About circular Friction measurement

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the coefficient of circular or rolling friction for rubber on tarmac (or asphalt), specifically in the context of measuring the force required to move a heavy object on wheels. Participants explore methods for measuring rolling friction and air drag, as well as clarifying concepts related to friction types.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks a precise measurement of the coefficient of rolling friction for rubber on tarmac, noting that they cannot perform the measurement directly due to the weight of the object (1000 kg) and lack of instruments.
  • Another participant suggests a method involving a suspension spring and a frame to measure rolling friction, while also noting potential inaccuracies due to axle friction and tire deformation.
  • A different participant refers to the coefficient of rolling resistance (C_r) and provides a formula relating force and weight, indicating a simpler method using a bathroom scale to measure the force needed to maintain constant velocity.
  • One participant expresses surprise at the simplicity of the bathroom scale method compared to their initial suggestion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple approaches and methods for measuring rolling friction, but there is no consensus on a single method or the precise value of the coefficient. The discussion remains open with various suggestions and clarifications.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss different methods for measuring rolling friction and air drag, but there are limitations regarding the accuracy of the proposed methods and the conditions under which they may be applied. Some assumptions about the setup and measurements are not fully explored.

Jonh Doe
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
I need some information about the coefficient of circular or rolling friction for rubber on tarmac (or asphalt). It is to do a measurement of the force required to move an object of certain weight at regular speed on wheels.

I know that rolling friction is about 1/100 of the kinetic friction coefficient, and that this coefficient for rubber on tarmac is around 1.08, but I need a more precise measurement, and don't have access to such information.

If you could tell me this coefficient, or where I could find a way to calculate it or a chart that has it, it would help me. By the way, I cannot do the measurement directly, since the weight to move is around 1000 kg, and I don't have the required instruments.

Also, I would need help in how to measure the drag of air on an boject, if you know how.

Thanks for your replies
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Jonh Doe said:
I need some information about the coefficient of circular or rolling friction for rubber on tarmac (or asphalt). It is to do a measurement of the force required to move an object of certain weight at regular speed on wheels.

I know that rolling friction is about 1/100 of the kinetic friction coefficient, and that this coefficient for rubber on tarmac is around 1.08, but I need a more precise measurement, and don't have access to such information.

If you could tell me this coefficient, or where I could find a way to calculate it or a chart that has it, it would help me. By the way, I cannot do the measurement directly, since the weight to move is around 1000 kg, and I don't have the required instruments.

Also, I would need help in how to measure the drag of air on an boject, if you know how.

Thanks for your replies
im familiar to static and kinetic friction, what is rolling friction?
 
Just as a suggestion, you might have a relatively easy way to make this measurement. You could construct a simple contraption using one of those suspension springs and a simple frame (of wood or whatever). Then you could pull the car (at some constant speed, say 2 mph) and mark the stretched length of the spring on the frame. This together with the spring constant should give you 2 sig figs worth of determination. This may not work very well if the spring constant is too low or too high. The force you measure will be the rolling friction and the axle friction (not to be confused with each other). To get just the rolling friction of the tires, you could have them roll down a slight incline and record the time, but the deformation of the tires under the weight of the car would be absent, so I'm not sure this would be very accurate.
 
In college, I think we called it the coefficient of rolling resistance, Cr, the fraction of the car's weight needed to maintain a constant velocity:

[tex]C_r=\frac{F}{W}[/tex]

To get a rough estimate, we used a bathroom scale that we pushed on to measure the force needed to keep the car rolling.
 
Ah, that is much simpler and more available than my idea! :redface:

I don't know why I always try to make things so complicated.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
3K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
5K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
10K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
3K
  • · Replies 35 ·
2
Replies
35
Views
6K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K