Transcript Document
Chapter 12: Gravity,
Friction, and
Pressure
12.1 Gravity is a force exerted by masses
12.2 Friction is a force that opposes
motion
12.3 Pressure depends on force and area
12.4 Fluids can exert a force on objects
Sticky Sneakers Lab:
Friction depends on: the kinds of surfaces involved and how hard
the surfaces push together
Sneaker
A
B
C…
Starting
Friction (N)
SidewaysStopping
Friction (N)
ForwardStopping
Friction (N)
Challenge!
A jet engine generates 160 kN of force as it propels a
20,000kg plane down a runway. If 40 kN of friction opposes
the plane, how much time it will take the plane to reach a
speed of 33m/s from rest?
Forces and Surfaces
A flat surface may look and feel smooth, but
it has tiny bumps and ridges which lead to
friction
Types of surfaces:
Depends on the materials that make up the
surfaces: puck on ice vs floor
Motion of the Surfaces:
Apply a force to start an object moving:
friction increases to keep it from sliding
Frictional force has a limit to how large it can
be, and with enough force you can make the
object move
12.2 Friction is a force that
opposes motion
Friction occurs when surfaces slide against each
other
Easier to push a box over tile than carpet
Friction: force that resists the motion between two
surfaces in contact
Friction between your feet and ground
Easier to exert a backward force on rougher
surfaces, with the reaction force moving you
forward more than a slick surface
Provides the action and reaction forces that enable
you to walk
Forces and Surfaces
Force pressing the surfaces together:
The harder two surfaces are pushed
together, the more difficult it is for the
surfaces to slide over each other
An object has weight, and the surface
exerts an equal and opposite reaction
force on the object – this increases
friction force
Friction depends on the force pressing
the surfaces together, NOT the
surface area over which the forces act
Friction and Heat
Friction between surfaces
produces heat
Rub your hands together
Your energy is
transferred to the
individual molecules on
the surface of your
hands, causing them to
move faster, therefore
increasing the
temperature
Strike a match
Brakes
Motion through fluids produces
friction
Recall two objects falling in a vacuum fall with the same
acceleration
In air this is different – air is a fluid, a substance that can flow
easily
An object moving through a fluid pushes the molecules of the
fluid out of the way
The molecules of the fluid exert an equal and opposite force on
the object, slowing it down
“drag”
Depends on the shape of the moving object
“Air resistance” depends on the surface area and speed of
the object (different than friction)
Larger surface area comes into contact with more molecules
than a smaller surface = increase surface are, increase air
resistance
Faster moving object comes into contact with more molecules
in a given amount of time = increase speed, increase air
resistance
Terminal Velocity
Skydiver: eventually the air resistance
balances gravity = terminal velocity
Friction Simulation
Projects
_MS-Science
• PS-8th
• forces-and-motion_en.jar
• ramp-forces-and-motion_en.jar
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/
forces-and-motion
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/
ramp-forces-and-motion