How Does Licking Fingers Increase Friction?

[skywolf]

how does licking your fingers increase friction when you want to turn a page?

and why is it different than when you want to climb a cliff and you dry your hands instead?

 

[Mk]

Licking your fingers doesn't increase friction with the page. The only reason I could imagine why people do that is because of polar action. The spit sticks to the paper, and it sticks to your finger, and it sticks to itself, so it acts like glue.

You really want dry hands if you want to increase friction, gymnasts dust their hands (feet sometimes) in chalk before doing their thing. Bowlers too, but I think they use something else. With silicon dioxide in it?

 

[charng]

Licking your fingers can increase friction in two ways. Firstly, it adds moisture to your fingers, making them slightly stickier and increasing the grip on the page. This stickiness increases the friction between your fingers and the page, making it easier to turn the page without it slipping out of your hand.

Secondly, saliva contains enzymes that break down proteins and other substances on the surface of the page. These substances can create a barrier between your fingers and the page, reducing the friction and making it harder to turn the page. By licking your fingers, you are removing these substances and creating a smoother surface for your fingers to grip onto.

The reason why this is different from drying your hands when climbing a cliff is that the type of friction being utilized is different. When climbing, you want to reduce friction in order to smoothly and quickly move your hands along the surface of the cliff. Drying your hands removes any moisture or stickiness that may cause your hands to stick to the rock, allowing you to easily glide your hands along the surface.

In contrast, when turning a page, you want to increase friction in order to maintain a secure grip on the page. Drying your hands in this situation would actually decrease the friction and make it harder to turn the page. Therefore, licking your fingers is a more effective method for increasing friction in this scenario.

In summary, licking your fingers increases friction when turning a page by adding moisture and removing substances that may hinder grip. This is different from drying your hands when climbing a cliff, as the goal is to reduce friction in order to smoothly move along the surface. As scientists, it is important to understand the principles of friction and how it can be manipulated in different situations.