Question

With the help of an activity, explain the effect of friction on the nature of surface in contact.

Accepted Answer

A brick, a hook, a string and a spring balance are required to perform this activity.

1) Tie a string around a brick and attach a hook to it. Take a spring balance and attach it to the hook.

2) Place the arrangement horizontally as shown in figure on a smooth surface.

3) Gently pull the spring balance. Keep on increasing the force on the spring balance till the brick just starts to move. Note the reading on the spring balance at that moment when the brick moves. It represents the force of friction between the brick and the smooth surface.

4) Take the same arrangement to a rough surface and repeat third step. Again, note the reading on the spring balance.

We have to apply a larger force on the brick, which is placed on the rough surface as compared to the smooth surface to move the brick. The spring balance shows greater reading on the rough surface than that on the smooth surface. This shows that rough surfaces offer greater friction than smooth surfaces. More the roughness of a surface, larger is the number of irregularities on its surface and hence greater will be the friction.

Anita Sood, Anupama Bhandari, Madhabi Bose and, Shelly Wadhwa Solutions for Exercise 3: ASSESSMENT ZONE

Anita Sood Science Solutions for Exercise - Anita Sood, Anupama Bhandari, Madhabi Bose and, Shelly Wadhwa Solutions for Exercise 3: ASSESSMENT ZONE

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