Friction Lab Investigation: Changing the mass

[Gerard77]

Homework Statement

We have to investigate a factor that affects friction. For my expiriment, I placed a wooden block on a flat surface, and increased the force pulling the object using a Newton meter until the block moved. I increased the mass and the force required to pull it increased.

Homework Equations

Since the block has to overcome friction, how can we measure the force of friction?

The Attempt at a Solution

I know that when it moves, it has overcome the force of friction and the forces are unbalanced. But how can we know the max frictive force for each mass?

 

[tiny-tim]

Welcome to PF!

Hi Gerard77! Welcome to PF!

Since the block has to overcome friction, how can we measure the force of friction?

That's exactly what the Newton meter does! …

it measures the force! ​

 

[Gerard77]

So would the result I recorded for the force required to overcome friction be the magnitude of the force of friction?

 

[iRamie]

We just did this lab around 3 days ago!

OT:
The force required to overcome friction is not the force of friction, it is the force of STATIC FRICTION. Which is the amount of friction needed for the object to move.

 

[Gerard77]

We were researching static friction, so that's great. thanks.