Name: Necessity of Friction
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 10 min 37 s
Description: Friction is the force that opposes the motion to slow things down. Can you think about the need for friction? Why do we need friction? Watch and find for you...

Question

Why is friction called a necessary evil?

Accepted Answer

Frictional force plays an important role in our daily life. In some cases, friction is useful and we want
to keep it but in other cases friction is harmful, and we wish to reduce it.

Some advantages of friction are given below:

1) Friction enables us to write and draw on paper.

2) Friction enables us to walk without slipping.

3) Friction helps us to pick up and hold things in our hands.

4) A matchstick lights up due to the heat produced by friction between the head of the matchstick and the lighting surface of a matchbox.

Some disadvantages of friction are listed below:

1) Friction reduces the efficiency of machines.

2) Friction slows down motion.

3) The soles of our shoes and tyres of vehicles wear out due to friction. It also causes wear and tear in the moving parts of machines.

4) Automobiles and engines consume more fuel to overcome the energy loss due to friction.

Since, friction has both advantages and disadvantages, we often called it as a necessary evil.

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