Title: Investigating the effect of surface type on frictional force
INTRODUCTION:
Friction is a force that resist motion of one surface against another. It plays a crucial role in everyday activities such has walking, driving and using machinery. Frictional forces depends on the nature of the surface in contact and not significantly on the area of contact or the object’s mass. The scientific principle behind this investigation is that rougher surface tends to create more friction because their microscopic bumps interlock more than those smoother surface
AIM: To investigate how different surface types affect the amount of friction acting on a sliding object
HYPOTHESIS:
If an object is pulled across a rough surface, then it will require more force to move it than a smooth surface, because rough surface increase frictional resistance
METHOD:
A wooden block was pulled across various surface (title, sandpaper, and plastic) using a spring scale. The force needed to initiate; movement as recorded for each surface.
RESULT/OBSERVATION
ON TITLE: read approx. 1.0N
ON SANDPAPER: read approx. 2.5N
ON CARPET: The force was 2.0N
ON PLASTIC: the reading was 0.8N
The roughest surface (sandpaper) required the most force, confirming higher friction, while the smoother surface (title and plastic) required the least.
DISCUSSION:
The results clearly show the rougher surfaces requires more force to move the same object. This supports the principle that friction increases with surface roughness. The hypothesis was supported, as sandpaper, the roughest had the highest friction. While the plastic had the lowest.
POTENTIAL ERRORS INCLUDE:
- Inconsistent pulling speed, which could affect force reading.
- Uneven pressure on the object during testing.
- Human error in reading the scale or initialing movement.
TO IMPROVE THE METHOD:
- Use a mechanical pulley system to apply force evenly
- Conduct multiple trials and calculate averages
- Use electronic force sensors for greater accuracy
CONCLUSION:
The experiment supports the hypothesis that rougher surfaces produce greater friction. This aligns with physical theories of surface interaction at microscopic level. Real-world application include designing tries for different terrains, selecting materials for footwear and improving industrial machinery to reduce wear. Understanding friction is esstinal in high safety and engineering designs
