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The coefficient of friction (COF), often symbolized by the Greek letter μ, is a dimensionless scalar value which equals the ratio of the force of friction between two bodies and the force pressing them together, either during or at the onset of slipping. The coefficient of friction depends on the materials used; for example, ice on steel has a ...
Regardless of the mode, friction always acts to oppose the objects' relative motion. The normal force is taken perpendicularly to the direction of relative motion; under the influence of gravity, and in the common case of an object supported by a horizontal surface, the normal force is just the weight of the object itself.
In real life, though, there is often a situation where the surfaces are not completely dry, but also not so lubricated that they do not touch. This "boundary friction" produces various effects, like an increase in lubrication through the generation of shearing forces , or an oscillation effect during motion, as the friction increases and decreases.
At the macroscopic scale, it is applied for the investigation of the motion of contacting bodies (see Contact dynamics). For instance the bouncing of a rubber ball on a surface depends on the frictional interaction at the contact interface. Here the total force versus indentation and lateral displacement are of main concern.
Sliding friction (also called kinetic friction) is a contact force that resists the sliding motion of two objects or an object and a surface. Sliding friction is almost always less than that of static friction; this is why it is easier to move an object once it starts moving rather than to get the object to begin moving from a rest position.
Frictional contact mechanics emphasizes the effect of friction forces. Contact mechanics is part of mechanical engineering. The physical and mathematical formulation of the subject is built upon the mechanics of materials and continuum mechanics and focuses on computations involving elastic, viscoelastic, and plastic bodies in static or dynamic ...
The centrifugal force balances the friction between wheels and the road, making the car stationary in this non-inertial frame. A classic example of a fictitious force in circular motion is the experiment of rotating spheres tied by a cord and spinning around their centre of mass. In this case, the identification of a rotating, non-inertial ...
Tribology is the science and engineering of understanding friction, lubrication and wear phenomena for interacting surfaces in relative motion.It is highly interdisciplinary, drawing on many academic fields, including physics, chemistry, materials science, mathematics, biology and engineering. [1]