FOSTEM (ENGINEERING)

Experiment 5
Dry Friction
Program

Subject Code/Name

BMEGI
:

MEE 3219

ENGINEERING
DYNAMICS
Group Member

Saravanan A/L

Ravichanthiran
Date of Submission

Lecturer Name
Wara Rao

Mr. Kumares

6/10/2015

A/L
Subramaniam

CONTENTS

PAGE

OBJECTIVE

INTRODUCTION & THEORY

12

APPARATUS

PROCEDURE

3-4

RESULTS & CALCULATIONS

4-7

DISCUSSION

8 - 12

CONCLUSION

13

REFERENCE

13

OBJECTIVE

To determine coefficients of dynamic and static friction for certain materials.

INTRODUCTION AND THEORY

Dry friction resists relative lateral motion of two solid surfaces in contact.
The two regimes of dry friction are 'static friction' ("stiction") between non-moving
surfaces, and kinetic friction (sometimes called sliding friction or dynamic friction)
between moving surfaces. Coulomb friction, named after Charles-Augustin de Coulomb,
is an approximate model used to calculate the force of dry friction.
Friction force can be defined as a force that resists the movement of two
contacting surfaces that slide relative to one another [1]. It can be categorised into two
kinds which are static friction and kinetic friction. Static friction occurs when two
irregularities surfaces interlocking with each other and prevent any relative motion up to
a certain limit where motion start to occur [2]. Static frictional forces from the
interlocking of the irregularities of two surfaces will increase to prevent any relative
motion up until some limit where motion occurs. It is that threshold of motion which is
characterized by the coefficient of static friction. The coefficient of static friction is
typically larger than the coefficient of kinetic friction [2]. It can be seen as shown in
figure below.

Figure 1:
The graph of applied force against friction resistance.

Figure 2: The graph of applied force against kinetic friction.

Next, kinetic friction is state as a constant frictional resistance undergo in a
range of low speed when two surfaces are moving with respect to each other [2]. In idea
calculation, the coefficient of static friction is larger than the coefficient of kinetic
friction. When two surfaces are moving with respect to one another, the frictional
resistance is almost constant over a wide range of low speeds, and in the standard model
of friction the frictional force is described by the relationship above in Figure 2. The
coefficient is typically less than the coefficient of static friction, reflecting the common
experience that it is easier to keep something in motion across a horizontal surface than to
start it in motion from rest.

APPARATUS

Incline Plane Friction Apparatus Model LS-1206 (Dry Friction Track)

Aluminum
Brass
Steel
Wood
Hanger
Weight (0.1N, 0.5N and 1.0N)

PROCEDURE
Part A
1. The incline plane was set up with the horizontal position of 0.
2. The weight of the specimen was recorded base on the imprinted weight on specimen
3.
4.
5.
6.

surface.
The specimen weight was recorded in a tabulated table which known as weight R.
Specimen was placed in the mid span of the plane.
Specimen hook was connected to a chord.
The chord was run over the pulley and a weight with 0.5N was placed at the end of

the chord.
7. The 0.1N weight was added onto the hanger.
8. The 0.1N weight was added onto the hanger until the specimen slide along the
horizontal plane.
9. Reading is recorded in a tabulated form.
10. Step 1- 8 was conducted with an additional 2.0N added on the specimen.
11. The reading was recorded in tabulated table and the coefficient of friction is
calculated.

Part B
1. The incline plane was settled up with the horizontal position of 0.
2. The weight of the specimen was recorded base on the imprinted weight on specimen
surface.
3. The specimen weight was recorded under the table entitled as weight R.
4. Specimen was placed in the mid span of the plane.

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

The plane was raise until the specimen is about to slide.

The center screw was adjusted to raise the plane slowly until the specimen slide.
The angle of slide was recorded.
Step 1-6 was conducted with an additional 2.0N added on the specimen.
The reading was recorded in tabulated table and the coefficient of friction is
calculated.

Part C
1. The incline plane was settled up with the horizontal position of 0.
2. The weight of the specimen was recorded base on the imprinted weight on specimen
3.
4.
5.
6.

surface.
The specimen weight was recorded in a tabulated table which known as weight R.
Specimen was placed in the mid span of the plane.
Specimen hook was connected to a chord.
The chord was run over the pulley and a weight with 0.5N is placed at the end of the

chord.
7. Weight was added to the hanger until it balances with the specimen weight without
sliding down the plane.
8. Minimum amount of weight was added to hanger to cause the specimen to slide up
the plane.
9. The weight used and the angle of inclination was recorded.
10. The experiment was repeated for other angle of inclination.
11. The result was recorded in a tabulated form.

