How to find Static Friction

In summary, given the information provided about a moving vehicle and a cup on the dashboard, the problem is to find the static friction between the cup and dashboard. To solve this, the velocity is converted to m/s and the acceleration is determined to be 3.57 m/s^2 in the negative x direction. The maximum static friction force will occur when the cup is subject to this acceleration.
  • #1
SciGuy26
5
0
How would I find static friction given the following information:

V= 45km/hr
Time to decelerate completely from 45km/hr: 3.5s

The motion of the object given is of a moving vehicle. There is a cup on the dashboard inside the vehicle that moves only when deceleration time is less than or equal to 3.5s. From this information how could I solve for static friction between the cup and the dashboard?

I started by converting the velocity to m/s and found the acceleration to be be 3.57m/s^2 in the negative x direction. I do not know how to go from here...please help.
 
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  • #2
How is static friction defined. The maximum static friction force must occur when the cup is subject to the acceleration of 3.57 m/s2.
 
  • #3


To find the static friction between the cup and the dashboard, you will need to use the formula for Newton's Second Law: F=ma, where F is the force of friction, m is the mass of the cup, and a is the acceleration.

First, convert the velocity from km/hr to m/s by multiplying it by 1000/3600, which gives you a velocity of 12.5 m/s. Then, use the equation for acceleration, a=(vf-vi)/t, where vf is the final velocity (0 m/s) and vi is the initial velocity (12.5 m/s). This gives you an acceleration of -12.5/3.5 = -3.57 m/s^2.

Now, plug in the values for mass (m) and acceleration (a) into the formula F=ma. Since the cup is not moving vertically, we can assume that the force of friction (F) is equal to the force of gravity acting on the cup (mg). Therefore, the equation becomes mg=ma, where g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2).

Solving for the static friction force (F), we get F=ma=(0.5 kg)(-3.57 m/s^2)=-1.79 N.

This means that the static friction between the cup and the dashboard is 1.79 N, which is the minimum force required to keep the cup from sliding on the dashboard during deceleration.
 

1. How is static friction different from kinetic friction?

Static friction is the force that resists the motion of an object at rest, while kinetic friction is the force that resists the motion of an object in motion.

2. What factors affect the magnitude of static friction?

The magnitude of static friction is affected by the normal force between two surfaces, the roughness of the surfaces, and the coefficient of static friction between the two surfaces.

3. How do you measure the coefficient of static friction?

The coefficient of static friction can be measured by applying an increasing force to an object at rest until it begins to move. The coefficient is equal to the force required to start the motion divided by the normal force.

4. Can the coefficient of static friction be greater than the coefficient of kinetic friction?

Yes, it is possible for the coefficient of static friction to be greater than the coefficient of kinetic friction. This is because the surfaces may have a stronger interlocking force when at rest compared to when they are in motion.

5. How does the angle of the incline affect the static friction force?

The angle of the incline affects the normal force and therefore the magnitude of the static friction force. As the angle of the incline increases, the normal force decreases, resulting in a decrease in the static friction force.

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