How is friction reduced

If the oil film is sufficient to keep the surfaces separated but is too high a viscosity for the speed of the moving surfaces, then some drag or internal resistance within the fluid fluid friction will occur. This can be thought of as friction caused by layers of oil being forced to slide past each other.

We encourage you to read our updated Privacy Policy Hide. Toggle navigation Toggle search. Magazine Subscribe Today! Current Issue Archive Advertise. Factors That Affect Friction A number of factors affect the frictional conditions at the interface between these two surfaces in relative motion.

These factors are: Surface Finish — The number, roughness and even the directional contact points of the asperities on the surfaces can dramatically affect the frictional coefficient. Surface Interaction It is important to understand how two metal surfaces within a machine interact with each other.

Related Articles. Ten Tips for Proper Bearing Maintenance. The streamlined body of fishes and birds is mimicked to ensure minimal friction. Yes, we can reduce contact by magnetic levitation or by charging both surfaces with the same polarity. Maglev Magnetic levitation trains run on the principle of magnetic levitation to reduce friction in order to increase speed and travel experience.

Sliding friction is always greater than rolling friction. Imagine a car with square wheels. Rolling friction is applied widely in our daily lives. Examples in our daily lives: Ball bearings use balls to separate two bearing races.

Hence sliding friction is converted into rolling friction. Friction is directly proportional to the normal force applied to it. Since we are on earth, the weight of the body is the normal force on the object generally. In space, there will be very less or no friction. So, choose materials wisely to reduce friction. Fluids offer less friction compared to solid surfaces. Oil helps to separate the surfaces and this helps to reduce the friction between them.

There are many factors that affect the frictional conditions at the interface between two surfaces in relative motion. These factors are as follows: Surface Finish- The frictional coefficient is drastically affected by the roughness, number, and even the directional contact points of the asperities on the surfaces.

Temperature- The overall level of cold or heat or cold in an environment can affect friction. For example, temperature determines whether an anti-wear or extreme pressure additive will be effective in certain applications.

Operational Load- Friction varies directly with the load. A load that exceeds the designed capacity will drastically increase the frictional coefficient of friction. Relative Speed- Increasing the speed beyond the specified safety level will dramatically increase friction.

Nature of the Relative Motion between the Surfaces- The frictional coefficient is also affected by the sliding motion versus the rolling motion. Methods of Increasing Friction Method 1: Create an uneven or rugged or adhesive point of contact. When two or more bodies either slide or rub against each other, there are three things that may happen: small irregularities, nooks, and crannies on the surfaces can catch on each other; one or both the surfaces can deform due to motion; and lastly, the atoms within each surface can interact with each other.

Practically, all three of these effects do the same thing: generate friction. An adhesive interaction with other surfaces like tacky glue, etc.

Method 2: Pressing the two surfaces together harder. A fundamental principle of basic physics is that the friction experienced by a body is directly proportional to its normal force. This implies that we can increase the friction between two surfaces can be increased if we press the surfaces into each other with a greater force.

Method 3: Stopping any relative motion. That is, if one body is in motion with respect to another body, stop it. Until now, we have focused on sliding friction, which is also known as kinetic friction-the friction that occurs between two bodies as they slide against one another. In fact, this friction is different from static friction, which occurs when a body just starts to move against one another. Although wheels are great for rolling and reducing friction, they couldn't work without friction.

It would be really tough just to stand up without friction. Friction can generate static electricity. The harder two surfaces are pressed together, the more force it takes to overcome the friction and get them to slide. Fluid friction is used a lot in water parks so we can slide smoothly and fast down giant slides. Racing cyclists crouch down low on their bikes to reduce the air resistance on them. This helps them to cycle faster. They also wear streamlined helmets.

These have special, smooth shapes that allow the air to flow over the cyclist more easily. Ice causes very little friction , which is why it is easy to slip over on an icy day. However this is a good thing for ice skating and sledging.

When you rub your hands together quickly the friction warms them up. Slippery substances such as oil reduce the friction between two surfaces. This is known as lubrication. Have you ever felt as though you were walking in place when you were trying to walk into a strong wind? The air resistance is working against the force applied by your legs opposing motion and reducing acceleration.

Start your child on a tailored learning programme Weekly resources sent direct to your inbox Keep your child's learning on track. Trial it for FREE today. There are three different types of friction: Dry Friction - Dry friction occurs when two solid objects touch each other.

If they are not moving, it is called static friction. If they are moving, it is called kinetic or sliding friction. Fluid Friction - Fluid friction involves a fluid or air. The air resistance on an airplane or water resistance on a boat is fluid friction.

Although liquids offer resistance to objects moving through them, they also smooth surfaces and reduce friction. Rolling Friction - Rolling friction occurs when a round surface rolls over a surface, like a ball or wheel. There are 3 main factors that will influence the total amount of friction: The roughness of the surfaces The weight of the object The surface area how much is touching.

Friction only happens with solid objects , but you do get resistance to motion in both liquids and gases.