What Are the Best Low-Budget Materials for High and Low Friction on Ramps?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on creating two ramps, each 30 cm long, with one ramp designed for low friction and the other for high friction, using low-budget materials. Participants suggest using pencil erasers glued together for the sticky object and sandpaper attached to a wood block for the slippery object. The requirement is for reproducible results without using materials that disintegrate, such as water or ice. The conversation emphasizes the need for practical solutions that maintain consistent frictional properties.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of friction coefficients and their practical applications
  • Basic knowledge of materials and their properties
  • Experience with simple construction techniques using adhesives
  • Familiarity with experimental design for reproducibility
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the coefficient of friction values for various common materials
  • Explore different adhesives suitable for bonding materials securely
  • Investigate alternative low-budget materials for creating ramps
  • Learn about experimental setups to measure friction effectively
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for educators, students conducting physics experiments, and hobbyists interested in understanding friction and material properties in practical applications.

AwsmAssassin
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I have to make 2 ramps of 30 cm long along with 2 objects(objects need to be 8 cm long). One must be slippery so that it has a low coefficient of friction and one needs to be sticky and have the highest coeffivient of friciton possible. Bassically we place object on ramp raise it from one side so that the highest/lowest angle is achieved for the sticky/slippery objects. so, I need 1 object that will be the "stickiest", and one that needs to be most "slippery". Any help is appreciated, we are supposed to use low budge items. I tried to research for this, but i can't seem to find a lot of information on low bugdet items :/
later edit : can't use objects that will disintegraate (water/ice) and the effects must be reproducilbe, aka, over and over and over again.
im sorry if this is a bit un professional post but I tried my best to explain it as well as I could
 
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Have you looked at http://blog.mechguru.com/machine-design/typical-coefficient-of-friction-values-for-common-materials/?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
one needs to be sticky and have the highest coeffivient of friciton possible

Perhaps...
Pencil erasers glued together to make one 8cm long (super glue should work)?
Sandpaper glued to wood block?
 
CWatters said:
Perhaps...
Pencil erasers glued together to make one 8cm long (super glue should work)?
Sandpaper glued to wood block?
Except, that's not friction. No normal force should mean no lateral force.
 
Perhaps I wasn't clear. A pencil eraser or sand paper has pretty high friction when resting on most surfaces.
 
CWatters said:
Perhaps I wasn't clear. A pencil eraser or sand paper has pretty high friction when resting on most surfaces.
Ah, I see what you mean. If a very high friction is achieved, the object will have to be very shallow, or it will simply tip away from the slope. I guess that's why you suggest gluing erasers together to make a long one.
 
The OP said they had to be 8cm long.
 

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