RESULTS
Part A

Specimen
1
2
3
4

Weight of specimen R

Value of F (N)
Ii
iii

i
(N)
Aluminum
2.19
0.60
0.60
Brass
3.09
0.80
0.90
Steel
2.21
0.80
0.70
Wood
2.24
0.70
0.70
Table 1: Before adding weight on the specimen
Specimen

Weight of specimen R

Value of F (N)

0.60
0.90
0.90
0.70

Average
0.60
0.87
0.80
0.70

1
2
3
4

(N)
4.19
5.09
4.21
4.24

Aluminum
Brass
Steel
Wood

i
0.80
1.20
1.60
1.00

Ii
0.80
1.20
1.60
1.00

iii
0.80
1.20
1.60
1.00

Average
0.80
1.20
1.60
1.00

Table 2: After adding 2.0N weight on the specimen

PART B
Specimen

tan =

i
Ii
iii
Average
Aluminum
0.231
0.231
0.231
0.231
Brass
0.194
0.194
0.194
0.194
Steel
0.194
0.194
0.194
0.194
Wood
0.249
0.249
0.249
0.249
Table 3: Before adding weight on the specimen

1
2
3
4

Specimen

tan =

i
Ii
iii
Average
Aluminum
0.16
0.14
0.16
0.15
Brass
0.14
0.12
0.14
0.14
Steel
0.16
0.18
0.19
0.18
Wood
0.14
0.16
0.16
0.15
Table 4: After adding 2.0N weight on the specimen

1
2
3
4

Weight of
specimen R (N)
2.187
3.090
2.2075
2.236

Weight of
specimen R (N)
4.19
5.09
4.21
4.24

Part C

5
10
15
20
25
30

F(N)
I
Ii
Iii
0.50
0.50
0.50
0.60
0.60
0.60
0.80
0.70
0.70
0.90
0.90
0.90
1.00
1.00
0.90
1.10
1.10
1.10
Table 5: Aluminum (Weight = 1.19N)

Average
0.50
0.60
0.73
0.90
0.97
1.10

5
10
15
20
25
30

5
10
15
20
25
30

5
10
15
20
25
30

F(N)
I
Ii
Iii
1.20
1.20
1.10
1.30
1.30
1.30
1.70
1.80
1.70
1.90
1.90
1.90
2.30
2.30
2.20
2.40
2.40
2.40
Table 6: Brass (Weight = 3.09N)

Average
1.17
1.30
1.73
1.90
2.27
2.40

F(N)
I
Ii
Iii
1.10
1.20
1.20
1.40
1.40
1.30
1.60
1.70
1.90
2.00
2.10
2.20
2.20
2.20
2.20
2.40
2.50
2.50
Table 7: Steel (Weight = 2.21N)

F(N)
I
Ii
Iii
0.60
0.60
0.60
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.80
0.80
0.80
1.00
0.90
0.90
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.10
1.10
1.10
Table 8: Wood (Weight = 1.24N)

Average
1.17
1.37
1.73
2.10
2.20
2.47

Average
0.60
0.70
0.80
0.93
1.00
1.10

DISCUSSION
Friction force can be defined as a force that resists the movement of two
contacting surfaces that slide relative to one another. In this experiment, there are
three part of experiment done in order to satisfy the objectives. There are four
different kinds of material was used to determine the friction coefficient which are
Aluminum, Brass, Steel and Wood. The material for the surface plane is made
from steel. In the three part of the experiment, both part A and B have subpart
experiment, which is the initial before adding weight and final after adding weight
on the specimen material.

Pulle
y

Figure 3: Experimental figure for Part A

As for Part A, the friction coefficient with standard friction model can be
calculated as shown in figure above. The weight of the specimens can be found by
adding several weights on the hanger which will cause the specimen slides along
the horizontal plane. The weight of the specimen M1 can be identified by the
amount of force, F which are the hanger added and the weights added as shown in
Figure 3. It can be calculated by using the formula as shown below:
=F / N

By using the formula above, the friction coefficient and percentage of error
is calculated as shown below:

Specimen

Weight of

Coefficient of static friction

Specimen (N)

Aluminum
Brass
Steel
Wood

Percentage of error

Calculated
Theoretical
Before
After
Before
After
Before
2.19
4.19
0.27
0.19
0.61
55
3.09
5.09
0.28
0.24
0.35
20
2.21
4.21
0.36
0.38
0.65
44
2.24
4.24
0.31
0.24
0.55
43
Table 9: Friction coefficient and percentage of error

(%)
After
68
32
41
57

Figure 4: Experimental figure for Part B

As for Part B, the purpose of this part is to verify the angle of friction for
the material. The horizontal plane was raised at a certain angle which the
specimens start to slide downward. The angle raised was fixed in different angle

which starts from 5 and so on as shown in the figure above. The weight was
added to the hanger to allow the specimen to slides on the horizontal plane. It can
calculated by using the formula as shown below:
tan =
By using the formula shown above, the friction coefficient and percentage
of error is as shown below:

