Does the Size of Grit Affect the Coefficient of Friction?

[Nick tringali]

Hello physics forums,
I recently carried out an experiment testing the coefficient of friction of different grit sandpaper
My data supports that when you raise grit you decrease the cof.
My problem is WHY, why does the size of the grit have any impact on the coefficient of friction. Any ideas would help.

 

[russ_watters]

To get the ball rolling, what really your ideas? How does sandpaper create friction? Does that mechanism change with the grit?

 

[Nick tringali]

Ok so when the grit is around 2000 it feels like paper but when the grit is 50 it feels rough so here are some ideas
-There is more space between the particles in the 50 grit (but why does that make a difference physicaly
-There is more penatration into the surfaces
Thats all i got

 

[Nick tringali]

Ok so when the grit is around 2000 it feels like paper but when the grit is 50 it feels rough so here are some ideas
-There is more space between the particles in the 50 grit (but why does that make a difference physicaly
-There is more penatration into the surfaces
Thats all i got

Sand paper is rough but... Why does rough raise the cof is what I am geting at

 

[CWatters]

Imagine you had two sheets of very coarse sandpaper with the rough surfaces together. Try sketching an enlarged cross section. What would have to happen for them to slide over each other?

 

[Nick tringali]

The grits work bump into each other

 

[Stuart21]

Thats easy. As the roughness increases, the number of points of contact / area will reduce.

Stiction per point of contact, x reduced number of contacts / area = ∆µ < 0

 

[Nick tringali]

Thats easy. As the roughness increases, the number of points of contact / area will reduce.

Stiction per point of contact, x reduced number of contacts / area = ∆µ ≤ 0 (hold the equals - don't have a 'less than')

Thanks bud

 

[Nick tringali]

Are there any formulas with mu and number of contact points?

 

[sophiecentaur]

I don't think COF is a valid / useful quantity for all surfaces. The reason that COF is a useful quantity in many cases can be explained by the change in area of contact between faces in contact if the normal force changes. If you are dealing with a pair of surfaces which don't follow Hooke's Law then more coefficients are needed than COF to describe what happens. Sandpaper is a bit like two sets of gear teeth and the friction there is very non-linear (infinite until the teeth actually break).

 

[Nick tringali]

Thanks so there are no related formulas that come to mind?

 

[sophiecentaur]

Thanks so there are no related formulas that come to mind?

Either use the old favourite one or, when that fails, you have to get down to specifics of each surface profile, I would think. I wouldn't look for a "formula", as such.