Static friction does no work (energy is conserved)

In summary: It's just a fancy way of saying that the contact is at rest. In the ideal case (which is no doubt what you are being taught) the atomic nature of the surfaces is NOT considered, hence no work is done.
  • #1
nikolafmf
114
0
I have read that static friction does no work and energy of the system is conserved if only this type of friction exists. Is this only an experimental fact, or can it be proved from basic principles? If it can, how?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction#Static_friction :

"Static friction is friction between two or more solid objects that are not moving relative to each other. For example, static friction can prevent an object from sliding down a sloped surface. "

Where have you read that static friction does no work?

Assume that by a static friction contact you are able to set a mass into motion.
You must have transferred some energy to the mass, isn't it?
Is there a fundamental difference between static friction and a contact force, excpet that one is tengential and the other normal to the contact surfaces?
 
  • #3
maajdl said:
Where have you read that static friction does no work?
Tipler, "Physics for Scientists and Engineers", 5th edition, page 292: "Because the friction is static, it does no work, and there is no dissipation of mechanical energy".

The problem in question is ball rolling down an incline without slipping. The friction between the ball and the incline is said to be static.
 
  • #4
nikolafmf said:
static friction does no work...
... in the rest frame of the surfaces in contact.
 
  • #6
I am in agreement with both maajdl and A.T.. The work done by static friction is dependent on the frame of reference of the observer. In fact, work in general is dependent on the frame of reference of the observer.

Chet
 
  • #7
nikolafmf said:
Tipler, "Physics for Scientists and Engineers", 5th edition, page 292: "Because the friction is static, it does no work, and there is no dissipation of mechanical energy".

The problem in question is ball rolling down an incline without slipping. The friction between the ball and the incline is said to be static.

Tipler said that? That's very disappointing 'cause it ain't always true. But sometimes it is, depending on the specific physical situation.
 
  • #8
I think there is maybe a confusion here between "work" and "dissipation of energy".
In static friction, no energy can be lost or dissipated.
But work can be done.
 
  • #9
This is about definitions. Static friction is usually regarded as the force being reversibly/elastically applied to one surface by another. Generally, when you apply a force to a fairly rigid object in contact with another surface, some of that force will be transferred to the interface and cause various changes in the second surface. This can include compression, erosion, deflection, flow, and the creation of various surface defects (all on a microscopic level). In the ideal case (which is no doubt what you are being taught) the atomic nature of the surfaces is NOT considered, hence no work is done. (ie. ideal solids). In the real world, if you touch a glass window, you leave a little bit of you on the glass, and a little bit of glass on you. These effects are ignored, except by the writers of CSI (and by tribologists, surface physicists & chemists, forensic scientists, etc.)
 
  • #10
maajdl said:
I think there is maybe a confusion here between "work" and "dissipation of energy.
Yes, or it is a (mis)interpretation of the "static" qualifier. In general "static friction" means there is no velocity difference between the contact surfaces, not that the contact is at rest.
 
  • #11
abitslow said:
In the ideal case (which is no doubt what you are being taught) the atomic nature of the surfaces is NOT considered, hence no work is done.
Even in the ideal case work is done in any reference frame where the contact patch moves parallel to the force. Work is frame dependent.
 
  • #12
Static friction can be though of in just the same as chains and sprockets or gear wheels and teeth. Work can be said to be 'done on' the chain by the driving crank and the same work is 'done on' the output sprocket. There is a lot of angst, expressed in this thread and many others, concerning who or what 'does the work'. Is it really worth worrying about as long as you do the right Force and Displacement calculations. They will tell you the energy transferred.
 
  • #13
I'm not sure how well defined this is.

For example: Stack a rigid body on another rigid body on a frictionless surface and apply a gentle force to the bottom body. Work is done on the upper body but by which force? It seems arbitrary to me.

Alternatively: If we drop a rigid body onto a moving but unpropelled rigid body, then to argue that static friction does work on the upper body would require a non-physical infinite acceleration. If there is no normal force in the direction of the acceleration then there must be a period of dynamic friction.

The reality is that there is no such thing as a rigid body, though. Conceptually in the idealised case, I think you can have it either way, but I don't think you can construct a case where you are forced to conclude that static friction must do work unless you wish to consider it an external force.
 
Last edited:
  • #15
craigi said:
For example: Stack a rigid body on another rigid body on a frictionless surface and apply a gentle force to the bottom body. Work is done on the upper body but by which force? It seems arbitrary to me.
well, seeing as how there is only one force acting on the upper body, there's not a lot of room for arbitrariness there.

The arbitrary choice was made when we considered this as two bodies with a force acting between them, instead of as one larger body. If we had glued the two bodies together, we wouldn't have any trouble with treating the two bodies as one; and if we instead chose to treat them as two bodies, we'd have no difficulty seeing how the adhesive force of the glue is what's accelerating the upper body. We can think of static friction as just a rather weak glue.
 
  • Like
Likes 1 person
  • #16
Nugatory said:
The arbitrary choice was made when we considered this as two bodies with a force acting between them, instead of as one larger body.
This and the choice of the reference frame of course. Once you decide what the bodies are and choose the reference frame, the rest follows.
 
  • #17
Nugatory said:
If we had glued the two bodies together, we wouldn't have any trouble with treating the two bodies as one; and if we instead chose to treat them as two bodies, we'd have no difficulty seeing how the adhesive force of the glue is what's accelerating the upper body. We can think of static friction as just a rather weak glue.
Nice example!
 

What is static friction?

Static friction is a type of force that occurs between two surfaces that are in contact with each other, but not moving relative to each other. It is a resistive force that prevents objects from sliding or slipping against each other.

How does static friction differ from kinetic friction?

Unlike kinetic friction, which occurs when two surfaces are in motion relative to each other, static friction only occurs when the surfaces are at rest. This means that the magnitude of static friction can vary, while kinetic friction remains constant.

Why does static friction not do any work?

Static friction does not do any work because it does not result in any displacement. Work is defined as the force applied to an object multiplied by the distance the object moves in the direction of the force. Since static friction does not cause any movement, no work is done.

How does the conservation of energy relate to static friction?

The conservation of energy means that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or converted from one form to another. In the case of static friction, the energy of an object is not changing because no work is being done. Therefore, the energy is conserved.

Can static friction ever do work?

Yes, static friction can do work in certain situations where it causes an object to move in the direction of the applied force. This can happen when the force applied is greater than the maximum static friction force, causing the object to overcome the resistance and start moving.

Similar threads

Replies
6
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
19
Views
1K
Replies
10
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
716
Replies
37
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Mechanics
Replies
13
Views
1K
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • Mechanics
Replies
2
Views
591
Back
Top