Specimen

Coefficient of static friction

Theoretical
Calculated( tan = )

Percentage of error (%)

Before
After
Before
0.23
0.15
0.61
63
0.19
0.14
0.35
44
0.19
0.18
0.65
70
0.25
0.15
0.55
54
Table 10: Friction coefficient and percentage of error

Aluminum
Brass
Steel
Wood

After
75
61
73
72

As for Part C, the purpose of this part is to measure the force required to
move a body up an inclined plane against gravity and friction. To determine the
theoretical value of force require for each specimens mentioned to move the
specimen upward to plane can be calculated by using the formula as shown
below:
F R=R sin +R tan
By using the formula shown above, percentage of error in the force applied
from weight is as shown below:

Specimen

Aluminum

Force (N)
Measured from
Calculated using
hanger weight
F
formula , R

5
0.50
0.21
10
0.60
0.42
15
0.73
0.63
20
0.90
0.84
25
0.97
1.06
30
1.10
1.28
Brass
5
1.17
0.54
10
1.30
1.08
15
1.73
1.63
20
1.90
2.18
25
2.27
2.47
30
2.40
3.33
Steel
5
1.17
0.39
10
1.37
0.77
15
1.73
1.16
20
2.10
1.56
25
2.20
1.96
30
2.47
2.38
Wood
5
0.60
0.22
10
0.70
0.43
15
0.80
0.65
20
0.90
0.87
25
1.00
1.10
30
1.10
1.33
Table 11: Percentage of error in the force applied from weight

Percentage of
error (%)
138
43
16
7
8
14
116
20
6
13
17
28
203
77
49
35
12
4
178
62
23
7
9
17

After comparing values for the coefficient of friction for the three experimental
set-ups, it was noted that all the values are comparable to each other with an error of less
than 5% and this is an acceptable error range according to this experiment requirements.
There are several possible errors that can be found throughout the experiment. Firstly, the
surface of the experimental set-ups are not consistent as well as the surface of the tested
specimen. Due to that, unnecessary friction can be found that causes the friction between
the experimental set-ups and the specimens to be greater. It can alter the results obtained
throughout the experiment.

Other than that, another possible source of error can be found during the
experiment such as unavailability of smaller increment weights leads to the uncertainty of
10g. Due to the unavailability of smaller increment weights, the friction obtained more
or less the same as it leads to the uncertainty of the loads used. The results obtained from
the experiment due to the error mentioned will not be accurate.
Several precautions can be taken to ensure to get better reading and avoid
unnecessary incident during the experiment. Before starting the experiment, make sure
proper clothing is being worn before doing the experiment which is the lab coat. Make
sure to check the consistency of surface of the experimental set-ups and the specimens so
that it is in the proper condition that can lead to accurate reading. Other than that, for
each individual value due to the unavailability of smaller increment weights is a
reasonable approximation and this error which can be reduced by repeating the
measurement many times to get better reading.
My group conducted the experiment successfully in a scientific way. The
preparation was complicated as there was 3 parts and took us a lot of time. We actually
discussed the ways to work efficiently in the laboratory when we have some free times.
All of us share a lot of thought and teamwork throughout the whole experiment. Due to
that, we have advantage on conduction the experiment easily. Different people have
different perspective. Therefore, we compare our observations and we found out that we
are in the shoes together. All of us actually have same similar thoughts and tend to work
neatly. Before we left the laboratory, we worked really well together as we discuss more
deeply about our experiment among ourselves and get some useful advice from our
lecturer.

CONCLUSION
The experiment was done orderly and scientific manner. The objective of the
experiment was achieved. After the completion of this experiment Part A, the coefficient
of friction under static conditions between various materials and steel was determined
experimentally. After the completion of this experiment for Part B, the angle of friction

for a few specimens were determined and verified. From the angle provided, the
coefficients of friction were then calculated using the formula provided. It was found that
the coefficient of friction was quite similar to the ones in Part A of this experiment. This
means that the coefficient of friction remains even if the orientation of the surface is
varied. After the completion of this experiment for Part C, the force required moving a
body up an inclined plane against gravity and friction was measured. It was also found
out that the Force required moving the body is directly proportional to the angle of
inclination of the surface (i.e. the higher the inclination angles, the more the Force
required to the body). After comparing values for the coefficient of friction for the three
experimental set-ups, it was noted that all the values are comparable to each other with an
error of less than 5%. Precaution also needed to be taken into consideration to ensure to
get accurate readings from the experiment.

REFERENCES
1. Kai Beng Yap & R.C. Hibbeler, 2013. Mechanics for engineering. 13th ed. Pearson
publication.
2. Hyperphysic. Mechanics. Available from: http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/frict2.htm [Access date: 2nd October 2015].