back to: Jss1 Basic Science (BST)
Topic: Friction
WEEK: 5
Friction is the force that is created when two surfaces move across each other. It is the force that tries to stop one surface from moving across another. The amount of friction depends on how the surfaces are made. When two smooth surfaces touch, there isn’t much friction, but when two rough surfaces touch, there is a lot of friction.
Advantages of friction
- Friction is what makes it possible for you to walk. You can’t walk without the friction between your shoes (feet) and the ground. When you try to take a step forward, your foot pushes you backwards. Your shoes (feet) stay on the ground because of friction.
- Low friction makes it hard to walk on a road that is wet or icy. Because ice doesn’t have much friction, it’s hard to walk on it.
- We can’t put a nail in wood or a wall if there isn’t any friction. Friction is what keeps the nail in place.
- A horse can’t pull a cart unless he has a good foothold, which friction gives him.
- We can write on a piece of paper or a whiteboard.
- When you put on the brakes, friction helps.
- Walking quickly on a carpet to scare someone
- It is possible to pull the atmosphere along with the earth
- Friction helps to protect life on Earth by burning asteroids.
- Frictional force lets you write with a pencil on a piece of paper and also lets you erase the pencil marks.
- Helps to protect life on Earth by burning asteroids.
- Without friction, the tyres of a car will just spin and not go anywhere. The force that keeps this from happening is the friction between the tyres and the road.
Disadvantages of Friction
- Parts of a machine get hot when they rub against each other.
- Friction wastes useful energy and makes the machine less effective.
- Friction creates noise pollution
- The heat from friction hurts the parts of a machine that move.
- The surfaces that touch each other get worn down by friction. This makes machine parts, tyres, and shoe soles wear out faster.
- Friction wastes a lot of energy because it takes a lot of energy to get past it before moving.
- Machine parts wear out and break because of friction.
- Machine parts wear out and break because of friction. Friction works against movement.
- When too much heat is made, it could start a spark or fire that would hurt the parts or machines.
- When a sudden force of friction is put on a moving body, it can hurt or cause an accident.
How to Reduce Friction
- Use lubricants to keep the parts of machines that move over each other from getting stuck.
- Use a ball bearing to replace sliding friction with rolling friction.
- Put grease between the parts of a machine that move against each other to reduce friction.