Friction - exists in a vacuum?

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    Friction Vacuum
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of friction in a vacuum, exploring whether friction can occur in such an environment and under what conditions it might manifest. Participants examine various scenarios, including practical applications and theoretical implications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that friction can exist in a vacuum, citing examples such as walking on the moon.
  • Others argue that while certain types of friction, like air resistance, are absent in a vacuum, other forms of friction can still occur, particularly between solid surfaces.
  • A participant mentions the concept of vacuum tunnels for high-speed trains, indicating that reduced air resistance allows for increased speeds due to lower friction.
  • Another participant points out that mechanical components, such as nuts and bolts, continue to function in the vacuum of space, implying the presence of friction in some form.
  • One contribution references a study on cold welding and galling, indicating that friction coefficients can increase significantly under specific conditions in a vacuum, particularly when lubricants are compromised.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the existence and nature of friction in a vacuum, with no consensus reached on the overall question. Some acknowledge that while certain frictional forces may be absent, others can still play a role.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the complexity of friction in different environments, with limitations in understanding the specific conditions under which various types of friction occur in a vacuum.

tiwai016
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friction -- exists in a vacuum?

Is it possible for friction to take place in a vaccum?
 
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tiwai016 said:
Is it possible for friction to take place in a vaccum?

Sure. Kind of hard to walk on the moon without friction, eh? :smile:
 
With vacuum you actually take away only few ways of friction the main being that of air and a object moving through it.

They had a plan to build special vacuum tunnels with high speed trains in them, train has very little friction as it is rolling on metal wheels on metal track , and if you remove the air you can increase the speed significantly.
 
tiwai016 said:
Is it possible for friction to take place in a vaccum?

Nuts and bolts still work on the outside of the space station.
 
Under certain conditions cold welding and/galling can occur as what this paper has concluded from the THE GALILEO HIGH GAIN ANTENNA DEPLOYMENT ANOMALY.

http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/32404/1/94-0141.pdf

A series of tests was performed at NASA 1.cwis Research Center on the friction
properties of drylubed and bare titanium against ]nconcl 7 18.[31 The results of these tests
showed that if the (WO surfaces arc displaced relative to each other under load and in air, then
clisplacccl relative to each other under load in a vacuum, the sliding friction between the
surfaces increases nearly ten times, When a drylubcd and anodized pin was operated in an
atmosphere, the drylube surface was quickly destroyed and, as a result, exposed the base
titanium, The testing also showed that with an atmosphere present to continue to react with
the bare titanium as it was worn by sliding contact, the friction coefficient never exceeded
0,35. However, once a pin’s drylubc was damaged by operation in air and then operated in a
vacuLIm, the surfaces started to gall and produce cmfficients of friction in excess of 1.0,
 
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