Need help why did the water increased the friction?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the phenomenon of increased friction when pulling a shoe on a wet board compared to a dry surface. The experiment demonstrated that adding water made it harder to pull the shoe due to the creation of a vacuum effect between the shoe and the wet surface. This effect occurs because water molecules fill the gaps between the solid surfaces, enhancing adhesion and increasing friction. The analogy of a suction cup illustrates how moisture can improve surface bonding, contrary to the expectation that water would reduce friction.

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  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, particularly friction and adhesion.
  • Familiarity with Newton meters and their use in measuring force.
  • Knowledge of molecular interactions, specifically how water molecules interact with solid surfaces.
  • Basic grasp of experimental design and observation in scientific experiments.
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  • Research the principles of friction and adhesion in materials science.
  • Explore the effects of moisture on different materials and their friction coefficients.
  • Learn about vacuum effects and their applications in engineering and design.
  • Investigate the role of surface tension in enhancing adhesion between materials.
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Students in physics or materials science, engineers designing products that involve friction, and anyone interested in the practical applications of adhesion and surface interactions.

lukey
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need help! why did the water increased the friction??

I did an experiment where I pulled a shoe using a Newton meter on wet board and it was harder to pull the shoe than when it was dry.

The more water I added on the board the harder it was to pull the shoe!

Can someone explain why because logically there should be less friction on water?
 
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In short, because friction was not the only force at work once you had added the water.

Lets say you use a suction cup to attach your cars sat-nav to the windscreen. We all know that the cup will work better when its wet. The reason it works better is because the water forms a bond with the surface that is much more air tight than simply leaving it up to the solid cup alone. This is because water molecules are able to plug the gaps that (mostly) static solid molecules can't.

So when you pulled you shoe along, the water acted to create a vacuum effect between the surface of the table and the shoe, which bound the two together. This would, of course, result in it being much harder to pull the shoe.
 


thanks a lot

I understand better now
 


sounds like a pretty good shoe design to me!
 

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