Ice vs. Teflon : coefficent of friction

  • Thread starter Thread starter rollingstein
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Friction Ice
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the coefficient of friction of ice compared to Teflon, exploring the conditions under which ice is considered slippery and its potential applications as a lubricant or anti-friction surface beyond recreational activities like skating.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that ice on ice has a lower static coefficient of friction than Teflon on Teflon, questioning the implications for ice as a lubricant.
  • Another participant suggests that ice is slippery under pressure and movement, referencing a study to support this claim.
  • A different viewpoint indicates that ice becomes slippery when lubricated with water, highlighting pressure and temperature as contributing factors.
  • Application areas for ice are proposed, including various winter sports and practical uses like icebreaker hulls and automotive finishes, suggesting that ice has broader applications than just recreational use.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the conditions that make ice slippery and its potential applications, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a consensus.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the conditions under which ice is slippery, such as pressure and temperature, and does not resolve the implications of these factors on the coefficient of friction.

rollingstein
Messages
644
Reaction score
16
I knew ice was slippery, but looking at a table of coefficents of friction today it seems that ice on ice yields a lower μs value than even teflon on teflon.

Is that really true? If so, does ice have much of an application as a lubricant or anti friction surface outside of skating rinks?

I was wondering...
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
Ice is slippery when lubricated with water. Pressure is one way to produce it, the other one is temperature.
 
Application areas: Skis, snowboards, skates, bobsled, luge, iceboats, avalanches, snowblowers, icebreaker hulls, river-bridge foundations, roofing, automotive exterior finishes, etc all concern interfaces to (and within) ice and snow. Traditional Inuit dogsleds use a smooth coating of ice on the runners to reduce drag over both ice and snow.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K
Replies
31
Views
4K
Replies
7
Views
7K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
7K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K