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

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a project involving the construction of two ramps, each 30 cm long, designed to test objects with varying coefficients of friction. The original poster seeks low-budget materials to create one ramp that is slippery and another that is sticky, with specific dimensions for the objects used on these ramps.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants suggest various materials such as pencil erasers and sandpaper for achieving high and low friction. There are questions about the appropriateness of these materials and their effectiveness in the context of the project requirements.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different material options and clarifying the requirements of the project. Some guidance has been offered regarding potential materials, but there is no consensus on the best approach yet.

Contextual Notes

The original poster has specified constraints, including the need for materials that do not disintegrate and the requirement for reproducibility in the effects observed. There is also a focus on low-budget solutions.

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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