Friction

Exploration: Physics HL1, Nirantar Yakthumba

January 22, 2015

Problem and Selection of Variables

This investigation was investigated to establish a relationship between two variables that influence the
motion of a body in relation to the forces applied on it and the friction of the surface that it moving or
stationed on.

In particular to this experiment, we investigate the relationship between the mass m of the object on an
elevated surface of height h at an angle and the acceleration a it travels with after overcoming static
friction ! . We wish to investigate if and at what height the mass on top of the elevated surface
overcomes static friction ! by changing the mass with fixed intervals. The two principle variables in
investigation here are mass m and angle where mass is the independent variable by definition of the
description of this experiment and the angle is the dependent variable as it is a function of the height of
the plane which is dependent on the mass and since acceleration is later defined as a function of the
angle, we can say that even the acceleration is dependent on the mass and ultimately so is the net force.
We need to remember that the function of static friction is an inequality that is also dependent on the
mass and angle and similarly so is the kinetic friction. The controlled variables in the experiment are the
static and kinetic friction; the position of the object on the plank; and the mass-carrying object.

Controlling Variables

The controlled variables in this experiment will be: the static and kinetic frictions which are determined
by the type of surface used, as the type of surface used changes the ranges of static and kinetic frictions:
friction can be easily kept constant by using the same plane for the body to interact with throughout the
experiment; the position of the object on the plan: this is simple to maintain as a control so we will
define this position always as the top of the plank; the mass-carrier: the mass of the mass-carrier where
mass will be added consecutively for the purpose of the experiment will be the same object throughout
the experiment, a metal mass hanger would be an accurate and efficient tool to use as a carrier as it
already has its mass given to us as 0.100 kg.

R


90
!
90


90

Wsin
90- h




Wcos

W


x

Figure A



 Friction Exploration: Physics HL1, Nirantar Yakthumba
January 22, 2015

Figure A (diagram not drawn to scale) shows the free body diagram of the situation with the forces in
consideration.
Here,
W: Weight of the object which as mass m under acceleration due to gravity g = 9.81 !! , =
!
: Angle between the plane and the surface in reference, i.e. the table. = !! !
h: The height, i.e. the distance between the top of the plane and the surface in reference.
x: The length, i.e. the distance between the bottom of the plane (where it meets the surface in reference)
and the perpendicular of the surface in reference to the top of the plane. x is given by
= ! ! , = length of the plank
R: The normal force equal and opposite in direction to the horizontal component of the weight W of the
object by Newtons Third Law of Motion, =
! : The kinetic friction between the body against the plane that the body is placed against, ! = ! ,
where ! : the coefficient of kinetic friction, a property of the material of the plane

To mathematically explore the relationship, we will deduce how changes in mass affect the angle at
which the mass overcomes ! and the acceleration a it travels with, as the friction after overcoming
static friction is the kinetic function ! assuming that the body is not travelling at constant speed
( ! ). This relationship will be able to relate them vice versa: i.e. what mass is required to
overcome the static friction with changes in angle and what by how much is the body accelerated.

By assessing Figure A, we can apply Newtons Laws of Motion to deduce that:
! = !
Where:
! : Net force on the body,

Let, ! =

Now,

= !
! =
! = ( )
Dividing both sides by m
! =
= ( + ! )
Equation A

From Equation A we can derive that there is no relation whatsoever between the mass of an object and
the angle subtended by the plank at with respect to the surface at 0. However, we can see a relation
between the angle and the acceleration of the object after overcoming static friction.

To test this, we will construct the free-body diagram for the actual experiment:

The plank is a thin length of wood of length 0.990 m 0.005 (the smallest readable unit in the metre
scale is 0.005 m which is its uncertainty in measurement)
The mass-carrier is a metal carrier of mass 0.100 kg
The individual masses are metal discs each of mass 0.100 kg and radius 0.030

Mass is not required to be measured as all the masses of the discs and the carrier are given already as
0.100 kg each. Height can be measured by a metre stick as it is easy to have a metre stick perpendicular
 Friction Exploration: Physics HL1, Nirantar Yakthumba
January 22, 2015

to the reference surface which is taken as 0 throughout the experiment and even the free body
diagram and measure the height at the top position of the plank when the object begins to move.

The metre stick has a precision of 3 decimal places so uncertainties will not be extremely substantial
but rather small. The error in the experiments results will mostly be due to reaction time being late and
since there isnt a method in which the height can be increased without direct human effort, it is likely
that there will be random error due to shifts in the planks position at height at which the mass moves.

Method of Collecting Data

There will be 6 increments of 0.100 kg to the original mass 0.100 kg such that the minimum mass is
0.100 kg and the maximum mass is 0.700 kg with 2 repeated measurements for height, so in total there
will be 7 sets of independent mass with 3 measurements of dependent height. From these two
conjunctive sets of raw data, we can derive further data: angle: of the plank with respect to surface at
0, instantaneous acceleration after instantaneous movement: a, and further. The experiment will under
no conditions be dangerous to the safety of the investigators or anyone else and will be done as
carefully as possible to avoid any damage to instruments.

Below, the raw set of data obtained from the experiment is presented (uncertainties not propagated):

S.N. ! ! !
/ / / /
1. 0.100 0.230 0.220 0.230
2. 0.200 0.210 0.220 0.210
3. 0.300 0.220 0.230 0.240
4. 0.400 0.220 0.250 0.250
5. 0.500 0.230 0.210 0.220
6. 0.600 0.230 0.225 0.225
7. 0.700 0.210 0.215 0.205

The angle / can be found by the arc-tangent function of the average height divided by the base of the
right-angled triangle formed by the boundaries: the upper plank, normal to the reference base at 0
extended to the tip of the plank, and the distance from the intersection where the plank touches the
reference base to the normal just described.

It is given by the following composite function:

Let,
() = !!

(, ) =


( , ) = !!

Where,
!
: The mean value of h, such that = ! , = 3
It would be interesting to note that as a conclusion to this exploration, we proved that Equation A is
correct.

There is no relation between the mass of the object m and the angle of elevation